, 1875-11-09

ha1USEA1l;NTs.
THE MERRY WIVES oF WINDSOR.
The performance Of Ncolal's charming Comic
opors, "Ths Merry WiToa of Windsor" by tho
lietterkrauz suctoty laht evrnang, at McNscker'a
Thcatro, recalls othos performances Of orosa by
homc talent. It. was tho tenth occasion OF this
character. The German Musical Hoclety Favo
"Ihe Village barber" in ,s5G, md "Czar and Car
pcnter" mud "Tho Daughter Of tho Regiment"
In 1851. In 15G2, q rafty OF amateurs.
n;nong them Mrs. postwic1s, Mrs. Mastcson
Mr. Charles II. Heaverns and hir. DO rassio. gavo
',semirs,nide " In Dryan liat'. Two ycars after
wards tho Musical Uulnn gavo tho " Cza1 and
carpentor.r The year 1870 WAS prolific one.
In February the Gertuania Mnnneschor gavo
'.Dor Fro,schuotz." 1n tlaTch tho Concogdi2
Mruncrchor presented "lho Magic FIntc,'
and tho following month tho Gcrtnanta
amnnerehor saso "stradel!a: l;nst : yoa55
,S .vG gave hrorhs ont o Hna
Merry Wives" Tho Sparkling lille opera is
almost unknown here. 1t las been done hut
oncc at tho Crosby Opera-nousc. in February
! 157l-w't!l Carl forn'ol as falsfaF, md lLehe
may. llaffner. l1abclmhnn. Vicrllng, hnd lloomo,
lit tho cast. Its overture ID vol known by fro
quent rel1ctittors for 1t liaa nlTays been pop
| ular conceEt nunlber, but boyond thiB tho work
may be ealfod new 10 tho great mass Of oporH.
aud brilliant, tho vocal score 50 thoroughly
original and interesting and tho toxt 10 full OF
lnsuoI, that it is remarkable It Inns not beon pro-
Bcated more frequently, aud has not hcou
standard opera In professional reportoireA.
Tho cast Of the per orfotmauec was rs fUllows:
Mrs. raRo..: .a1sss Kato Ven Wor,rngen
s '3 3o'.a 1n1a Rsez Roeh
Mrs Ford. ....,...... ALT. o. 0rcnlGr
Atr. Page .hir r. Oscrbcck
jSE
Squire stcnicr'.'... Il: Wolf
tn w.ier ii iia dater Inn servants of Mr. fofd
| citizens Of Winaaur.
Tie audience Was q very good ono for an oren-
| ting night. aud thoro wotc tnauY musicians and
cunnoiakicura present to witness the yont,lro Of
! lilo Licderkrauz. We cal! ii a venture for it ia
| "a set oply experimental wllothor tho Hoclety
wlll mako d SUCCESS Of ''Tua Merry WIsos :"
or win musical victory like that Of :" Nfasan1ol-
| 10 " last yoar OF course, 1t would be both tilt
| charitable and ungraciots to Heyetol7 critclB0
| tho tirnt potformauco Of a difficult opera by Ill
amateur society. Many OF tho sIugers aro not
| yet accustomed to tic stage. and nearly all DIS
| played q tlmidlty and embarrassment which uay
I wear of ~ they become moro accustomed to the
I house mud the audience, but at tho eano almo
It wonld bo equally unjust 10 tho Society to con-
yoy tho Impression that tho performance
! was Buccpsstui une. Yhero nets points horo
and there. like Mile. hosetl,s intorpolated song
] 10 tho third act, Mr.. ScLuttze's Lark song, and
hfr. kocl'B drinking song that, veto we'll DOM,
md tic fnalos of tile irss md second acts wcro
given WITH great zest aud enthusiasm. but tho
performance. a. Whole Was far from being q
| succesB. Wo Yeeerye a dn.ai!eA notice Of tho So
oists,ndividualty for another occasion, when they
shall lave had further opportunity 10 get nccrs-
tono! to thor Earss. but Of thoa Az wlolc we NAV
Say that they fairly mutilatod and butchered
soma Of the best concor.ed numbers by faIse
singing. Wo hope this arfect will 10 rpnedied
when tho novelty IL worn on. otherwise tho
performances witt ba simply distressing, and wo
t1$4 lnia IN
for notice. There IA little t. say for the chorus,
NJ 1t has iitto to do-so iittlo, in fact that itA
part Ia really mere trlllc. On tl.s account SO
arc somewhat hnyp1lscd At tho chnise OF
show o1 hia society. In our home performances
| of opera BIZ hofto. tho chorus has boon tho main
feature, and atwags very pleasant feature, be-
cause 1t hah been larger, frether, and better tsu
troupca; but, in th!a case, tho burden Of the
work has to bo carried bY tho so1cists, ana this
burden was 30 wcar1some last oveuing TINT 10.
