Music Trade Review

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March 5th, 1881.
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
53
Prelude and Fugue, A minor, Bach-Liszt; Menuetto, Adagio, Fugue,
On the second night of the season Rossini's opera of " William Tell "
Ttfozart; Variations with Fugue, E flat major, Beethoven; Fantaisie, F sharp was produced. This opera is given so rarely in America that it always
minor,Mendelssohn; Sonata, G minor, Schumann; "Etudes," Chopin; appears a novelty. We do not think it has been performed here since the
"Melodie," F major, "Barcarolle," G major, Rubinstein; "Elevation," eventful Parejja-Wachtel-Santley season. The performance on Tuesday
Florsheim; " Momento Capriccioso," B flat major, Weber; "Rhapsodie night was the first one ever given in English here, and served to introduce
Hongroise No. 8, " Liszt. Mr. Rummel is an artist who understands how Miss Abbie Carrington as an operatic singer to our public. The lady is not
to interest an intelligent audience. His conception is bold, and he is capa- unknown to our concert goers, and has made a good success in concert halls.
ble of giving color to his innermost feeling. That he is superior in the This success evidently turned her head, for a pamphlet has been published
grand, broad style is well known; but even in those pieces which are not and distributed about her great talents, with comments from the country
within the reach of his special talent he remains a true artist. His third press, and a cadenza of her own composition for the voice and flute, as sung
recital will take place on March 10th.
by her in a waltz introduced in the " Bohemian girl." All these points
On Thursday evening. Feb. 24th, a concert was given by Mr. George may be very important to Miss Carrington, but the public of New York
Mangold, to celebrate his twenty-five years' work as musical director of sev- cares very little about the lady's cadenzas and newspaper copings. They
eral musical societies in New York and suburbs. Mr. Mangold had the have heard her in opera, aud can judge themselves.
assistance of a male chorus of 250 voices from the Schillerbund and Heine-
"Tell," which Rossini wrote for the grand opera in Paris, belongs to
bund of this city, the Arion Society, Newark,|N. J., an orchestra, and the the French school, although composed by an Italian. If the work is not
following soloists: Miss Fannie Pollak, soprano; Miss Katie Nuffer, contralto; often in the repertoire in America, it is because it is hard to find a tenor who
Messrs. Graff and Althaus, tenors; Steinbach and Fuchs, basses, and Mr. can do justice to the part of Arnold. Messrs. Strakosch and Hess evidently
Davis, organist. The programme included selections from Wagner, Men- think that they possess such a tenor in Mr. Byron, and Rossini's opera was
delssohn, Otto and Reis. At the close of the first part of the concert Mr. presented by their company in a rather weak style, but, it is true, with good
Mangold was presented with a handsome silver mug by Mr. Kalisch, Presi- intentions, and a few enjoyable realities. Mr. Byron belongs to the class of
dent ' of the Society Schillerbund, on behalf of the three societies, which tenors who call themselves robusti, because they are not able to sing mezza
have been conducted by him for a number of years.
voce. They always use their full lungs, and are forced to throw out their
On Monday, Feb. 28, Mr. John Lavine gave his sixth annual concerD. tones like cannon balls, otherwise their organs would prove obstinate, and
On that occasion Miss Louise Reynolds, soprano, made her debut in New would refuse service. Mr. Byron must have had a fine voice in former
York. The other artists were Miss Emily Winant, Mr. Fritsch, Mr. Franz years, and has still some very powerful notes left, but, it. is his fate to become
Rummel, and the members of the New York Philharmonic Club. The princi- hoarse after the first act, and this is due to nothing but a bad emission.
pal feature of the programme was the Quintette, op. 35, for piano and Whenever Mr. Byron can be effective with a high tone, he is sure to take the
strings, by Richard Metzdorff.
house, but before he reaches this point he makes painful efforts to pull
through. We are sorry that Mr. Byron is such an unreliable tenor, though with
HAVEELY'S FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE.
all his faults his material secures him a good position on tho operatic
STRAKO~CII-HESS ENGLISH OPERA.
stage.
