The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-04-30

! THE CONCERT AT THE NARlEIIES-lne
| Varieties Theatre was opened last evening
for the concert announced to be gwen ny
Professor Van Huff1en and Madame Neville
Mercier-B Bier, and long before the curtain
rose, the auditorium was filed with profess
sional musicians and dilittanti of the city,
| all Of whom were manifestly anxious to
eniov the treat that had been prepared for
them.
| The occasion was particularly marked by
the fact that Madame Bier was to exhibit
the progress she had made since her first ap-
pearance on the stage, and as well, by the
debut of Miss Kate Thayer, the daughter of
our well known fellow-citizen, Frederick N.
Thayer Esq.
An excellent programme had been pre-
pared in which Messrs Van Hutflen, Del
croix. Gadilhe, Cartier and Nader de Mont
iau participated, but as all these gentlemen
are professionally known already we will
devote the limited space at our command to
| the two ladies in whose favor the concert
seems to have been specially given. To
begin, Nine Bier, we must admit, evinced
such remarkable progress since we first
heard her at Grunewald Hall, that from the
start we began to fear that she had under
gone too severe training, or that she had
devoted herself TOO assiduously to her art
1t became Immediately apparent that her
voice had undergone change from well
! defined mezzO soprano to falcon, with au
excellent improvement in the hOmOgenelty
in her registers, for although the writer did
not express it at the time he discovered that
the voice was not "equal," or, otherwise,
that the middle register did not harmonic
with the upper and lower ones as it does
now.
Whether the changes we have noticed
are ascribable to Overwork or to natural
causes, we are not prepared to say, and it is
a matter to be left to her professor, Mr.. Van
Hufflen, to decide.
But as it was demonstrated last evening,
while laboring under such change, a voice
should not be subjected to the PolOnaise of
F" Jerusalem" the cavatina Of " Ernani = and
the grand duo of the third act of the :" HUI
guenots." That Nine. Bier sang admirably,
and with that intelligence and intensity of
expression and feeling which destines
her to great performances, everybody agrees;
but it would be regretable at this stage of
her vocal transition to make her sing at
the same time contralto and falcon songs of
the most difficult in the repertoire.
We wish to encourage this young and
most promising artist, who has no sup sriOr
in this city, but we must also warn her
against disaster that must ensue should she
not guard herself against the shoals of mu-
steal impracticabilities, attempted only by
ccomplished singers, and we may add, with
questionable success.
Miss Kate Thayer had veritable task
before her, a first appearance and Venzano's
Italian waltz, on the air du billet de loterie to
sing.
Her voice is what is called in French that
of chanteuse legere, ard possesses the re-
qusite richness, purity, volume and remark
able fiexibiity; besides, as Gueymard said
fn he ~ n 1p In f1trp
which, coming from this accomplished mu-
stefan and singer, is more than an ordinary
compliment. There is what is known in
stage parlance, snap, or in French, mOrdant,
a more elegant word.
Notwithstanding that Miss Thayer's sing
ing was marred by stage fright, we can
boldly assert that she is no amateur, but
is also an artist, whose powers of vOcaliza-
ton surprised many who expected to hear
only novice. But of these ladise we will
speak more fully in the future when favOra
BILE opportunities present themselves New
Orleans should be proud of both.
ACADEMY OF MUsIC-The "Boy Detec-
rive again trod the boards of this theatre
last evening, and held the attention of the
audience closely rivetted upon his every ac-
ton, while all present were charmed with
the naturel with which Miss Harrison i'm
personated the character. Messrs White,
Pike, Gray and De Angels filled their parts
as usual.
Tomorrow Uncle TOMS Cabin" will be
given, La petite Sallie Angels as Era and
Miss Harrison as IOpsy.
Friday evening Mr.. Kittredge's benefit
comes off and on Saturday takes place the
grand piano gift matinee.
GRUNEwALD HALL.-The concert given
by a number of well known amateurs of
this city, for the benefit of the sufferers by
the inundatiOn, was well attended, and
proved very successful as a musical enter
tainment. The solos, duets and choruses
were rendered in a manner strongly indica
tive of musical talent, and extremely cred
liable to the young amateurs who so kindly
volunteered their services in so worthy a
cause.
WORTHY OF ATTENTION.-An EDglishman |
with rheumatic cont founl this SinUu1ar |