The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-12-10

This evening the opera of "NIartha" is
announced to be performed at the Opera
House by the Boston opera company.
Seats for the same have been selling rapid
ly the past few days and the house is sure
! to be filled. The following complimentary
notice of the troupe we clip from the Law
renee Amer1cdn. a paper published at
Lawrence, Mass, city of $500 uhab-
itants
The Boston opera company afforded rare
delight last night to an audience, we ven
turc to say, the best gratilied of any which
has taken its departure down the s,arways
of the City Hall for many day. 1t did
not need the appearance here of Miss
Nickels or Mrs. Barry or Mr.. Payson to
tell us all that they are very clever artists,
| sure TO give us fine poetic treatment of ar
tistic music. But here they were adver-
| tised as an opera company. IAN opera
company" we curiously inquired, .'an OPP
era company of four people? Where is
the chorus, the great orchestra, the banners
to the most Immediately evident feature in
the excellence of the four vocalists and the
single instrumcntallst at the piano who
charmed and delighted us last night.
When it is remembered that Martha"
was probably familiar to nine tenths
of those present, that perhaps the
ma ority had heard it time and
again with Graus or Strokasch's great
primas in the title rolc-that the entertain
ment of last night had none of the access
cries of Instrumentation and spectacular
effect to conceal the deficiencies of the
vocal parts, and, finally, that, notwith-
standing all these apparent drawbacks,
every beauty of the opera was brought out
with the most admirable power and self
command, we begin to realize the power of
this little squad of artists as musicians. We
do not remember ever to have heard the
beautiful musical gems in which the opera
abounds-Lionel's solo, Lost, Prescribed"
Martha's spinning wheel song, the duo,
10 his eye, mine kindly meeting" or
Lionels exquisite solo, "Like a dream
bright and fair" given by any troupe with
more absolute command and discrimination,
or more tlower-likc sweetness than they re-
ceived last evening in the rendering given
by this troupe.
Mr.. Clark, the tenor, has firm and as
sured power, wonderful purity of vocal
tone, rare clearness of enunciation, and
a sound and honest simplicity in his style
of singing. The sweetness and imagina-
tive expression which he gave to the solo
Lost Prescribed, and sgain in Like a
Dream" were transcendently artistic.
Miss Nickels won instant favor upon her
first appearance, and carried the audience
to the pitch of enthusiasm by her singing
of "The Last Rose of Summer" and she
more than deserved the good opinion enter
tanned of her evincing more strikingly than
ever her possession of an excellent voice,
and her mastery of a method embodying
refinement of execution and expression,
The beauty of Mrs. Barrys tones was
well marked in her initial solo OF the
Knights so Brave, so charming" and her
striking success as an actress, apart from
all musical merits, was repeatedly recog
nized by the audience in grateful demon
STATIONS of pleasure. Mr. Payson needed
no introduction here, but enhanced our ap
probation of him by a glimpse he gave ui
of his abilities on the operate stage. The
opera as a whole was noteworthy, an
unquestionable-we do not say an unquali
fed success. But no more successful effor
by five people in producing a standard OPP
era on a small stage in little city lik,
ours, can well be imagined.
american, Oct. A.