AN AMATEUR OF THEATER

After its studies, Cambaceres joins again the family relations slack by his father. It attends the living rooms of the noblesse de robe montpelliéraine and takes the practice to pass its evenings to the theatre. Its name appears in second position on the list of the free places conceded with the municipality by the contractor of the spectacles.

Arrived to Paris, Cambaceres keeps its practices and attends the theatres assiduously. If the conventional one seems to be a rather anonymous spectator, after Brumaire, the presence of the second character of the State is noticed.
A few days after Marengo, Cambaceres assists the 01/07/1800 with the theatre of the Troubadours to a light comedy “the unexpected news or the Resumption of Italy”. The 28/05/1801 its presence is noticed with the Opera where it attends accompanied by the count de Livourne “Iphigénie”.
The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer notes in his “Journal of voyage” that Cambaceres assists on Wednesday 14/12 /1803 with the Feydeau theatre to 2 opera-puff out “My aunt Aurore” by Longchamps and “the Turkish Doctor” by Gouffé and Villiers.

Regular spectator, Cambaceres attends almost every evening the large Parisian theatres (Opera, Théâtre Français, Feydeau, Variétés…). It is thus quite naturally that the weekly receptions finish with the theatre:
- Tuesday, Cambaceres invites its guests to the Opera, where it has a cabin: the 24/01/1804, Schopenhauer notices the presence of Cambaceres to the representation of “Anacréon at Polycrate” by Gretry. According to certain testimonys, it falls asleep regularly with the sound of the music.
- saturdays, the walk of the Palais Royal leads it to the theatre of the Varieties where it seems to be more assiduous than with the Opera.

Obeying the Emperor, Cambaceres must be posted with a mistress: it chooses an actress with the mode Henriette Guizot which occurs with the theatre of the Varieties, where she sings verses grivois disguised as a young man (see above the small cabin or Archifou). Cambaceres attends the representations in its bath-tub of apron, where the actress joined it at the end of the spectacle.

Under the Restoration, it seems that Cambaceres does not attend any more the theatres, undoubtedly seek not to draw the attention of the new government ?

LES DEPENSES DE THEATRE

Under the Consulate and the Empire, Cambaceres devotes important sums to the hiring of cabins in various Parisian theatres. On average, the expenditure amounts to 14.000 F/year (as comparison the annual wages of a good Parisian workman are 1.500 F).

Year XII	Year XIII	Year XIV	1807	1808	1809
13.412 F	12.820 F	17.640 F	13.980 F	?	14.168 F
1810	1811	1812	1813	1814	1815
14.492 F	14.420 F	14.440 F	14.550 F	2.700 F	?

The expenditure of year 1812 :

- Opera	4.500 F
- Frecnh Comedy	4.400 F
- Feydeau Theater	4.400 F

- Theâtre of Varietes	1.000 F
- Various concerts	140 F

21/08/06 - Emmanuel Prunaux