The New York herald., 1873-09-30
NIL S SON.
Her Fentree as violetta at the Academy
of Music Last Evening.

" - - - ~ I've
Her Fentree as vioIetta at the Academy
of Music Last Evening.
Nine. Nilsson had nothing to fear in coming
before the audience assembled at the Academy OF
Music last evening. To q very appreciable extent
II was composed OF personal friends-pcople who
not only loved music and placed a proper value
upon IT, but who enjoyed an intimacy with the
cantatrice and appreciated her not less as a
friend than an artist. TO expect such an audience
to be critical would be to predict contradiction.
1t came to enjoy Nilsson not to vivisect Vioetta;
TO applaud the prima donna, not to depreciate
Verdi To say that the only seats left unoccupied
were those belonging to unfortunates, whom
wretched tate at the last moment prevented
being present, is merely to state
fact which every reader will have
anticipated. To conjecture why Nine. Nilsson
should have selected violetta when her repertoire
possesses roles fresher, wholesomer and better 1t
ted 10 the display OF her more shining talents,
would be to explore DOMAIN from which no pO-
neer has ever brought back satisfactory response.
prlma donna's motives are labyrinthine-more
easily threaded by her manager often, than by
herself.
And what Is to be said of the manner In which
ia Traviata" was rendered? Certainly nothing
remains now what 1t was two years ago, beaut-
full ideallzation OF an impure and morbid theme.
You cannot refine Phryne into o Penelope; but
Nine. Nilssons graceful unfaithfulness to the idea
of Dumas Is compensated by that artistic chastity
which cannot touch q theme without communi-
eating to 1t portion OF itself. This
pecuharity, which is strong character
istic OF Nine. Nilsson's. made itself felt
last night with all Its old force. Sti In Nine. Nils
sons Interpretation there several minor points
which can be reconced neither with nature nor
with those refined conventionalities which have
their home IN the drawing room and the saloon.
Among these faws may be mentioned the farewell
Alfredo in the second act and the tossing of the
bouquet in the first. These are points to which the
intelligence of the artist has been repeatedly asked
and which she has not deemed tit to remedy. They
class themselves among those slight specks OF mis-
interpretatiOn-thOse inartistic ireckes that mar
an otherwise exquisite conception. The manner
OF the adieu is particularly Objectionable, because
it IS a msrenderlng of one OF the most pathetic
as these. The prolongation of the iare-
faithful heart, and how the Alfredo, under
the circumstances, could have avoided rushing
on the spot is more than any one who takes pains
10 reflect upon the situation will find 1t easy to
answer. It was poetlcal 1t was graceful, 1t was
the conditions under which it took place.
int" was sns ws
Nilsson, as rule, creates role so inteligently so
conscientiOusly, so sellsacrihcngly that that she
de,ect. Possibly we should cease to give the sun
precedence as centre OF the solar system il the
spots did not obtrude themselves from time to
time.
The reception accorded to Nine. Nilsson was
exceedingly warm and for some minutes after her
entrance upon the scene the course OF the opera
stayed. At the end OF the first act, also, she
was vehemently recalled and a certain proportion
Of the applauders expressed themselves in the ac-
customary language OF flowers. An almost equally
cordial greeting was bestowed upon M. Victor
Capoul who presented the same graces which were
Sears sao he noveS Of the coupe aSeuna
was the DEBUT of SignOr del Puente the new bari
tone, in the role OF Germont. Further reference
to the qualifications or this young singer Will be
found elsewhere. The promises OF the impressarO
with respect to the chorus and the orchestra were
conscieEtously kept, but 1t is impossible to say
much for the scenery ana the dresses The scenery,
indeed, betrayed some attempt at an improvement
upon former seasons, but the attempt was meagre
wnen measured with what one has a right to
expect. The dresses can scarcely be deemed a
brilliant ameliOration OF the costume of iOfmeI
geneity OF taste ana expense among the fashion
| able nutterers who made Vloetta's saloons theiI
| resort. The dtsproportion between tne dress o
the hostess and that OF her guests is too glarint
| to escape comment, and we shall hail the houl
when the tnse conventionaities OF stage fnery
are swept away and something more sterling
Its pleasant to turn from these slight animad
versions to theme which enables US to accord
hearty praise. The labOrs OF SignOr MuZiO, the
cher dorchestye, have borne good fruit. more
admirably organized and more carefully trained
band has never been heard within the walls
OF the Academy Even the dainty little Introduction
commencing with those shifting harmOnies for the
vi0lins, borrowed lrom Weber, and the lovely
theme OF true Italian sensu6usness, that ie first
heard in the opera, with its delicate cOloring OF
wind instruments, were given with such artistic
accorded A little non a
or strength In the reeds In the opening
orchestral theme that leads to the first
ling subject runs through the first scene Of
the opera, the melody should be well defined
c % strings in the
effects with which Verdi knows SO well how to
enhance the interest of a dramatic scene. were
elan. The brtndist passed without exciting
any particular attentions significant proof
OF the desire OF the cultured audience to await the
true musical developments in which the later
scenes OF the opera are 30 abundant The charm
ing waltz that follows, as general Illustration Of
iiasH is tempered BY the broken dialogue
Of violetta and her lover, in which Is
conveyed, with musical tact. the utter
measures of the duet, which viOletta commences
with "Ahl Sc clio Sc yer, followed by the passionate
that closed the duet were delivered with rare sect
The very commonplace chorus that followed
led into the celebrated scena and ara that ends
OF the extension OF the volume OF her voice, which,
united to her exquisite perfection in phrasing and
her thorough acquaintance with all the musical re-
quirements OF the scene, together with that rare
purity OF tone that crystallizes each passionate
utterance Of a heart awaking for the first time to
holy love, invests this portion Of the opera with
absorbing interest.
The tenor solo, which begins the second act,
the first time in this country BY N.
Cap0u He substituted for 1t, during
his previOns season here, the romance from
"L'Eclair" which, lovely though 1t may be, was en-
tirey out of place In verdi's opera. But MuziO was
inexorable in demanding that the autonomy OF the
work OF his teacher should be observed,
and M. CapOul created far more
favorable impression by his artistic rendering OF
verdi's passionate music than any thing he could
have done with Halevy. Del Puente, the new
baryt0ne, made lasting impression, and sprang
at once into popularity in this act by his rendi
ton OF the two arias, so full of pleading express
Hon-One addressed to the Dame aux Camelias
the portraiture OF his daughter, para Siccome un
Angelo" and the other an appeal to his heart
broken son, "D PrOvenZa II Mar" The best cho
crowded no