The New York herald., 1870-07-24

yertised--at no time favorie with English audi.
ences vu the character Of the ibretto and it's Crop
covers multitude OF sins, and Verdi's music at0nes
| for another multitude. Added to this was the ex-
pectati0n that the new singer would condone all the
| remaining sins. IL any more could be found. The
| theatre was crainmed. llal
Il was the story Of Paris repeated; Christine ,ni
glance" wrote The Saturday Reptetc, quoting Robert
scaumann's remark on Schubert, zone glance and
the world shone fresh again." murnur or adInl-
ration, harbinger OF the interest to be gained, ran
through the house at the appariton OF the pale,
slender, fair-haired divinity who was such satire
upon the naughty words she had to utter. "Grdasds
scette 0iucis,tse,n the French critics had called
her. she resembled IN whit the Italian idea, OF
vioetta. She, that disslpated little parsonage who
las to sing her conviction that 'al the world Is
velier VINO has to pour out all her soul in an iny
taton to drink, and who pulsues her rackety reck-
less career until boredom, IN the shape OF od GER
little coughs dainty handkerchief, put an end
to her naughty life The idea was absurd. This
| was simply u graceful gentew0man, pure IN look,
refined ia bearing, distinct from the prototype OF
Dumas Ills as Enid from yiyien, as Beatrice from
! II was her voice which opened the door OF new
| delight; and then tuat crowded audience recog.
soprano sfogato, bright and tender Us Ilay morn
ing and clear and hmpid as stream an lntonaton
fautlessy accurate; no strain, no attempt at forcing
but natural power which made certain notes
audible at distance unattainabe by stronger
Ssas e m the eess e a. na 5 %
Then came IAN iors lui che anima," displaying
80 a H U
quets thus early in the evening began to fall. But
Inc singer had her work yet to perform ana the arsr
large bouquet was laid upon the table like bill,
Tor further consideration. Later on the wealth OF
bouquets became onerous. O.
AS the opera advanced so did the young singer In
the hearts of her hearers. Refined as was her style
Of acting, gentle her features, they lent them
admiration which nj the % appearance ' Of I Vioetta
| awakened In the bedroom scene became submerged
IN sympathy for her woes soon as the unfortunate
| for "A
! lost past, with the sorrow suggested In the
| reed accompaniment. the growth OF weakness
then T the % passlonae ate burst at dying S'! So yoang @
which rang clear and bellike throughout the house
artlnces Of piccolomin and Boso-artlnces which
used to give this act something OF charnel house
overstepped neither the modesty OF nature nor the
| dignity OF art In particular she abandoned the
spasmodlc cough and the other dismal indications Of
phthisls In Its last stage, with which other artists
had embelshed the latter end OF vioetta's career.
In Missions hand the tragedy was capable OF
another Specification. voletIa dies, but scarcely OF
consumption. She fades away, q victim 10 dsap-
pointed love- TO unmanly scorn The '.nelodlons
tontste, she dissolves is the fitting eysuln for
sweet singing spirit. Bulwer In one Of his plays
talks OF , melody IKE az happy soul released
impei3 30nati0n OF Vioetta. 81 W
''Alook, and the world shone fresh again." Mr..
Mapeson found 1t so al all events. The fortunes OF
Her Majesty suddenly Took q new lease; rumOI's
Thousand tongues and the more substantial testi.
@ singers M fame; and the theatre WI was besleged S Tor
seats for the second performance. Thus was another
Christine had arrived in the very NICK Of ie for
MI. MaplesOn, as her predecessor and compatriOt
had for Mr.. Iumley; and by virtue OF her coming
defeat turned to victory. Once more the Old opera
house reared its head and defed Its adversary Patti
might sparkle and Lucca languish; the Market
enyied not the Garden possession Of such bright
exOtcs. If the South had her passion flower The
North had her snowdrop her violet; ana the world,
without derogation to either growth, nlghl take Its
choice.
That the season OF 1867 declared for Nilsson was
uninlsakabie. She was the new idea, The sensation.
II remained for alter appearances 70 sOlidify the
sation into an an adding sense.
GRETCHEN.
When Nile. NILSSON rested from her labOrS in the
autumn Of 1867 she had earned several triumphs
and could bear away from British shores many plea
a Amng anS hs the
more or less formed his ideal Of Gretchen, either
from the original pages or through the translatons
rial art or through the opera. There Is perhaps no
more concrete embodiment OF poets dream than
Margarete. Desdemona Is mere ideal, Imogen
may be fair or dark, tall or petite; Miranda might
take shape in dozen forms 80 widely DO dramatic
fined type is non.dramatic one-that Of Byrons
Haidee; but she has the distinctiveness Of dress
rather than Of b spirit and ieatare Given the Greek
hair, and certain resemblance must peryade all
Efforts at Illustration.
not In his minds eye the slender Saxon type, the
blonde hair, nat upon marble forehead aud falling
pie form just emerging into womanhood, as she
beauty In brow Of Egyptf'
Her across her breast she laid,
She was more fair than words say.
And the ideal has survived.
So absolute is Gretchen's individuality that on the
stage Is difficult to vvify the model with exacti
tude. operate singers in particular have felt them
selves restricted to certain accepted notion at va
rance more or less. with their natural manner, and
and when, tired OF constraint they have reiapsed
ther from the ideal. netlcns cleaves TO the naxen
rssses & and piles wig over her own hair which
OF labor0us simplicity whom we see-a stately Mar.
garete, inclined to embonpoint Patti for
swears the wig and comes out O bruno
Gretchen, black haired and dark eyed; pretty
specimen OF miscegelauon; an Italian girl
Lncca who by nationality is well fitted tas indeed
Tieuens Isl to appreciate Goethe, apparently frames
her conception upon the lines
Sic ist so slit und tugepdreich,
Und etwas schnippisch doch zugech.
But then she insists too strongly upon the schatp.
ptscn. With her Margarete s a saucy little person,
fully open TO u Irritation and disposed, IN the FIRST
meeting with Faust, only to recute7 pour nlteur
sauter There is an air Of 'follow me L you daren
when she rejects Faust's arm and escort. Hers 10
her ''chaf', Mepnistopheles in the Berlin patois;
and when the serious interest deepens and passion
ern prochvities than even Patti.
unti! Nilssons assumption OF the part therefore
now entered into competition one tilted alike by
nature, by youth aud by culture to do Justlce to
Goethe's conception and Gounods illustration. The
Scandinavian type was near enough to the German
to render disguise unnecessary; the slender form
and young grace needed no disguise the gentleness
was only natural So, when she crossed the scene
clad in white, with downcast eyes and clasping her
missa, Schener's picture OF Margarcte suddenly
stood realized before the spectators There was no
need to write Tnis is Margarete" under the ustra-
ton; there was equally ho compuston to add 'This
sing. The "No Signorp of her first phrase might,
barring language, have been the "Bin weder Frau
lein weder sch0n" Of the original. Aud the truth Of
the conception was preserved throughout, though
the French version wanders from the German text
and represents Margalete under various circum-
stances for which there Is warrant In the original
but which necessary for the composers purpose.
To give effect TO such variations without wander
Ing from the one first aim Is no small point Iii an
artists favor. Take, for example, the sOliloquy OF
Gretchen over this jewels placed for soul trap by
Mephistophees How pathetic IS Goethe. .Gretchens
reflection as she stands before the MIRROR