The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-06-08

ssrha HuRuenots,, by the RlchInes Troupe.


ssThe HuRuenots" by the RIchings Troupe.
The performance of Meyerbeer's opera of The
Huguenots last evening by the Richings troupe,
for the benefit of Mr.. Behrens, was very de-
cided success Notwithstanding the important
fact that most of the singers were not equal to
the task of rendering the difficult music in the
most perfect manner. Fair results were
achieved however, by good discipline and by
the evident determination of each of
the artists to do his or her best The
most palpabe deficiency was in the
numerical strength of the chorus. In all of
Meverbeer's operas there are grand scenes that
require crowd of personages on the stage and
it is impossible to produce some of his most
striking effects with the limited number of super
numeraries that are commonly introduced. 1t
is scarcely to be expected, however, that single
performance of an opera Of this kind by a travel
ling troupe will be given with all the accessories
of the Grand Opera House at Paris, and as the
choruses were for the most part sung in really
good style, it is a more gracious task to dwell
upon the undoubted merits of the performance
than upon its obvious and to a certain extent
unavoidable defects.
Whatever comparisons may be made between
Mrs. Bernard and other singers she is without
doubt the very finest lyric actress now before
the American public. Whatever she undertakes
is done intelligenty and in genuine artistic
spirit, but in some of the higher roles of the
lyric drama she displays a tragic power that
very few years ago her warmest admirers did
not credit her with possessing. The part of
tsValentine," which she sustained last evening,
is one that demands both power and deli
cacy. Meyerbeer is not only master of
bold and striking stage effects, but in all
of his operas, and especially in the music
allotted to his heroines, there is much fine shad-
ing that any but singer of decided ability will
fail to interpret adequately. Mrs. Bernard is
one of the few artists who have attempted the
role of valentine in this city who appears to
'ully appreciate this characteristic of Meyer
peers music and her performance last evening
was entirely worthy of the cordial applause be-
slowed upon it.. In the scene with "Raoul, " in
the fourth act, and in the great scene of the
last act, her abilities as an actress and as a
singer were displayed to the best advantage,
and had the opera been even less creditably
presented in other respects, it would still have
been well worth witnessing merely for the sake
of Mrs. Bernard's personation of the heroine.
Mr.. Drayton who is the only member of the
troupe that equals Mrs Bernard in ability, had
a congenial role in that of "Marcel" the
Huguenot soldier. Mr.. Drayton, when he ap-
peared here at the beginning of the season, made
his mark as an artist of first-rate ability, and
the splendid manner in which he represented
the stern old fanatic last evening more than
ever confirmed him in the regards of the public.
Mrs. Bowler, who appeared as "Urbain," the
page, gave a very satisfactory performance,
and taking the limitations of her role into con-
sideration, she fairly divided the honors of the
evening with Mrs. Bernard and Mr.. Drayton.
The part of "Sir Raoul" was beyond the powers
of Mr.. Bowler, as it was evidently out of the
line of his sympathies. He is entitled to credit,
however, for careful and conscientious effort,
and the same may be said of Mr.. Henry 9.
Peakes, who appeared as ''St. Bris." Mrs.
Drayton, who was q fayorite here some years
age when she appeared with her husband in
parlor operas, has not sufficient voice for such a
building as the Academy of Music, and she did
not make any very decided impression as "Mar.
guerite de Valois," and Mr.. Bernard, who occa.
sionally sings an air with taste and experience
but who is not remarkable otherwise, was &C
totally out of place as "Count de Nevers" tina
his performance scarcely need be criticized.
The orchestra was largely increased, and under
the able leadership of Mr. Behrens it did it,
part in manner worthy of favorable meution