The New York herald., 1872-09-30
NEW HERALD MONDAY SEPTEMBER

tor, introducing her to his family, with whom, as
tnat she was a constant visitor and frequent inmate
at the well-knOwn house In the Pariscr-Platz In
three Of , grapdest
tthe "Camp OF Slesia') ')-Paulne Lucca gained three
as splendid triumphs, and in these she had enjoyed
nest and unremittinR supervision.
Meyerbeer, who, as all the musical world knows,
cane e,er would asHdu re % s do mon mo H
Cdine ?-On est ma cere Seifkd ?" Now at last, In
has he GSa happily found s But
obtain the consent of the King OF Prussia he actual
Emperor Of Germany for Pauline to create,
was first produced, In 1861 need hardly be said.
Before that gorgeous work could be heard the
The "Africanen-like Robert" the "Huguenots''
and the "Prophete'-hnd, as we all know, been in
for pas ,bs rSnch the
never heard 1t, either in the Frenen capital or in
the capital Of Prussia, where he had his home; His
no matter where. That cherished idea, however,
was not to be realized. Poor Marie Sass What
wieldy seika, after the dream so long and per
sisenty cherished of the sweet and almost fragile
Pauline But what Meyerbeer wanted was new
Dido, who, under the Mancanilla tree, would
mourn for the departure Of vaseo de
Cana, as the antique classical Dido Of Virgil
PanTne u. 1s
live to see the realization OF his dream although
1852 an Italian version Of Of the 4frcane" apeared
at Covent Garden Opera-was Lucca, and tie first
to play 1t in German, at Berlin, was the same
d3%G}s aHeca} pron whom tn the immortal musician had
Meyerbeer had lett codicil in his viii that If
Pauline I.ucca was engaged to play Selika at the
Opera House In Berlin the ''Aircainc" might be
given in Germany, and in the German language;
II not, he forbade its production. After her first
that he offered her a six years. engagement, at
enormous terms, which, for the sake and memory
Other old attached friend ana counsellor Meyerbcer,
and of the opera in which he bad taken SO deep an
interest, Pauline accepted. On the 18th of Novem-
Sgr IN yae ,s same 80 Rsy year. the IN German
sal success. Wachtel was the vasco, Betz was the
Nelusko, Harriers Wppern was the lnez and Dorm
present. While the performance of the new
masterpiece was going on the house, and even the
musician, Were decorated with festoons of the
rarest and most beautiful flowers, eXoti' 's, &C.. so
self or her Pe,sdtes All was Kind Of floral display
as though the goddess Flora herself had been en-
ployed during the interval OF the performance In
turning bricks into roses stones into lilies and
planks into magnoas.
After this brilliant triumph the whole operate
world was thinking of Pauline Lucca. 1t was Lucca
Lucca lucca III every musical capital
THE EMPEROR or ALL THE RUsSlAS,
was, as usual, first in the field with the most tempt
ing and munlhcent proposals. His Imperial Ma
jesty despatched his lntendant OF Theatrcs-the
we[known GuedeonOw-to ask from the King OF
Berlin Tor Pauline l.ucca, to sing during the winter
in the Russian capital-terms being 80 900 ronbes
|
inner will, consented At ST. Petersburg Pauline
went through the whole OF her varied repertory,
and with such success that for two consecutive
winter seasons following the Emperor of Russia
asked to obtain from his august brother, the King
OF Prussia, asmar leave OF absence for the coveted
prima donna, at even higher terms. How highly
Pauline Lucca was regarded in Russia may be gath
cred from the following plain matters OF fact. Alter
never to be forgotten by those who were present
the Crown Princess (Dagmar, sister OF the English
Danish Prncess had the streets Illuminated all the
/ frnm fhs Pa A
the Empress of Russia presented her with pair of
brilliant and priceless diamond earrings The pub
did dadem, literally covered with precious stones,
| and other costly offerings showed the estimation
orchestra subscribed to present her with afaurel
! crown in gold. On arriving at her res1knce the
regiment Of the Imperial Guards sent,1y the Grand
Duke Nicholas, brother OF the Emperor, honorcd
her with sercnade, while the entire body of chorus
belonging to the theatre in association with
entertained her with another. During hei
first visit to the Russian capital Pauline
digent students, at which she sang several airs IN
! the Russian tongue. The receipts reached consid
! eraby above ten thousand rOubles. she was called
forward no less than thirty times at the end OF the
| concert, and, Notwithstanding all her prOtesta-
tiOns, the students embarrassed the horses of her
carriage and themselves performed the duties of
When Lucca first came to England lin 1se3-twO
years later than Adeina Patti she in her nine
teenth year. She arrived in July, near the end of
! the season" and played three times only at the
Royal Italian Opera. on each occasion the part
| chosen for her-Or more probably chosen by her
being Valentine in the "Huenenots' Of her great
friend friend and and patron, Meyerbeer tthe characters Of
Formes). Although she only sang three
| times, the impression she created, both on
a 9s and nnd the cSyen s Press Garden eSra
| would have been q bold man had he set forth, in
the year following, prospectus without the name
OF Pauline Lucca ass one OF its chief attractions
Mr.. Gye was better advised; and accordingly, IN
1864, the year OF Meyerbeers death, which unex-
prot6ge the most depressing erect-the name OF
Lucca was formally announced and dwet upon
nn her M 't rcrn e 10 s'e sr
ln," the manager proceeds to say, ''at the end OF
last season, full of Onors the King granted her
annual congo of three mon ths, which three months
! the director OF the Royal Italian opera has been
sufficiently fortunate to negotiate" Accordingly
ana reused the house to absolute enthusiasm.
shortly after this fresh triumph, Pauline Lucca
| left London and returned to Berlin.
In 1S65--in the month of June, some what late in
| the season-Pauline Lucca once more appeared be-
! fore a London audience
circumstance OF herlate arrival. The second opera
in which she appeared was the "Huguenots;r the
inpersonation OF Selika raised her to the topinost
pinnacle Of fame. Had Meyerbeer lived TO see 1t,
he would have thrice embraced her.
"THOUGH DUsRY, YET so FAIR -
cried ont Lord Lytton Buwer, from his stall. And,
r. @ sf wi Sr nG arae ana Of
gascar costume, that the Hebrew sage for
IN the wrong The lily could be painted The
thusiasm created by TINS performance was wholly
without parallel.
Since 1865 (the year-it may be seated p0ren-
tnese-Of her becoming Baroness Won Raden)-wi
the exception OF the frst year OF the coalition
ns69) when Messrs. Gye and Mapeson joined
hands, as II in a friendly compact that was to
Outllve time-Paune Lucca has been one OF the
chief attractions If not, indeed, the chief attrac-
tion, at the Royal Italian Opera. sine ma
nothing OF those speculative booksellers, John
Mitchell aud Bubb, c,to, m,Htis oifis who, II the
name OF Lucca had been absent from the rrospec
tus, would have tlghtcned their purscsrings and
said "No" to any and every application for the
''sinews Of war; in advance, she could not posi-
bly, be dispensed with. In 1859, for reasons
unnecessary to explain, she simply declined
al London offers. Whether she disiiked the
coalition" or whether other reasons may have
detained her III Germany, II matters not TO inquire.
IL Is enough that she would accept no engagement,
although tempted by the most liberal proposals.