The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-05-23
THE NILSSON CONCERT.

US who were al tne opera mouse last eve
niug aud sat under the spell of Christina
NilssOn's magic voice, will probably mark
the occasion with a white stone. The
singer and the song, we doubt not, will live
in remembrance for many and many
year.
1t has been finely said, that when we hear
an artist, in early aud impossible days,
ever thereafter there is but one evening,
the one singer, the one song. around this
Queen no rivals can be brooked And in
later years, when we hear other and perhaps
greater singers, Wa listen composedly, with
no futter, or thrill, and say, SIT is excellent,
exceeding fine; hut ah you should have
heard Malibran, or Jenny Lind, or Csta-
lini."
And something On this wise was it at the
Concert last evening. There we're those
present who took Nilsson into their hearts
as their idol from that time thencetorth; and
then there were the others, who In the fara
way time had heard notes so divine that
their lingering memory thrilled and vibrated
down through all these years, and they were
not to be gained from their allegiance, but
said, complaceutly, "She is superb; and we
have heard as good as She"
The assemblage that gathered to hear the
Queen of Song was largely made up of the
masie-loving citizens of Davenport, this
and surroupd;,r Sauna onJ r,os tba r,ns,
brilliant of any that has assembled to do
honor to public favorites since Mrs. Lenders
time. The house was filed from dome TO
parquet, and standing room was in demand
At the tap Of the bell, Signor Randolph and
Miss Cary came forward and opened the
| nilsson Concert with e duet-Favorits,
from Donizetti. The piece did not fully
display the power and culture of Miss
Cary's Voice Randolph gained no friends
by his coneeited bearing, and the piece
gained them but little appreciation from the
audience. Yieuxtemps, the celebrated VIC
linist, played with the case and grace Of en-
elephants AMI although his execution was ex
ceeding fine, his music was Yieuxtemps,
and there was no music in it. He re-
ceived an encore, which appeared to repay
him for his manual exertious Amidst the
utter silence Of that vast crowd, Nilsson was
conducted to the front of the stage. She
was magnldcently dressed; jewels flashed
IN she gsslight at every move of her grace
ful figure. She looked the audience Ger. as
ifin search Of her country men and her face lit
up with glad smiles when she had learned
that many were pres ent. What shall We
say Of her Una yoce POGO ia ?' The audi
ence sat as if enchanted she had thrown
around them the magic spell of her voice,
which, added to the witchery of her acting,
overcome for moment all thoughts OF
earth, and elevated them TO the upper re-
gions. When she had finished. and the last
echo died away, we Awoke TO the fact that
, we had heard Nilsson; in response to an
enthusiastic encore, she sang a Swedish song,
rich in expression, and pleasing TO her eoun.
trymen.
Signor Brignoli's Romauza from "Mar.
ths, called forth the applause of the audi
euce, and il response, be sang 30 Summer
night His singing is but the dessert to a
dinner; occasionally he strikes tone tina,
reminds one of his former powers, but he
has no dram attic talent, and gives a fat and
iifeless parsonage to the sweetest and most
passionate ballads.
Miss Carys csvstins "Serir amide"-was
we'll delivered and in response to an encore,
she sang Kathleen Magourneen" in stvle
that We have never heard surpassed Miss
Cary's voice is full, rich, and well trained
She is always correct, and is dangerous
: rival of Adelaide Phillips.
We pass over Randolphl's Romanza; he
failed to make any impression, and sings
with about as much animation as G bovine
animal.
Mics Wilson's mad scene from Hamlet
was grand, both in the beauty and pathos O
the music, and her divine impersonation o
the mad Ophehs. M character she coulC
e assume is better calculated to demonstrate
K her dramatic ability than that OF Ophelia
n And although the music itself is extremel
'e difficult, she rendered the character in
sublime and startling manner.
= Signors Randolph and Brignoli execute
?, Two ballads, and then we had one of Mil
J. sons fAvoEite pieces, 'Bluet," winch wa
}. ripping, sparkling, abundant in trils, an
runs, and gave ful! scope to her voice. /
C. this valse, she exhibited great control owe
her voice, and ct the close uf the piece. III
y audience fairly shook the house with their al
lie plause, in response to which she gave us til
gem of the evening, -'Old Folks at Home.
c. We must confess that although the song wa
u familiar, we heard it sung for the first tim
Her accent and pronunciation of the dsr
er keys lingo, added to the expression wit
which it was delivered, produced marke
K impression upon the audience, and when 81
at had hidden them RdIeu, her last words we
he ringing in their ears, aud there WAS not
nd peTson within reach of her voice that d
ne not regard her with feelings of love and grg
IN. itude for that song.
he Fieuxtemps' violin solos took with Il
ne audience, and he was encored. He glad
Ter responded with selection of f We finger c
ng orclses.
,w The grand Nilsson concert was closed /
on e choice trio from the Barber OF Seville
at by Signors Randolph and Brignoi al
ID Miss Cary, which was worthy al praise.
be About 500 persons were in attendanc
eft among them many from this city and NJ
Is, line. The sale of seats for the gallery W
he closed at Ga early hour, On account of Il
ge large number that filled 1t thus many "!
Nv could not afford to pay more than doll
ITS for the privilege of entering we're COMPEL,
as to turn away. The total receipts of the co
cert were in the neighborhood of $4,000.