The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-09-02
MARIO AND DON GIOVANNI


The great success of the past season at the Royal
Italian Opera has been the production of''Don Clio
vann." The lessee of an opera house has this dlii-
Guilty in bringing out a new opera-the greater part
of the season is wasted in rehearsals. Thus 'Don
Giovanni" which always brings or crowded au-
diences and would have filled the theatre for 20
nights with the cast at the managers disposal, was
not brought out until the tag end the season. when
many subscribers mad already lett town. Every one
knows that the part of Don Giovanni was written for
baritone. and that baritone of mark has tried
the character and failed with the single exception of
Tamburn, who is said to belttle likely to reappear
upon the London stage. 1t may be maintained
with some show of reason that Mozart committed
mistake in giving the love music of this part to
baritone when all tradition and the fitness of things
point to the sympathetic tones of tenor as most
expressive of the tender passion Be this as it may
Mario is fortified by the example of several great
tenors in undertaking this arduous character. 1t
is also whispered that he is not sorry to obtain
possession of part in which little demand is made
upon him for those hig h notes which are somewhat
impaired by time and use, while the rich, sweet,
and full middle and lower notes of his voice are
constantly heard with moving effect in the charm
ing songs and concerted music of the great com
poser's masterpiece.
In order to enable tenor to sing the music Of
baritone it is of necessary that it should be
transposed. more delicate difficult, and unthank-
full Office could scarcely have been confded to Signor
Aarv, who might have expected that the virtuous
and simple minded critic of the ''two standards
would raise frightful clamor about the reverence
due to Mozart-the iniquity of emitting the last doz
bars of the overture and Of singinga song well in
key which is usually sung in another. So
favorable an opportunity of showing his tech
down the Royal Italian OPERA was not to be
neglected. Luckily, however, the general public
was not so CRITICAL, and your readers will en-
tirey misconceive the sentiments of the connois-
it, relying upon the critic of the "two
Standards they should dream of the Metropolitan
public outraged and Disguised by the transpoSi-
tions of keys and the change from F to c. What
they saw was the finest performance of Don Clio
vanni since the palmiest days of Tamburini. I'M
agine cast which includes GriS Donna Anna,
Tambcrlik as her lover, Bosio Xerlina, Mario as
the Don, and Ronconi as Lcporello! How hand,
some Mario looked, and how like a noble Spanard
Just stepped out of picture by Naasquez it is I'M
necessary to say. His costume was perfect. In the
early scenes he appears upon the stage carrying Il
gold-headed cane which, Mario is great hstori-
cal authority upon points of costume and equip
ment, was, we may be sure, worn by the hldal,
goes OF the period in which the scene is supposed
to be cast. The gentlemanly and unaffected
bearing, the consummate taste and ease with
which the music was sung, the exquisite
phrasing and delivery of ola CT darem' and the
serenade, have never been surpassed, and
cannot fail TO render 'Don Giovanni one
of the most admired parts in the repertory of the
great tenor. The critics are not far wrong when
they say that in the scenes with the statue Mario
is too much occupied in remembering music not
the tragic and supernatural horrors of the situation
But the lyrical drama affords more finished and
yet energetic acting than that of Mario in the
''IIuguenots," ''Lucrczia," and al Trovatore."
although in the first and greatest of these operas he
began by giving us a stiff and colorless outline,
which he has gradually filled in with flesh and
blood So we may well afford to wait until the
artistic has had time to develOpe and mature his
conceptions of stage effect in his part being
content meanwhile to hear the music infinitely
better sung, and the character better played than
by any Don Giovanni at present in possession of
the stage.
