The Portland daily press., 1873-09-15
The Rival Operatic Enterprises.

The rival operate managers who are to
provide us with music this fall have already
opened the campaign with flourish OF adj
vertising trnmpets Each announces his COM
pany as being a combination quite unprece-
dented, and each proposes to introduce new
eras and other nice things in the annals of
grand opera IN this city. Mr.. Strakosch has
the Academy of Music, and Mr.. Maretzek the
Grand Opera House. and the unprecedented
combinations, will be produced and the new
eras begun nearly simultaneously at either
house. And it is undeniable that both
managers have excellent materials with
which to fight their battles. With we'll
founded confidence, Mr.. Strakosch offers
as his leading prima donna soprano Nine.
Nilsson, and calmly desires to know if her
equal can be found. Mr.. Maretzek does not
care to discuss the question, but meets the
challenge with the prompt production of Luc-
ca, and offsets Mr.. Strakosch's other prima
donna, Torriani, with De Murska. The pub
lie is asked to solve the simple problem ICON
tanning two unknown quantities. whether
Lucca plus De Murska is equal to Nilsson plus
Torriani; and in Mr. MaretZek's own mind
there is no doubr that, however each of his
prime dome may compare with Nilsson, the
two together decidedly outweigh both Nilsson
and Torriani. Two tenors are included in
Mr.. Strakosch's force. OF these, M. Capoul
panini has been hailed in London as the ten
or of the future-the legitimate successor Of
Mario and Giuglini. But the Academy chief
tain is met in the matter of tenors by superb
or numbers. At the Grand Opera House are
assembled not only Tamberlik, whose we'll
earned fame may fairly be set against the
youthful freshness of Campanini, but also
Vizzani and Tesla, both of whom are artists
of no little meret,
10 IL H. +I,o
superiority in point of tenoTs would be rash
until Tamberlik and Campanini have both
been heard. We may fairly admit that in Miss
Cary Mr.. Strakosch has the assurance that
the contralto roles OF his operas will be filled
as well as they possibly could be. Miss Cary
is probably the best operate contralto of the
day, and although Mr., Maretzek's contralto,
Nine. Natal-Testa, is meritOriOus artistic,
there can be no seri )us rivalry between the
two. Each company includes two ba7itones,
no one of whom has been heard in this country.
Mr. Strako.ch praises his two in the highest
terms, while Mr.. Maretzek, on the contrary,
makes no promis cs in regard to this part OF
his force. The latter, however, has added NJ.
janet to his recruits; and if Mr. Strakoschs
basso, SignOr Mannetti, is equally good, the
public will be exceedingly fortunate. Mr..
Maretzek has sought to strengthen his COM
pany by adding thereto Signor Ronconi and
Reyna, the former OF Wh0m laDorS under Tue
disadvantage of having lost his voice, and the
latter under the somewhat greater one of hay
ing kept his However, Ronconi is a capital
actor, and Reyna will do as the COmmend0-
tore sin Don Giovanni"
OF course. each manager processes to have
powerful chorus and orchestra. One thing
we may be sure of, and that is that the time
honored chorus with which we are so sadly
familiar cannot be found at both houses on
the same night, and it is hence plain that Ell
ther at the Academy or at the Grand Opera
in the chorus. The repertoire at each estab-
lishment will be principally made up of fami
lar works. Both Mr.. Strakosch and Mr.. Ma
retzek, however, promise to produce ''Lohen-
grim" and the promise of the former to pro-
duce "Aida' is met by Mr.. Maretzek's assur-
ance that we shall have Wagner's "Flying
Dutchman. "--Neao York Graphic.