, 1874-01-25

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plete h2seo- years rest and several Jc.rs, st1t
might render him good singer. Nine. Inces saa5
usual, has, By oserezerting herself fallen sick ~
requires several d1ys' repose. Miss Masrhettf ~
celebrated South American prima donna f,i,s - s
native Of Italy has been engaged to take Mme Iner,.
place, and appears on Saturday In "Trayiata ~.
has met with better success than formerly Il in ...,i
| that new tenor has been sent for from M-~1
neither ~ H,zzani oE Veraa pleasing The pubic u
ment, her figure and even hcr aingin8 being 1T nro
cation for continuous laughter Janet has suited ~
public hls companion. Kosa Call, is nesrlT a1..-e
hoA-so- Nile. Aurska is the great favorite mi -
singing in Lucia called forth most enfhrst.s ss
applause from the audience. It Is undecided ~ ~
whesher the company will proceed to Mexico a. ue,rs
all the artists object aing with Nine Luce.
quarre!s and difficulties, for which Nine. Lncr. =
blamed, being the alleged cause Of their attitude
The Lyric Drama in Chicaro
During the last two weeks the lover md atn-
dent OF music in Chicago has had re,son "a
felicitate himself upon his ADVANTAGES oyer Ri,
comrades IN tho sister arts. The embryo pain,ar
aud sculptor, born IN our atmosphere OF bus.bn,
practical life, is hamperod and retarded by thu
lack Of standards of excellence; OF models which
ut once instruct and inspire. Ho dreams Of thu
masterpieces OF the great pioneers ard guides Of
his profession; but the Sibyls Of Michael Angelo
cannot be brought across tho Atlantic: tha
Fann OF Praxitelcs cannot be lent for season,
The musician is more fortunate. The marvel
ous touch perfected in the Conseryatoriea Of
Ieipslc aod Paris is occasionally to no heard in
tho concort-rooms OF the worlds Youngest
Metropolis The Grand Opera has 1T rare in
walls spared her finest fruit and ornament to thu
donizens Of d region not fifty years reclainod
from the wilderness aud the savage.
The troupe which came to our city two week.
ago Is in some respects the most notable which
has ever visited us. It contains
ONE OF TIE GREATEST pn1MA poySAs
OF our own or any time. Whatever may b1
thought OF rolative superiority among the special
admirers OF the three great soprano singers Of
the present day, there can be no doubt that
Christine Nilsson has made deep and dis.
tinctiye Impress On tue lyric drama Of her age;
that she will pass into history as one of the
Queens Of Song. When the black locks Of to-
day ara white and the golden nre gray, re shall
e1patiate to the incredulous OF the new genera-
ton on the matchless melody OF her "Toi che
sapete," tie pa1hos Of her ''Tray1ata" aud
"Mgnon;" the weird and tragic intensity Of her
Lucia !" az the generations before us rayed Of
the slvery notes Of Malibran: the Una yoce"
OF Sontag; the crystal purity aud wonderful
volume Of tho voice Of Jenny Lind.
The present troupe furnishes not only = greaa
prlma donna, but one
ABLY SUPPORTED.
It is our peculiar misfortune, in lacking res
ident lyric drama, that We are usually condemned
il We obtain great Margaret, to witness hei
playing to d mediocre Faust; to hare rarls
tonor rs Maurice, ct prHterea nihl. emphatic.l-
y. as repards the rest Of the opera. But when
have We ever had such Rdoul to such Vdle7,-
tine, such Q Margaret to such 3 Faust; and
let US not forget to add-euch an Cr6an, such
Siebel, to both? =
This troupe has also been Of special intereat
as presenting on the same stage eminent exam
pies OF the two great schools whose conflicting
theories once shook the musical centres OF thu
world; the French and the Italian. Whatever
the characteristics OF each may then hare been,
it is not difficult to marx the distinctive featurea
OF the two to-day. In
THE FRENCH SCHOOL,
the voice, however finely trained, tecomef
secondary to tue expression Of the thought
which the music embodes. Whatever volume.
whatever versatility. the voice may possess, lei
it appear as it may, as it must; but woe to thai
singer who makes its display the prominent
feature Of his representation; who nvets the
OF the hero. but upon his Ut de poit,ane; Whd
turns aside, in the hood-tide Of uncontrollabia
grief, to utter series Of brilliant musical
pytotecl1nics for tho sake OF exhibiting her ons
strong point Such singer, however remark
able her natural advantages, would aver COM
mand the warm approval OF French counols-
seurs. To such an extent is this idea carried,
that. IN Parislan salons, ono may constantly
meet With amateurs, and occasionally probes
slonn1s, whose conception OF the composers
beautiful. whose action so exquisite, that they
will transport their audience, and really convey
Bomc OF the highest delights which music can
give, While possessing, IN common parlance, no
voice ut all.
TIE ITALIAN SCHOOL,
all hor i}c aff h1ff M
The voice itself. It is the chief effort OF tire
singer to bring out into their Just prominence.
To give with due force and beauty. the notes u
h1a part the music Of the composer having been
faithfully rendered the sentiment OF tho COM
position may be trusted to take care Of itself.
No other school could be 20 natural to nation
whose voices, By inherited physique and climate,
are 60 generally beautiful whose emotions arc
70 simple, and SO artlessly revealed. not thas
they exclude or ignore tho necessity and effect
If dramatic action, but this with them is rather
! result aud inevitable accompaniment OF tho
7ocal expression, and subordinate to it. The
Of this school, where they have dig,
;inguished themselves as dramatic artists As we'll
Is yocaIists have generally won reputation ~
he portrayal OF tho more striking and poWertul
.ather than the softer aud finer emotions. In
depicting terror, horror, anger, vengeance, OF
ofty indignation, no school has surpassed Tue
Italian. In representing the finest shades Of
ceiling, complex and transitional emotions,
pathos. exaltahon, no school. IN th8
opinion OF some Of the best modera critics, mas
'et approached in tho French. The conflict be~
ween tho two is the old antagonisn between tho
harmony Of sense ara Of sound and the fusion
# the two would doubtless produce the ideal
niger.
Capoul and Campaninl are eminent examples
i their respective schools And Nilsson, ~hlo
nclining to the French, which has STAMPED 'as
distinctive impress on her art, in many points OF
er method is happy union Of both.) 10 tako
ach in particular role,
TIRE OPERA or "F4CsT,"
s lately performed here. vas an Illustration Q!
he French school. and IN exhibition Of some OF
Es excellenccs. The music OF "Fauss' has no-
ONE little hackueyed to habitual opera eoets;
ut it ia, and will always remain, one Of the moss
eautiful Of operas. That Is becanse, in cet-
ain sense, it has Goethe for its autnor 1ese
artiai justification of the French ldea, fhas! ~
he lyric drama advances. OF more and mora m
ortance groys the Hbrctto. At first merely
kclcton on which to hang the notes OF the g1esss
it has como to represent the genlnsm ~
be opera. Instead OF employing poetaste1s "
tring together unmeaning phrases 1of e1Ap.z l,s,,
ion to tho music, the composer has "l?slen
1usic to express its situations and emononsa; ms
Inns AMBROSE Thomas, in his ''Hamlet anu .na
is "M,guon," has summoned to f.s ala ~