The New York herald., 1873-10-04
LIMA DE MURSKA.

Some Account of Her Brilliant Career.
NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 1873.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
SIR-If any one among the eminent dramatic
singers who have charmed European audiences OF
late years may be said to stand apart from
her contemporaries 1t is certainly Mlle lima de
Murska. In person. as In talent, both histrionic
and vocal, she Is wholly original. Like the moon,
SO described by Percy Bysshe shelley
wandering companionless
Among the that have a different Erth-
she shines soitarily in her sphere. having nothing
in common with other artists except that genius
which, whatever may be the individual idiosyncracy
OF its possessor can alone lead to distinction. The
career OF Mile. De Murska, though short, has been
brilliant-a series, indeed, OF genuine artistic
trumphs. hungarian by birth, her first
successes were obtained In Germany, more
especially at Vienna and Hamburg musical
cities par excellence, where TO have won
general acceptance is already a passport to re-
nown. Those who have witnessed her per-
iormances at the Karnt'hor, in Vienna, for so
many years one OF the operate theatres OF the
world. must still be vividly impressed with the
extraordinary sensation she created. She came
forward at a time when new prima donna was
an absolute want The stars OF Rosa Csillag and
Therese netjens had somewhat dimmed IN reml-
gence. Both Csiag and Tietjens, too, had left the
Austrian capital 10 seek "fresh woods and pastures
new" in other countries 50 that in the temporary
operate darkness lima de Murska dashed forth
dazzling meteor, and like Schubert's first trio, as
described by Schumann, set all controversy about
the different claims OF other competitors at rest.
When she appeared 1t was no longer question
whether Mile. was equal TO Mile. -,
or whether Mile. was better than
Mile. -. II was at once and unreservedly
admitted that lima de Murska was best or ALL Like
another Caesar she came she saw and she con-
ouered, though unlike Cesar conquerng, d,ace
sub rfdens, by the weird attraction OF her mlen
and the magical witcnery OF voice which seemed
TO treat the vocal scale from one end 10 the other,
from top to bottom, and rice cersG, as mere play
thing, or, II the expression may be allowed, Jeu
dp 0d7anles. such astonishing facility. in Its
peculiar way, had perhaps never been known since
the time OF the prima donna tor whom Mozart
composed the part OF the .Queen OF the Night in
his immortal fairy opera, ''De ZaubernUe,n which
Beethoven held To be OF all German lyric dramas.
character OF Astriatiamante Mile. de Murska OBJ
tanned some OF her earliest and most memorable
successes. She sung the two great airs IN the
original keys-a feat which for half century no
singer, with the exception OF Anna Zerr, had done
before her, and reused every hearer TO enthusiasm
by her marvellously facile, correct and emphatic
defamation OF ''Gli Angui d'Inierno.n
As her repertory gradually extended, the fame or
Mile. de Murska travelled lar and wide; and
every foreign impTesariO who ruled over theatre
OF Importance was anxious to obtain her services.
But these were not easy to secure. Mlle
than IN the exercise OF her art, was original she
seemed to care little about enlarQing the sphere
OF her artistic activity, and with curious indnei
ence rejected otter after offer from the chief EEro-