, 1873-02-16

OF course, Will remain IN this country anu
there is every prospect that Nilsson, lima dl
Muraka, and Parepa Rosa will also be here next
season. Should Patti also come, the United
States for the first time will be the great ope-
ratio centre Of the world, leaving nothing III
Europe worth mention except Tietjens, who
is growing old and blase, and Malllnger, tho
rival Of Lucca in Berlin.
Financially, the recent season has been the
most remarkable ever known in this country,
aud all the more 30 as it was given at O time
when money was very hard. The management
Of the troupe will take away about $4,000 as
the result of eleven performances, the details OF
which will be found in another column.
The largest receipts were for the per-
formance OF "Don Giovanni" which yielded
$500 the smallest, that Of 'fTroyatore," only
$500, which, according to the average Of prices sof
admission, would indicate an audience Of only
about $50 people, although the attendance WAS in
reality much larger. It is rather remarkable
that the two most attractive operas wese the two
Mozart works, "Don Giovanni" and "The
Marriage Of Figaro" which shows that Germany
is in the ascendancy.
Musically, it is only possible to speak of the
troupe in parts, for there is no Wilderness to it.
Lucca, Kellogg, janet, and Moriami are unques-
tionably fine artists, but there is little else in tie
troupe. Levielle has 8 worn, sharp voice,
which detracts from the general effect
OF music. Banz is one OF tho
poorest contraltos TIE have ever had here. Viz
zani is to bo credited with conscientious effort
to do his best, but that best is weak. Abrug-
nedo, IS tenor robusto, is simply absurd.
Coulon is an inferior artist. Spnrapani has
good presence, but is afflicted with weakness,
which is d bad fault in @ baritone. Such COM
bination as this Of good with bad has, OF course,
prevented the completeness and excellence Of
ensemble which are necessary to the proper un-
derstanding and appreciation OF operatic music.
In this case, however, the popular desire was
evidently stronger to seq and hear Lucca than
to see and hear opera, as will be shown by
an analysis Of the nightly receipts, and also
by the fact that large numbers OF peo-
been before, and do not make d practice
Of going. Lucca is unquestionably the greatest
dramatic singer who has been hero, and tho most
consunmate actress who has yet appeared, in
Chicago at least, upon the operate stage.
Judged purely as vocalist, there have been
many singers here who can successfully COM
pete with her, and so1ne who have surpassed
her,-amonS the latter, Nilsson, Paropa, Colson,
Patti (Adalina), Laborde, and Lagrange. If,
however, we look for an equal union Of the dra-
matte and lyric as the true conception Of opcr-
attic expression, then Lucca stands at the head
as the legitimate exponent Of opera. Lucca has
q tinge OF the Wagner theories, and seeks to
make music express the sentiment Of the text.
She is no eong-singer on the stage. Kellogg
has acquitted herself admirably through the sea-
son. She is not get great actress, but as
what may be technically called light
soprano, she is great singer, md her singing
is credit to American vocalis1n. She Is
shining example Of what persistence, industry,
and discrimination can accomplish. She has
matu1ed since her appearances here in the old
Opera House days. but she has yet a great deal
dramatic artist. She is still only an aecom-
plished vocalist.
The general result Of tho season is, That some
operas have been given with fne effect, like
"Faust" and "Don. Giovanni" which have
never been produced here in better shape. On
the other hand, two Of the most familiar Of I'll
the operas, s'u Troyatpre" and Fra Diav-
olo," hnve never been done worse. The
remaining operas in tho seasons repertoire
have been done creditably. The compost |
tion Of tho troupe, and an unfortunate
conflict in the management, have produced this |
result. Concerning tho former, it is simply use~
less to grumble, as opera is at..present consti-
tuted- When opera is subsidized by the Gov |
eminent, as it is in Europe, and when ealnries,
and rents, and advertising, and other genera1ex-
penees, can bo reduced to the European
standard, then We may expect to hnvo opera pro-
duced as it should be, at reasonable prices. |
Opera is conduc'e ed as speculation. When it |
becomes permanent institution, it may be pos
sible to realize good performances, and not be-
fore that. With reference to tho managerial |
Quarrel, which las already found publicity, We
have only to Bay that itis extremely unfortunate.
It cannot but react upon tho troupe and impair /
it's usefulness. There arc always two sides to
oTery question, and, when the other s1do is
heard Cas Mr.. jarrett, the agent Of Madame Luc-
"a. expresses his determination to reply after
conference with parties in New York;, it is pos
,ible that tho modus ope''and, Of operatic man.
.gcment will receive such complete exposition
hat it will bring the season to m inglorious
:1ose. The unseemly quarrel can accomplish no
1soful purpose before the public. The public
:ares nothing for tie differences between i'm
9resarios, and would have been better pleased
lad they settled their grievances in private, and
,nited their efforts to givo the public as good
as possible. Meanwhile, it will bo
TO turn from the operatic squabbling
o Theodore Thomas and his band during tho