HEN two opera managers form a partnership it is a sign that
Mr. Carleton, an old favorite with New Yorkers, appeared in the role of
either one considers himself too weak to go into action alone, and Tell; his voice has somewhat changed since he left here; it has become lighter
ihat together they think to conquer with united forces all obtacles which in quality and has often the timbre of a tenor. The role of Tell is conse-
may obstruct their way. Mr. Max Strakosch, known for many years as quently too low for him and only the " Prayer " in the third act gave him an
impresario of Italian operas, and Mt C. D. Hess, equally well known as opportunity to show his vocal powers to advantage. Miss Laura Schirmer
manager of English troupes, have joined hands, and appeared at the begin- looked very pretty as Gemmy, but ought to have made much more of the
ning of the season as partners and proprietors of an opera company, which character. There is a great chance for Gemmy in the introduction of the
is performing in English. At the start the troupe was called the "Interna- opera to arouse the audience, and Miss Schirmer let the opportunity slip.
tional " Opera Company; this title, however, has been abandoned for reasons Miss Carrington in the role of Mathilda proved that she is a good concert
best known to the managers.
singer, but that just at present her histrionic abilities, if she has any, are
The field of English oj)era has been comparatively little cultivated in undeveloped. It is true tliat Mathilda does not call for any special dramatic
this country. Carl Rosa had a good company, aud Miss Clara Louise Kel- effort, but a singer with dramatic talent shows even in an Aria signs of these
logg gave several seasons of opera in her mother tongue. It is the great stage requisites. Miss Carrington sang her Aria fairly well, and in the duet
question whether the English.opera season can kill the Italian opera season, with the tenor did not do any harm to her share. After having heard her in
and we have no doubt that it can in time; but, of course, it must be made more extensive roles, we may be able to form a more pronounced judgment
fashionable iu New York, and it must be proved that better musical perform- on her merits. The chorus, although not strong enough for the effect of
ances can be given in English than in Italian.
the second Finale, showed good training and did honor to the chorus
Messrs. Strakosch and Hess had a very good chance of populariz- master, Signor De Novellis; the orchestra blundered occasionally, but with-
ing English opera.
The repertoire of the troupe is versatile, and out any serious accident brought the opera to a close.
outshines by far that of Mr. Mapleson, but the Fifth Avenue Theatre is not
The most important performance of the first Aveek of English opora was
the place to produce grand opera, the dimensions of the stage are too insig- the representation of " Carmen," with Marie Roze in the title role.
nificant for operatic purposes, and we cannot understand how two exper-
The remainder of the caste was fair, better than in other performances
ienced managers could be guilty of such a gross mistake. Every child of the Strakosch-Hess troupe. Mr. Perugini sang the part of Jose, and sur-
can easily understand, that for grand opera with spectacular effects, it prised the audience by a beautifully executed trifle at the end of a Duo
takes a grand theatre with a large stage. If you want to finally with Mkhaela, aud showed to advantage in other scenes, in Avhich he avoided
conquer and drive away Italian opera, which is illegitimate in America, screaming, He acted the part well. Miss Laura Schirmer was a somewhat
you must fight on an equal basis or you are lost in the beginning. It tame representative of Michaela. After Valleria, who in that character is
is rumored that Messrs.fStrakosch & Hess have not done a good business since unapproachable, every artiste wilj find it hard to please, but there is never-
the opening of their campaign; we cannot say whether they have made or lost theless a line between artistic singing and the amateurish rendering, aud
money, the fact is, they have given their representations as advertised Miss Schirmer remains within the boundaries of the latter. Not even her
throughout the country, and opened on Monday night, Feb. 28th, at the Romanza could warm the public, and this piece is so effective that it is
Fifth Avenue Theatre, their New York season, comprising two weeks. The hard to destroy its power.
opening performance was Boito's opera of " Mephistopheles," the operatic
Mr. Carleton sang the "Toreador," and labored with the low diapason of
novelty of this winter's season, and brought out for the first time in this
the role. Mr. Carleton being a high baritone, found it necessary to trans-
country by the present troupe in Boston.