What shall we say of the other characters in this
remarkable cast-the Donna Anna of Grisi, with
that fine Outburst of natural feeling, as she throws
herself upon the body of her murdered father, and
the thrilling pathos with which she afterward de-
scribes the scene to her lover? What of Tamber-
k, who sings al milo tesoro," as no one but Mario
ever did sing it, and whose highest praise is that
Mario can be spared without loss to fill the more
prominent personages of the opera? What of the
Zerlina of BOsio-the refined the ladv-ke, the ex-
qusite Bosio who sings ''Batti, BATH" and Vedrai
carno" with such enchanting grace, with such a
freshness of vol and purity of style and execution
that the critic is dumb, holds his breath for fear
of losing note, and cannot help joining in the
murmur of admiration and delight? What of
Bosio, indeed the prettiest Icrlina ever witnessed
in the pretticst costume, against whom nothing can
be said except that she is naturally too graceful
and lady-like for peasant girl? What, lastly, of
the LepOrcllO of RoncOn, for whom no allowances
Leporello on the first night, in manner which the
oldest opera-goer had never surpassed. With
a full recollection of the great Lablache must af-
firm that Ronconi gives us a more true and drama
tie, and not lees amusing Interpretation of the char
acter. His terror in the last act has its comic side
of cowardice and selfshness, but his horror at the
fate of his master is tragic in its intensity La
blache, too, often made us laugh in the last act,
when the great composer lavishng all the re-
Of his dramatic genius in the attempt to in
spire with awe RoncOni, on the contrary, not
only makes the terror of Leporello tragica ele
ment of the catastrophe, but DISCUSSES and diverts
attention from the comparative tameness of Mario
In the scene between the statue and Don Giovanni
he is for few moments the master of the situation
and the leading figure on the canvas-a situation
which he owes to his genius and to the perfection
both of his singing and acting.
DISTRESSING CASE OF BIGAMY AT EDIN-
BURGH.
From the Scotsman of Auq IL
Yesterday evening the Hon. Major Yelverton of
the Royal Artillery, who apprchended and
lodged in the Calton Jail on Thursday evening.
charged with bigamy, was liberated on bail. The
amount of the security, understand is { l ,00O.-
The circumstances of this painful case have been
for several months familiarly known in Edinburgh
circles, and there is use in abstaining from
mentioning them, so far as they are supposed to be
known 1t is understood that considerable num-
Der of months ago, Major Ycverton (who is the
second son of Lord Avonmore, an Irish peer) went
through the form of marriage in Ireland with Miss
Longworth, an Irish lady of respectable family and
some private fortune. Miss Longworth had for
merly resided or visited in Edinburgh where she
formed the acquaintanceship of some of the high
est IN position among our citizens, and had also
acted as a lady nurse in the Crmea, at the period
when Major lelverton was there service. The
marriage ceremony in Ireland was performed it is
understood by Roman Catholic priest and there
doubts. than doubts as to its legal etca-
cy. Maj. 1elverton being Protestant, although
Miss Longworth had become a convert to the Rom
ish Church. But subsequently the couple lived in
lodgings in Edinburgh in the avowed character, it
is alleged, OF man and wife, which would constitute
legal marriage according to Scotch law: and good
deal will depend upon the facts to this point,
both the civil and criminal cases which may be said
to have already arisen. They also Travelled the
Continent with passport in which they were de-
signated as Mr.. and Mrs. Yelverton. In June last
Maj. lelverton, leaving his supposed wife in Paris
came to Edinburgh, and the 26th of that
month married in the Episcopal Chapel, Trni-
tv, by Dean Ramsay, to the widow of our late la
mented townsman, Prof. Edward Forbes daught
er of the late Gen. Sir Charles Ashworth. This
marriage was not at first announced in the newspa
pers in the usual way, but received wide and 81
mutaneous publication about three weeks after
ward The facts, it is understood, that the
supposed first wife having got hint of Major Vel
vertons intentions, followed him closely from Paris,
arriving either Immediately after the second mar
riage, or, it is said, even before it, though unable
to prevent its solemnizaton, perhaps to ascertain
when and where it was to be performed. Ofcourse
she and her relatives Immediately took such steps
as have now led to the arrest of Ma or 1elverton
on the charge of bigamy, and will lead doubtless
to the raising of at least action regarding civil
rights These we believe, the main facts of the
case, so far as they have TRANSFERRED, although we
cannot be sure of their entire accuracy. The affair
had, as might be expected, created much interest,
and, though all the facts are not yet certainly
known, much sympathy for both of the ladies.
DEATH OF A POPULAR WRITER.
The Boston Bee of Monday says:
"Mrs II. Marion Stephens, the well known au-
thoress, died in East Hampden, Me-, Friday last,
9th August, of consumption. Her maiden name
was Harriet Marion Atwell. She the daughter
of the Reverend John Atwell, of the Methodist per-
suasion,, (still living,) and was born at Sidney,
Me-, July 2, 1923.
"In early life she adopted the stage as Miss
Resale Somers' In lS4S she married Mr.. Richard
Stenhens. comedian and snnn after cnminnncnd In