The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-06-16

rem Our oSn COrrespOndens
NEW YORK, June t6, 1870.


pie were present, including the twenty-five
hundred on the stage, and counting in Pa
repa, who amounts to several The back
portions of the building were entirely vacant,
and after the performance, of the first piece
the people in back places rushed forward and
took possession of the eligible seats. The pro-
gramme of the first night ran off very smoothly.
The performance commenced punctually at
8 o'clock. Then came Parepa, gorgeously
dressed, smiling in magnificent good humor, and
behaving as much at home as though she were
in her own little boudoir. At this point the
people commenced changing their seats, and
Parepa after giving them time to reseat them
selves, and perceiving that they had no inten-
tion of doing so in hurry, made one of the
musicians offer her seat and ensconced herself
therein, surveying the multitude with good
humored indifference. On her white breast
diamond cross she wore, which Carl might kiss
and Gilmore might adore. Her dress consisted
of an underskirt of tule rufi1ed up to the waist
U am aware am not using terms to be found in
a mantuamaker's lexicon), and an overskirt of
white corded silk most elaborately wrought with
silk flowers. The color of the flowers was
scarlet and of the trimmings of the underskrt
pink. The neck was of course low, revealing
the glorious bust of Parepa palpitating with
the golden essence of song. 1t was her hour of
triumph She never looked or sang better.
1t was q moment of iustiiable vanity. Her
greeting consisted literally of thunders of
applause" q thing you oftener hear of than
actually hear. Her piece was the 'Infammatus,"
which she interpreted as no other cantatrice at
present in America can hope to. After her the
s'Star-Spangled Banner" with the chorus of
three thousand voices, was the next sensation.
The electric artillery came in here, the dis
nharO hain nnada inst
late. Of ell the programme given so far, that
of the opening night might be pronounced, as a
whole, the most successful. On Tuesday after
noon the failure was very manifestindeed Mrs.
Howard Paul was cheated out of one of her
songs, and one too that the public had set its
heart upon hearing. 1t was the famous
'J'dime les nilitaireS, (which year ago enjoyed
the popularity accorded to ''Shoo-Fly" to-day.
But this was not the worst. The pro-
gramme stated positively that Madame Pa
repa-Rosa would sing the "Star-Spangled Ban
ner" accompanied by the entire chorus and Or
chestra. Now, during the whole of the enter~
tainment on Tuesday afternoon Madame Rosa
occupied private place among the audience.
A few moments before the ''Star-Spangled Ban
ner' should have been sung she rose and disap-
peared through one of the doors that lead to
the stage. 1t was confidently expected
by those near her that this
was preparatory to her making an appearance
on the stage. No such thing. That was the
last seen of the lady or heard of the orchestra.
The first intimation that the public had the
concert was over was seeing the musicians pack
up their instruments, and then prepare to pack
off themselves On Tuesday night worse dis
aster occurred. The Italian opera chorus made
up its mind to strike. 1t did strike. Its men,
bers sent word from their seats upon the stage
that they would not raise their voices unless
their salaries were raised also. The conse-
quences may be imagined. The managers had
to come down, and the terms of the trucuent
choristers were acceded to. yesterday was
known as Gilmore's day, and was devoted to
popular, national, and patriotic music. Gilmore
made it considerable success. He is a bright,
smiling man, with a warm, forid, mercural
countenance. He abounds in shippers and ges-
ticulations, and bows with puppet-lfke celerity.
He is the kind of man, however, that takes with
the masses-much more so than poor little Carl
Rosa, who bows as If apologizing for being an
artist and presuming to be there at all.
The Rink is not comfortable place to sit in.
The 'tsofas" consist of bare wooden benches.
The ushers are stupid and confused hobbede-
hoys, who seat half the people wrong and then
leave them to settle matters among themselves.
From down town It is reached most quickly by
the Third avenue cars, which are crowded to an
unprecedented extent, and abound with very
valuable chronological specimens In the
largest sense of the word the Beethoven Cen
tennial cannot be called success. 1t has not
paid. On Monday evening the audience did not
amount to more than between six and seven
thousand people. On Tuesday afternoon it fell
off great deal. On Tuesday evening it fell off
great deal more. Yesterday it picked up again,
but the numbers are not sufficient, as a whole,
to justify its being called great success. Who
is to make or lose the money is question that
is often asked. No one seems 10 know. No one
appears to be able to say positively who is the
head and front of the melodous offense. A mys-
terious man called Eastwood figures furtively as
secretary. Some suppose him to be myth. Some
suppose him to be but another name for Hurd
& Miller or George H. Wells, who are repre-
sented to be largely interested in the pecuniary
success of the enterprise. 1t is even obscurely
innuendoed that the affair is altogether aud
wholly Eastern in It's conception aud execution
so much SO that the stage was run up by
Bridgeport carpenter. This column of loose
remarks, so far as they go, tells the truth about
the Beethoven jubilee, which you might in yaiI
hope to find veraciously represented in the New
York newspapers. These have the pride of the
city at heart and are determined that the presen
jubilee shall be made to exceed the Boston festi
val If journalistic putfery can induce that result
/ repeat, therefore, that a whole the Bee
thoyen centennial is hitherto far from a pecu
mary and artistic triumph and that q grea
measure of the partial success it has achieved il
attributable to the presence of Boston elements
in Arr