pose and make slight changes, but was not without merits in the parts. The
Opera goers have become somewhat familiar with the work through the small parts were in acceptable hands, but the procession in the last act was
performances at the Academy of Music, and familiarity with an operatic given with that degree of shabbiness, for which the Strakosch-Hess manage-
work naturally breeds interest. It has been generally conceded, that ment is justly celebrated. It is funny, indeed, to see a soldier running
Boito's opera is a spectacular opera with all the paraphernalia of the modern around at the back of the stage listening to the sound of trumpets, and to
operatic stage; such a work demands a powerful orchestra, a strong chorus,
the trumpet sounds coming from the orchestra in front; the managers
a brilliant mise en scene, supernumeraries to fill the stage, ballet and other hear
that the public does not know the difference and anything is good enough
details which I have been accustomed to see on the stage. Messrs. Stra- say
for them. Messrs. Strakosch and Hess have found out this season that the
kosch & Hess do not seem to share the general opinion on this subject, and public
taste is much more refined than their own, and, we hope, they will
under their joint management "Mephistopheles " is despoiled of all spec- profit by
this lesson.
tacular glory; we would not object if the chorus was strong; but even
other performances of the week were " Trovatore" with Ottava Tor-
here money has been saved, and the prologue with the heavenly chorus was riani, The
who is an old acquaintance of our public, and "Mignon" with Marie Roze.
entirely lost even to the most attentive listener. The trumpets and trom- On Sunday
night a concert is announced in which some of the principal
bones of the celestial regions were put in the orchestra, and, of course,
robbed the whole scene of its poetry. The orchestra was not strong, and artists are to appear. In our next issue we shall make a few more remarks
the insufficient number of strings gave too much of a show to the brass concerning this season of English opera.
instruments.
If under such circumstances the musical charm of Boito's opera was
robbed of its value, success could not be complete, and the full weight of
In our estimation Strakosch is the Jonah of this company, (The
the performance on the soloists. Even the greatest artists are not capable Strakosch-Hess English Opera Co.) He has defrauded the people of this
of holding an opera in six acts above water. They may do their best, but country so often with his "snap " companies that they no longer have any
beyond that, of course, are powerless. Mme. Marie Roze, who made her debut faith in him.—Saturday Evening Herald, Chicago.
in English opera in New York, portrayed Marguerite and Helen, of Troy.
Boito made a monster out of Goethe's German Gretchen, and no lyric artist " PINAFOBE'S " SUCCESSOR.—They call "Billee Taylor "the successor of
can be expected to do justice to a character which is so utterly absurd in con- "Pinafore." There is, however, this slight difference between the two: In
ception. Mr. Conly as Mephistopheles showed improvement, and acted the the new work the melodies are less catching and the dialogue less crisp than
part in an artistic manner. His voice is naturally very fine, and com- in Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta. They may run the new piece for a while
mands a large compass; the timbre is somewhat dry, a fact which hinders the at the Standard Theatre, and Manager Henderson will learn that even medi-
clear enunciation of well-meant dramatic accents. Signor Perugini sings ocre operettas pay better than his wife's dramatic attempts, which have been
fairly well but his voice is of very bad quality and his sphere is operas of a a dead loss to him ever since he tried to introduce them to the public in
lighter character. In roles like Faust his organ cannot be heard to advan- many of the cities and towns of the Union.
tage, for he is obliged to strain it in order to make t!ie phrases distinctly
known. Miss Aunandale was satisfactory. The chorus sang occasionally
Otto Goldschmidt, Sarasate's traveling companion and pianist, has been
out of tune, but the quality of tone was better than in former years. In decorated with the Spanish Order of Isabella tlie Catholic.
their prospectus the managers call this chorus an organization unexcelled in
numbers and quality. We beg to differ with the management after having
A new opera, ' ' Van Dyck," by R. Emmerich, is accepted at the Theatre
lieard the chorus.
Royal, Stuttgart.
W