the Orpheon, and wrote the choruses for Ponsard’s tragedy of “Ulysse.”  The year 1854 brought a five-act opera, “La Nonne Sanglante,” founded on a legend in Lewis’s “Monk.”  In 1858 he made his first essay in opera comique, and produced “Le Medecin malgre lui,” which met with remarkable success.  The next year “Faust” was performed, and placed him in the front rank of living composers.  “Philemon et Baucis” appeared in 1860, and “La Reine de Saba,” which was afterwards performed in English as “Irene,” in 1862.  In 1863 he brought out the pretty pastoral opera “Mireille.”  This was succeeded in 1866 by “La Colombe,” known in English as “The Pet Dove,” and in 1867 by “Romeo et Juliette.”  In 1877 he produced “Cinq Mars,” and in 1878 his last opera, “Polyeucte.”  He has also written much church music, the more important works being the “Messe Solenelle,” a “Stabat Mater,” the oratorio “Tobie,” a “De Profundis,” an “Ave Verum,” and many single hymns and songs, among which “Nazareth” is universally popular.  His list of compositions for orchestra is also very large, and includes such popular pieces as the “Saltarello,” “Funeral March of a Marionette,” and the Meditation, based on Bach’s First Prelude, which is accompanied by a soprano solo.  He was elected a member of the Institut de France in 1866.

FAUST.

“Faust,” a grand opera in five acts, words by Barbier and Carre, founded upon Goethe’s tragedy, was first produced at the Theatre Lyrique, Paris, March 19, 1859, with the following cast of the principal parts:—­

MARGUERITE        Mme. MIOLAN-CARVALHO. 
SIEBEL            Mlle. FAIVRE. 
FAUST             M. BARBOT. 
VALENTIN          M. REGNAL. 
MEPHISTOPHELES    M. BALANQUE. 
MARTHA            Mme. DUCLOS.

The opera was first produced in London as “Faust,” June 11, 1863; in English, Jan. 23, 1864; and in Germany as “Margarethe.”

The story of the opera follows Goethe’s tragedy very closely, and is confined to the first part.  It may be briefly told.  Faust, an aged German student, satiated with human knowledge and despairing of his ability to unravel the secrets of nature, summons the evil spirit Mephistopheles to his assistance, and contracts to give him his soul in exchange for a restoration to youth.  Mephistopheles effects the transformation, and reveals to him the vision of Marguerite, a beautiful village maiden, with whom Faust at once falls in love.  They set out upon their travels and encounter her at the Kermesse.  She has been left by her brother Valentin, a soldier, in care of Dame Martha, who proves herself a careless guardian.  Their first meeting is a casual one; but subsequently he finds her in her garden, and with the help of the subtle Mephistopheles succeeds in engaging the young girl’s affection.  Her simple lover, Siebel, is discarded, and his nosegay is thrown away at sight of the jewels with which Faust tempts her.  When Valentin returns from the wars