New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-02-05
Tae Late Madame Parrrs Rosa.


topic of conversation among the more cult
waited circles Of the metropolis this morning.
The loss 10 art was admitted TO be q serious
one, while there were very many to whom
the great singer was personally known, and
who felt, therefore, a deeper regret at the
loss of a valued friend.
The announcement of Madame Rosa S
illness in the evening papers of yesterday
awakened some alarm among her friends;
but her relatives in this city received later in
the day re-assuring dispatch, and at nine
O'Clock last night they believed that the i'll
ness was in no way serious. To them, as
to the community generally, therefore, the
news of to-day comes with Il sudden rs well
as painful interest.
American society will feel deeply the loss
of Madame Rosa, for with the exception OF
Lind, Nilsson and I.aGrange no foreign vo-
calst has ever won such a hold on our pub
lie. Shd had all the energy, spirit and ver-
satility which are characteristics of the Ann
erican temperament. Her splendid wealth
of voice lstruck i'm its ma estic volume and
force even the most unscientilic ear, while
its admirable cultivation and great fieXibllity
showed that its possessOr had carefully sup
plementcd nature by art. Parepa Rosa sung
we'll i'm every style. This must be recorded
of her. She was equal to anything in the
line of vocal music. When she first sang
here, some eight years ago, in Bateman's
Concert Troupe, it was by the piquant in
depreciation of ballads, or 10y brilliant dis
plays of bravura music, that she claimed adj
miration. On the operate stage it was in the
grander works of Weber, Meyerbeer and
Mozart that she surpassed her competitors.
But, to our mind, the most splendid revea-
ton of her talent was in Oratorio music.
The glorious airs of "The Messiah found
in her a noble Interpreter. In "Reioice
Greatly" ~ know that my Redeemer Liv
eth" and "He shall Feed His Flock" in
which the brilliant, the majestic and the
tender styles are brought into such wonder
full contrast. Parepa Rosa was simply beyond
criticism. Yet the same artist who could
interpret So perfectly the noblest works OF
Handel, could make 4 simple ballad of Clari-
bells popular throughout the length and
breadth of the land. ''Five O'clock in the
Morning" she made familiar at once; and
yet she could turn from q pretty trifle like
this and win the su1iraSes of Philharmonic
audience in Weber's Ocean," or Bcetho-
ven's "Ah! Perfido." These two last COM
positions were her special favortes. These
she liked to sing better than anything else
in the whole range of vocal music. What
artist To day before our public can show such
extraordinary versatility as this?
But the versatility which showed itself in
all her musical requirements sometimes led
her into the selection of operate parts for
which she was physically unsuitcd. Her
Marie, i'm the "Child of the Regiment" for
instance, was one of the latest of her lyric
performances here, and she sang the music
with bewitching brilliancy, while her action
was rs spirited as that of school girl. Yet,
on her return TO England we hear of her
al.
English critics. She had anticipated appear
ner's "Lohengru," one of the most exacting
parts in the whole range of opera.
Euphrosyne Parepa was born in Edinburgh
in 1880, her father being nobleman of Blu
charest, Wallachia, and her mother belonging
20 the 'well-known family of the Seguins.
Her has band dying shortly after their mar
riagc, the mother went on the stage and won
favor as prima donna. The young Euphro-
syne WAS thus born in a musical atmosphere,
and exhibited at tender age a marked mu-
steal precOcity. At sixteen she made her
debut ut Malta rs Amina in "Somnambula.'
This was in 1855 and for the next two years
she sang in Italian and Spanish cities. In
1857 she made her London debut IN "Puri-
tani," and for several years following she
was successful prima donna there. She
"iiiiSu a. hlah wiz spcut dA ucE LlOucy .,
such is usually the fate of prima donnas. To
this doom are they elected and predestincd.
Parepa was no exception.
But this husband was dead long before
Parepa came in 1867 to America. In the con-
cert troupe with which she sang in New y Ork
was solo violnist, Mr.. Carl Rosa, of Ham.
burgh, and to this gentleman she was mar
med by the Rev. DIR. Tying at st. Georges
rectOry in this city. This marriage proved a
happy one. Mr.. Rosa became an impressario
and orchestral conductor, and with his wife
travelled all over the country until the name
Of Parepa-Rosa was known from Bangor to
San Francisco, from Montreal to New Or
leans. They revived the almost extinct in.
sttution of English opera, forming a troupe
which included several of the present Kel.
iogg company. They gave the most admired
operas Of the ordinary repertoire, but specially
slgnalized their season by the revival Of
Weber's "Oberon, an opera scarcely known
10 the present generation. To bring theil
American career to fitting close the Rosas
organized that admirable Italian opera com
pany, which included the great quartette o.
farepa, Phillips, Wachtel, and Stanley, by
whom ''Trovatore," 1.-The Huguenots, >
william Tel" and "Rigoletto." were sung
10 style which all opera-goers will long re-
member.
returning to England, Madame Rosa's
neaith failed, and the physicians advised a
southern climate. So she went to Cairo
There she sang in the Viceroy's theatre
from Egypt Madame Rosa-whO was 9
charming and fueEt correspondent in five
.sanguages-wrote some delightful letters t.
friends in England and America. With the
eye Of an intelligent woman sbe noted thu