The New York herald., 1872-11-24

notes was at times brutal twhereupon "viator"
declares that pronounce Lucea to be "a 0rutaly
the Itahan or Goth proved these accusations,
regard TO my criticism OF Cherubino ~ will confne
myself to this r0ie said that Madame Lucca was
erep Se staaons and did NOT make enough
OF the scenes dependent upon her Tor their anima-
tion. Behold "the head and front OF my Offend
ing,O to all OF which "Viat0ro replies 1.-THE pre-
else manner in which the page should be played
cannot be vigorously Defined" ] never said 1t
could. Mozart" he continues, certainly lett no
from the internal evidence OF the drama
and m1sc" s;: never claimed The re-
fwortls and music mean one thing 1t s impossi-
BILE to state another without being guilty OF mis-
oYnTap Of IN this Dart. "Beaamarchais proceeds nv
critic, 'who created the character In his celebrated
comedy, lie Marriage de Figaro. has left us the
his work, 'Cherubin- -Cp role ne peut 6ti,e JOu6
CONNIE IL ete que par nae Jestne et tres J0e femme
Nous n'ap0us point nos theatres de jels,ses hOTmes
assez Joy1aes pour en- btem sentir les illnesses.
Tnaide rerc6s depant la COmtesse date,trs
am cnarnant poasson; IN d.. aes'r .o.nsgars .ngn,s'
II s'elance Ia pttbeyte, mats prOjets sans con-
nafssances, et tour enter chdQue ertne'nent; e..
peut et7e que ft MS Qu0iqueele act beaatcoup
en- so,lG1fr. Leaving Free Lance to ponder over
the expression, 'cha1nadat which wlll not
offend ears polite by translating literally, IL may
be stated that Nine. Pauline Lucca's version of the
part gives humorous and ianciul Interpretation
OF the original authors idea wthont once over,
thank thee, Jew, for teaching me that
word 'p0lissOH' l must, for on 1t depends
the argument. Poisson means either "a mis-
chievous chlldn or "a dirty blackguard." That
the quotation which Viator'' has SO consideratcly
spared me the trouble OF looking up. This rOie,n
says geanmarcnas, "can only be PLAYED by Young
IImid to excess before the Countess, ne
IS sne Of his Ms is wtnont
81 at % I'M Of he Is %a
wish her son to ben &c. Does any mother wish her
son to become % Slackgnard I'm No one doubts Cub what
bin0 the page, Is combination OF unrest, tmidity
and mischief.
You who know what is love,
Ladies, see Il it be in my heart;
lti new to me l can not understand II.
Thus sings M0zart's Cherubno. Now Lucca's
CherubinO Is neither restless, nor timld, nor
vague nor sufficiently mischievOus. 1t Is precisely
what 1t ought not to be; it is knowing. Therefore
contend that i am right IN my criticism. This
same fault OF knOwingness IL equally apparent in
Lucca's Zerlina don G0vannD. Her assumption
OF rusciy is excellent but the precipitate manner
in which she invites the advances OF the amorous
Don Is not laid down in text or music. "Viator"
assumes that condemn vivacity In CherubiDO. On
the contrary, l depored the absence OF 1t in
Madame Lucca.
In his general onslaught upon critics who are
courageous" because they are "severe," 'Via.
tori quotes Goethe Ito this effect detective :''-"I
invite man to dinner, give him the choicest fare
can find; he partakes OF 1t smiling and apparently
he declares to the world that my soup was too
weak, the chickens oyerdone, the sauce bad, the
That is critic.n Now this quotation is aprOpos
OF whatS IL is but another way OF making
the following complaint: IL invite critic to the
opera give him the choicest seat; he takes 1t and
IS apparently pleased; but no sooner Is he out OF
the theatre than he declares to the world that my
tenor is weak, my chorus underdone, my bass bad
and my ensemble is execrable. Strike the hound
deadl That is a critic" The moral OF this is,
Mr. Editor. that, in return for free passes
and everybody. The only way to avoid
the necessity OF according avor at the expense OF
for their advertisements; let critics pay Tor their
tickets. Then the howl OF treachery cannot be
raised, and suffering public will be able to learn
facts; Cts. >, :. ,,..,,,n :, ,,oo.,. ,o,oo :. :.
| that 1t extended from to in alt but by Meyer
| octaves. take this statement with a difference.
That Lucca's voice has changed is nn- m
SSIeteHy So,.. true She has lost r
almost always giving out ull tones rarely never
using the n,ezzo rOce. No organ can endure 80 Sc
| good method In the duos between soprano and
| bass In the third act Of 'G UgOnotti," the effect
ting out the he high G, which should be long held No
| one need tell me that Mcyerbeer advised such
mangling as this, or that any singer who uses her
voice properly will lose her high notes ut the age
| OF Nine. Lucca, unless it be by illness.
''Viat0r" accuses the critical Endymions OF
wanting not only the moon, but all stars, planets,
satellites consultations, the milky way, and even
.young comet with its playful tail" The "critical
| EndymOns'' ask for nothing Of the sort. All they
ask for and what they are willing to pay for are
! good soprano, c0ntraltO, tenor, bass, baritone,
4 chorus and orchestra. We have sopranos. Lucca
and Kellogg are good. In "Gl Ugontti' Madame
Levlelli proved herself sterling artist, with
| broad. noble school. We're her voice
az fine as her method she would
be appreciated. AS it is, only musicians will
give her proper praise. Mile. Sanz is unsatisfac
| tory. She sings from her throat and executes in
1 soveny manner. or the rest all have spoken.
And, now, Mr.. Editor, thanking "Fair Playn for his
vigorous support in last Sundays HERALD leave II
| to you to decide whether my criticism is actuated
| by malevoence, and whether | have insulted
any one by employing "epithets which could
| only apply to persons guilty OF helm
| GUS crimcs.'' "viator is intensely disgusted
| because seek to hide myself ''behind the anony.
NOUS" Now seek nothing of the sort. might
with equal propriety, upbraid him for assailing me
under an assumed signature. TU Q,toque Is 9
] wretched game to play, and repudate 1t; but !
"Viator' is very anxious to know who an vii
| tell the readers OF the HERALD with the creates
| pleasure, provided he tells them who he is
/ Knowing Mr.. Editor, the honesty Of my motives
in critcisng Italian opera, II stand for Judgment
| Shall have it2 Answer FREE LANCE.
! NEW Y0RE, Nov. %, 1872