The XVIIIth century; its institutions, customs, and costumes France, 1700-1789 . auberval and Mile. Alard, in the opera of * Sylvie, 1766; after Carmontelle. livres, but in 1782 the prices were raised to forty-eight sous for thepit, six livres for the orchestra and first boxes, though no extracharge was made at the first representation of a new pla). More important reforms had been effected at the Royal Academyof Music, which, in the course of the i8th century, witnessed manychanges resulting from the increased expenditure, and not a fewrevolutions in the musical art. This great theatre, thoug
The XVIIIth century; its institutions, customs, and costumes France, 1700-1789 . auberval and Mile. Alard, in the opera of * Sylvie, 1766; after Carmontelle. livres, but in 1782 the prices were raised to forty-eight sous for thepit, six livres for the orchestra and first boxes, though no extracharge was made at the first representation of a new pla). More important reforms had been effected at the Royal Academyof Music, which, in the course of the i8th century, witnessed manychanges resulting from the increased expenditure, and not a fewrevolutions in the musical art. This great theatre, though it enjoyedcertain administrative privileges, was under the complete control ofthe Kings household, but as its expenses always exceeded its THE THEATRES. 407 receipts, the deficiencies had to be made good by the treasury. Asa rule, the management of the Opera was confided to financiers, itbeing thought that they were best able to bear the enormousexpenses, but the wealthiest and the most enterprising resigned aftera very few years, to avoid complete and inevitable ruin. Thus. Fig. 270.—Costume of Neptune ; after Martin. Fig. 271.—African costume in * Aline, Queen of Golconda ;after Martin. it was that the contractor, Claude Gruer, succeeded the musicianDestouches, who manaoed the theatre in the name of the Kino*(1730). Gruer was dismissed in the following year, and he was suc-ceeded in turn by Lecomte (1731), under-farmer of excise ; Thuret(1733) ex-captain in the Picardy regiment, and Rebel and Francoeur(1744), directors of music in the Kings household. Each of theseadministrations had increased by about ;^20,ooo the debt, whichamounted to many million francs, and which was never paid off infull. In 1749, the opera was made over to the City of Paris, and theProvost of the Merchants personally undertook the duties of director. 4o8 THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. As may be supposed, he soon y(jt tired of fillinj,^ this onerous post,and he leased the theatre to Rebel and Francoeur,
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