New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-11-26

MIS-. NILssoN IN oRAToRIo.

1t is almost superfuOus to say that Miss
Nelson's return 10 New-York and her first appearance
in this country proved attractions sufficient
20 I'll steinway Hall last night with an excellent
audience III which critics and cOnnOisseurs We're largely
represented Fame had told wonders OF the impress
sion which Miss Nilsson made with the music Of The
Messiah" pm lLondon; but in truth she had
manifested in her concerts up TO this time
no particular sympathy with the severe simpi-
city and time dignity Of Handel, and we were
not prepared TO find in her Interpretation Of the ofat0rO
1.-THE OF the excellence which English critics attributed
10 it, We frankly confess however that she took us last
night entirely by surprise We believe that the reports
Of her London performances have been exaggerated the
delight OF her audiences the water occasoned
in great part by the fact of her singing at all III class
Of music which Englshmen believe with some TRUTH
that hardly anybody outside OF their own nation
thoroughly loves or understands, and since she had
won the heart OF England by doing homage TO HANDEL
there was no disposition TO examine very closely the
character of that homage, or to inquire whether she
copprehended the grand old master better than tle Ia
nous singers who had gone beors her Nilsson Is so &C.
entjay and consciously actress, that we had our
misgivings about her rendering Of the music OF Inc
Messiah music which requires, more than any other
we know Of, that the singer should LOT
get self, forget appearances ana thhk ueelP
of the inner meaning OF the text VIC caniol
say that she reaches the high ideal which the lovers OF
Handel always keep before them in this oratoro and III
nothing. except the sweetness ana purity OF het
voice and the charm Of her personal presence Is she
equal 10 some others whom have heard in the same
work; hut there j. unquesuonaDly lascihauon III
her performance which Is peculiarly her own ana
artisticaUv we consider il Of the best tldngs
Che has vet done. She Is first heard in
that lovely recitatye, There were Shepherds
and this We dnOt Ike. II should be sung Pan0' or
even gianissDgO with all possible delicacy NILSSON
gives il with fun voice and III style when s almost
declamatory Her second solo, Rejoice greatly,
.VfaV.g hut "A, N mt ItlgI
materially in style from the conventional rendering
The third soprano air Come unto Him." strange TO say
she did not sing, but 1t was left TO the thh
and rather wiry voice OF Miss Henrietta Betpc'
Miss Beebe also had the rectatiye, g He was cut on
and the air which follows it, But thou ddst not leave
The quartcts, "since by man came DEATH" &c, were
omitted and so was the soprano solo, If God be for US,
lust before the final chorus This solo, Indeed Is usually
dropped though Miss Nilsson restored il IN London
There remained then for the swedish songsress only
How beautiful the feet and IL know
that INV Redeemer liveth," for the latter Of
which she evidently reserved her best Efforts
See takes few liberties with it, chiefly in the accent
and gives Interpretation rather more dramatic than
We are used 10, and fail OF strong c0ntrasts but she
sings with pathOs she has not hitherto exhibited and
delcacy far more genuine and therefore more touching
than the exaggerated refinement Of such praised
exhibitions Of yocasm her ANGELS ever bright and
fair The musician will detect in II gross faults of
delivery; but these may well be pardoned IN what Is
essentially 80 truthful and beautiful The audience
seemed 20 be deeply impressed by 1t, and asked Tor
aiepetition which very properly refused
So ,uuch interest attached 20 Miss Nelson's share In
tho nrogranme that fear the rest OF the performance
was but mperfecty appreciated 1t was all through the
best rendering Of "Tbe Messiah that We have had IN
NewYork for three years. The chorus consisting OF
aout 200 voices from the Mendelssohn Union under the
direction of Mr. BrstOw, sang admirably. IL never got
noo,I,iy ont and In the great pieces such as the
..usIIclpiab" and All We like sheep" 1t did nobly
There was deficiency In the shading evident especially
in both the soft aud the loud passages OF thht grand
number "For unto ms a child Is borh, Dut
We have little other fault to hnd with IT,
The orchestra, however, was outIageonsiy Dau,
and the cornet player In phIucul" VINO o,'owp'. ~.
a., o,,a, in tbe bass aria THE trumpet shall sound"
deserves to be Imprisoned FOR life Miss Cary sang tho
alto solos With the simple ana natural STYLE the nteui