The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1868-05-07
The Tucker Hall.
THE BARBER OF SIMULTANEOUSLY NIGH

| THE BARBER OF sEvILLE-MoNDAY NIGHT.
| Though the wise King Solomon has said
| I" There's nothing under the sum- it is
| bran-new to have an Italian Opera at the famous
| City of Oaks-Raleigh.
| On Monday evening" May the 4th, Rossini's
Comic Opera in three acts, &C The Barber of Sc
nile was rendered at the Tucker Hail. In our
| large cities throughout the country of course,
| this Opera, writ in choice Italian, is as well
known, almost, as any of Shakspere's plays. But
| not so here. Some few of our middle aged, it is
| true, who had enjoyed opportunities of travel,
had heard it, and some of the Arias are familiar
to our best educated vocalist among the ladies :;
but to the large majority assembled in the Tuck
err Hall Monday evening, italian Opera was lis
tened to for the first time. And apparently, too,
by an apprcciative audience, whose pleased 'looks
drew audience and attention still night -
They applauded at the striking sOnatas, and
clappcd at the difficult trils as if altogether
fat to the matter.
The Tucker Hall was not as well filled as we
should like to have it, but those present OF
our citizens " were eminent tor quality and po-
liteness."
Miss Isabel McCulloch, the Carolina Prima-
Donna, bears name not unfamiliar to our poo
pie. The McCullochs OF Halifax, of Wake, and
we believe also of Moore, Cumberland, and
Chatham Counties, make it much more all " old
North State' than q" a South State " family
name. And we are inclined to think, she prop
erly belongs to "our ain McCulloch clan" who
are still celebrated for their strathpeys, filings
and reels, ON the violin; and many of them for
merly for the bagpipes. They came to this State
with Flora Mcdonald, the middle of last centu-
ry, from Scotland.
Miss Isabel has voce Soprano 1t is clear and
ringing in her highest register. And she surely
trils and demi-semi-quavcrs wi the braWly
birds o'the forest, the best of them, a." in
many of her high notes. 1t at the same time
struck us, that she has not had good instruction,
or has not profited by it, in distinct articulation
For after all that may be said, clear and accurate
enunciation, Chesterfield says" A grace
full and pleasing enunciation, in singer or read
err is the highest, lowest, and middle flight OF
perfcction.' We sincerely hope Miss Isabel will
take the advice, and by it reap full harvest OF
profit. What she has successfully done al
ready, demonstrates what she, in the future, can
still accomplish. Rossini's Aria, that has been
adapted to Moore's words known the last
Rose of Summer, which she sang, when encored
in the italian role OF Rosina taking her musical
lesson, exhibited this defect rather careless
ness of utterance, for which, her voice being
clear and sweet naturally, there is little or no
excuse but with little more attention, she can
remedy it.
We could common lably speak of Sig. Susini
and the other persons in the Cast, but this has
been frequently done elsewhere, by others more
used and accomplished IN cruce criticorama. We
Thought we would at least say this much, in all
cordial kindness of our sweet "Carolina Rose''
Miss Isabel .M'Culloch, of Columbia, South
Carolina.
Sig. I0rraini, the Musical Director, presided
on the occasion with much skill, taste and grace
We are informed that this will be the first and
last of the Italian Opera in Raleigh for the pres
emf