The New York herald., 1873-11-11
ANUS EN- rs.
It.iian Oper.-ssGli Ug.notti.-

this opera is brought out during q season II can
result only IN great success or disastrous failure
1t Is the bete notre OF mediocre companies and the
| cher d9uuye OF great ones. 1t proved the latter
| last evening. There Is no medium la the representa-
tion OF the opera; 1t s either very well done or it
Is fcsco. The Strakosch troupe In 1t proved
what we have always accorded TO that organiza-
tlon smo0thness and completeness OF ensemble
with few artists OF transcendent abilities. The
unavoidable postponement OF the opera on Friday
evening last did not contribute towards increasing
! the audience Yet the house fiiled up to even
managerial expectations by the middle OF the sec
ond act Whatever may be the anticipations OF
tue disciples OF the new school OF lyric aud orches
tral composition, nothing can be found
| among the vaunted works OF Wagner to compare
with s colossal creation OF the French stage, for
| it is essentially French in Its grand dramatic
| Effects Alas for that school now Ii Is handed
over to opera oot1e or what is worse, the puerile
inanities OF the President OF the Conservat0re It's
| greatest living representative is in London, quar-
| reliing with music publishers and managers for
| what is due to him for his numerous works.
| A gloomy. rugged work is Meyerbeer's picture OF
the massacre OF St. Bartholomew. tragedy little
| understood as its origin and misrepresented by
more historians than one. 1t was the most am
bilious effort OF the composers life, for in 1t ne
| exhausted all the vocal and instrumental
| sources at his command But it is unrelieved by
one ray Of sunshine IN its stern. massive proper
tions and like the great chain Of choruses in Israel
In Egypt" or the towering grandeur OF 'sIhe Mes
siah' the music never descends from the empyrean
heights to which the genius the composer elevated
ia CT Darem, or La ID Donna Mobile" Spirit IN
/ the music The love scene between Valentine and
Raoul, passionate and tender though It be-. is
| overshadowed with the gloom OF the impending
| tragedy which the cruel daughter Of the Mcdici
had prepared for the Huguenots. The history Of
| opera. Paris has been checkered one 1t fol-
lowed close after the weird music Of "Robert le
| Diable,n and the Parsians could not appreciate
its gloomy grandeur to the extent they admired its
The only artist In the original cast that
wSom the roe Of Marcel was written. In London
| 1t met with better fortune In German form,
under the management OF the renowned bass0,
| Staudig, whose Marcel has never been surpassed,
and has been equalled only by one artist Carl
Formes. The Valentine OF Madame Heintetter,
the Raoul OF Titachek and the magnificent
chorus and orchestra under Lachner's direc-
tion have never been excelled since that memo
rable season at Covent Garden. The opposition
sion OF its first production in Italian in London, in
lS4e an interesting episode In the history Of the
Slgnor Mario, was won over by the grandeur OF the
role OF Raou, and in it ne gained the highest pin
has found great representatives in Nine.
Gnt ana. ns rSrgnaD HsIns
Medori and Lucca- Among the artists who have
made great success In the part Of the Queen we
i nnd Mile. DOruS Gra6 FRAU LuGZcr, NINE. CdStoltan
| and Mile. Sessi. The most remarkable Raouls were
Nourrit, Roger. Ttachek Mario Tamberllk, Maz-
zoleni ana Wachtel. St Bris has engaged the at
| tentiOn OF such artists as Tamburtni, Graziani,
great Marcels have been Eevasseur. staudigi
and Formes remarkable performance OF this
| opera was given many years ago at the Academy OF
Music under the management OF Ullmann The cast
Madame Laborde, Slgnor Tiberini, slgnor Gassler
| and Herr Formes. The opera was given last even
ing with the following distribution OF characters
MaTahcra di vaIois Mile Alice Maresi
urbano the Page ........j Miss Annie % Louise Cary
conts di San Brs ssnor victor &aurei
rcn vSnfe al Sisnor reS Nannst
! When the instrumental introduction to the
opera, the glorious old "Etne ieste burg ist mein
GOtt" with it's rich c0l0ring and varied treatment,
possessing appearances: shs s boxes being mSs.y
guests OF the gay Count De Nevers greeted the
favorable idea OF the calibre Of the male
chorus. Campanini then related his expert
Valentine, in the exquisite romanza, ''Bianca
al par" not the least Of the lyric gems with
fresh liquid tones, through which snone the warm
| light oil love and expression and over which was
the glamour of an artists SOUL tinged with beauty
each delicious phrase The orchestra albeit 1t was
rather too exuberant In tone for the singer, gave
evidence Of severe and frequent rehearsals. Nan
nett, as the bluff old soldier, Marcel here broke
1 in with the Hymn Of Luther, "Eine ieste Burg
| the stern, grand accents OF which contrast
OF gaety among the Catholic mobiles. The
| celebrated "PifI pafr OF Marcel, in which ne de-
followed III Here the ability Of signor Nannett ITO to
impersonate this r0e, one OF the most difficult for
basso in the entire operate repo,totre, was sub
jected to its severest test Alas there Is no Mar
| Gel, Sarastro or Bertram nowadays like or even
within reasonable distance OF the Carl Formes OF
the past, whose voice had the depth of tone that
one would associate only with the pedals OF great
| organ.
an immense volume OF voice, yet neither nature
nor art was niggardly IN preparing Signor Nannetu
lor this arduo1s 3,ea roe nc, ne sang M WIN Intelligence
OF the s.Pifl paf!" with an effect that brought
applause. In the subsequent scenes in the opera
and and also formed one Of the chief features
| in the representation. There are many Marceis
in Keeping in tune, and others who act as if the
! stern old follower OF CALVIN were heavy william
in meodrama None OF this marred the import
Miss cary, in her handsome dress as apage. sang
the first cavatina Of Urban, sNobil donna g tanto
| onesta,n transpOsed to contralt0 pitch from the
key of b nat to major since the days Of Alboni
we do not remember more finished rendering Of
the VOICE the intelligence q ths @ delivery and the
/ coquetry OF manner In which the message il CON-
The gittering % court Of Queen Margaret OF valos
was unveiled in the next act Mile. Maresi sang
90 yS Ea woG and th tSs "A
Italian sunshine with the light graces OF France.
Mlle Mares is not seemingly, acquainted with the
music OF these two airs her light, pleasing voice
was heard to advantage. The female chorus
| "Giovin Betar-better known under Its Eng
English title, "the Vale OF Rest'-brought out the
ladies of the chorus and betrayed considerable
weakness OF tone. The wonderful talents OF Mey-
| erbeer in instrumental accompaniment are shown
IN the fantastic coloring OF this chorus.
The cavatina for Urban s'N0, no. composed ex.
| pressy for Nine. Alboni was another triumph for
Miss Cary 1t is one OF the happy ideas OF the
| poser in melodic writing and has been long q
favorite in the concert hall.
The duet between Raoul and Margherita In this
| act, "Belta. Divina Incantatrice,n was smoothly
delivered by the two artists entrusted with IL. The
| finale, one OF extreme difficulty for chorus and
\ orchestra, went through with spirit; too much So
| perhaps, on the part OF the instruments. Signor
| Muzo should endeavor to moderate the Ill directed
| zeal OF his band Strings, brasses and reeds