The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-11-17
TIE OPERA and THE CRITICS.
UCCA AND The CELEBRATED MARCUE.
RITES In "rAUST.D Ae'


snce general favorite here. The mass OF the
New York dtlettdnH and the whole enlightened,
straightforward, artistic part OF the press have
signed the European verdict. II one discordant
note In an orchestra makes itself heard on &C
sount OF the incapacity OF the fiddler, because
he has taken into his head to single himself out
BY his unartstic, uneducated manner, that cannot
disturb the harmony and distinguished value OF
She whole band as q body or OF the score as work
OF art, no more than statue could be deprecated
because two street boys threw mud on 1t; that
sisgraces the low boys and not the work OF art.
~.Nst der D1nnaheh Kdn,latsn GGtter se,ost Verge
oesas," says Schiller. When Stanley found Living
stone were there not among the numberless ad-
rairers one or two dissentlent voices throw
hg their venomous doubt on the greatest
enterprise OF modern journalism Did not
Heroetrat burn the temple Of Diana at Ephesus
- obtain some n0tor!ety any how, and ia it not q
matter OF daily occurrence that any respectable
man may be attacked at night from very unartistic
motives The question simply is whether in a
civilized country the proper authority 10 not strong
enough to take care Of and handcufr these way
laying gentlemen, who say, OF course, that they
must live, like that indifferent painter who wished
20 sell bad picture to the Duke OF Richelieu for
LOCO francs which the Duke, Of course, refused to-
pay tor such mediocre work. "Why," said the
painter, ~ must live.n 81 don't see the neces-
Ety" replied the Duke, quietly; and that is all we
have to Say to the author OF such unworthy, ut
tery Indifferent work OF criticism. He belongs 10
shat incurable class OF gossips Of whom Ovid says
mat even
Sub aqua sub aqua maedccre tcntant.
It would be barely worth while even to mention
zach efforts as impotent, as they outrageous;
Dst the worst OF 1t is that an otherwise very de-
tc ;nto
seemingly in her interest, and whether conscious
81 1t or not.
She has, with certain people, to bear the brunt Of
che responsibility and it would not be at all aston
ehing that the demonstration of the public to
avoid going to the Academy whenever that clever
artist sings alone would lind no other explanation
than this.
Lord, save me from my friends, is an Old adagc
Nine. Lucca, who simply by the power Of her
genius, without intriguing or other efforts than
thOse legitimate at the disposal Of frsu-class
artists, hos taken the New York public by storm at
snce, and keeping firm hold on them, has certainly
made her first and most decided mark as Mar
guerite IN Gounod's Faust"
Her success was striking crushing the supe-
rIerity OF her performance was universally ad-
mitted; but comparisons, which it was but natural
to expect, were at once established.
the opera OF Counod has first been brought ont in
thc Theatre Lyrique in Paris,.I may perhaps be
allowed to soy word or two on the subject Four
Marguertes stand out of the bulk of performers Of
this part four Marguerjtes Of different nationali-
YES.
When "Faust" was first to be given no one be-
hevcd in its success so firmly az Carvalho then
director OF the Theatre Lvriquc, and the husband
OF the first French singer then living. Gounod
M tp. not nS tfn1u nnnf Innf nnI hn fnt1
me one day, Operas are not born like men, brains
first, but the feet first. fon will see the march in
Faust the waltz. the chOruses take the public at
FIRST. Win that last long enough 10 give the whole
work time to be appreciated ~ Little did Gounod
then dream when he sold the copyright OF the
BcOrc in England to Messrs. Chappell, OF London,
for sixty pounds oil the Immense pc 9ularity which
the work. played at both opera houses at thc same
time, would acquire and the fortuae which it
Madame Carva,po is the first great Marguerite to
De mentioncd-.fd Jomeuse = az Gonnod calls her.
hearsals of Faust when Madame Carvaho was at
the top OF the ladder and Gounod was not yet the
making an observation on Madame Carvalho's cold
acting when, to his amazcment the h0t-heaAed lady
held in ae her hand and throwing At feet
exclaimed, la ola UOtye sale nluStQUe there,
take your dirty music, and on she went. Nothing
could stay the ire o. the excited goddess, and there
was an end on that day OF all rchearsing. The
haughtness OF singers was always the despair Of
compensation Mozart to Meyerbeer, from Mey-
erbeer to our days
However, Madame Carvalho took the part OF Mar
Guerite up with all the power Of her admirable
method, and the lasting impression which her
pure voice and her unapprOachable vocaliZatiOn
made, the facility with which she overcomes the
greatest di1iculty-well to be distinguished from
that bogus facility with which natural and not SUM-
ciently trained singers risk q difficult task, and
after succeeding in some sadly fail on othcrs-her
performance, equally dtstytG In her style ard the
timbre OF her voice, will never be forgotten by
those who have heard her sing this part, In appear
ance so grateful and in reality so covered with diff
Strange Madame ClrVljlOiS
nation was always Il trihe sharp-an accident which
SO often happens to otherwise excellent singers
whereas only Indifferent singers sing too fiat. Mad
anne Carvalhos acting, moreover was tar behind the
excellence OF her singing, and marred the general
effect.
Madame Adelina Patti is the second Marguerite
who created a great sensation as Marguerite. The
fact that AIRY Scheher painted Marguerite with
latr hair was taken as CO11tiO sine qua non by
many singers, and Adclina Patti, like Madame Car
yaho, wore fair wig when she sung Marguerite in
Covent Garden It was rather funny to see her on
two consecutive Thursdays as lair Marguerite,
and on the third Thursday-tEe one .iol-
how ae tue az g her natural
jethlack hair, behold Mile. Patti came out black
haired too II is not necessary TO say that the eX.
tra0rdinary, brilliant, sympathetic voice oil Adena
Patti; her astounding execution, though, perhaps,
not SO correct and irreproachable as Madame car
valhO's; the intellect and charm other performance.
distinguished her Marguerite from the crowd of
other singers, though 1t must DE admitted that she
lacked tenderness in the garden scene, passion
and dramatic power in the church scene, ana that
CGciet OF grandeur which puts a performance Of a
singer beyond the level at anable by any other
a very accomplished singer. Adeina Patti was and
is ard remains prodigy child; she will always
trip on the stage with two hundred little steps;
her conception viii always be clever graceful and
charming as long as 1t remains within a frame
which does not require greatness. Her eSpteglerie
in the Barber de Seve,n ''Elizir d'Amorc'' and
similar operas perfectly enchanting. Great ORA
matte parts are beyond her reach, ard since she
has chosen to take to these ia preference to all
Others the want of grandeur has become patent.
she has strained her medium, fatigued her upper
notes, and the once so pure information has much
suffered from the nJudicious proceeding.
Nilsson is the third famous singer who undertook
10 sing Marguerite, but never in Europe could she
make anything like decided hit with 1t. appeal
TO those who have seen her I'm Her Majestys Thea
tire, When she performed the part for the first time,
whether she was not oil but failure, though 1t
was perfectly wonderful TO see how conscientiousy
sne took to heart the Judicous remarks made on
her performance anu how great was the improve
ment on the second evening.
Mile. Nilsson owes the first foundation of her
celebrity TO the unusually high notes or her nexi-
BILE, impressive, though thin voice, which, like
other Swedish voices, has something strange In the