fore they had c!osod the second act they began
al to piecee. Tho dramatic. presentation wes
superior to ths vocal but thih also is largely
open to improyement. Both Mile. Rosettl anc
Miss Won Wordragen carry themselves well OF
merry, as bottled tho wives Of Windsor
Sweet Ann pAge" WEB q tiuaid Ann, hut at Tux
same time did not seriously mar her role. oxcep
IN tue eine4ng. Mr.: koo,'a fatsta6 va yaa mos 2,
In ind make a beng aaa,
htomacted, and lacked tho tuavty. md gusto
and unc&uous viliaioy characteristic Of tho fa
old Knight. Mr. schultzo Ia singer, not at
actor, and wisely mhkea no dramatic wetensions
donta on tho professional stago bat ho ntonoi
for this lack by some Of bin best aud aweetes
singing. Slender {Mr. Wolff snd caJas (Mr
Mcyer) were we'll mado up: Nature haa beos
In as!endor sense. SO that l,o had no difficulty II
fii,ng hia par.. He wan tho a!enas1est Of al
5s1.<Iers,-a Slender who would hardly cast
shadow. Mr. Never has . mania for lresaluK IL
amateur entertainments. and made quito q pro
seniablo appearance. The orchestra nutnbere.
eoue forty pieces, ard did admitable worK "a
whole, under Mr. Dalhtka'g load. Tho overtur
was delightfully."- given, and the accompaniment
we're in tho main kept down to sleiE ps0pe
relations 10 tho singers.
No repeat what wo hnvo said beforc,-thcr
IL great room for improvements. Tho perform
ance ID not yet q Buccess but It may ba Baye
from failure, and NO sla1t look hencoforward 70
detailed criticism until tho Society has had fal
trial. Tho opesa will DO repeated this orepins
COL. WOODS MUSEUM.
Tho performance of "Grlf1ith Qaunt" lat
night at the Museum WEE = considerable In
provement upon anything the company had PFC
y1ouBly given. It ran With fow bitches for 3 fir
night, and somo Of tho accossoliau woro exec
lieut.. Tho iair-suene, which introduced the cur
osilies from the Museum proper, was Ia itso
to use tho language Of the ehouu'an. wort
.. tho p1ico OF admission. Tho fat won
N, tue little lady "a inches high, til
Punch aud Judy show, tho Rreasod pig aud poll
wore there In sll their glory. lAttio Jenni
! ulng manner Imaginable. THO faiE-scoue w
: not bigh ART, 1t nauat ba confessed, hut It w
:, good amusement TOR the boys and Eisls. AB
ato play itself, little noed be said Tho fsmilil
! ! story of foolish Jealousy Ans often beon to
!. in this city, aud always with some effect Al
AoManus, who waa in tho original cast ut IL
! Old Museum ~ 1o,n Leicester, had the same pa
last night, and rendered 1t coyozly. Mr. For
!. | borg ss IriUlh GaurI wna A. lis best yet VI
8 not Ill that could 10 desi1el Miss Cameron d
. veil as Kate Peyton, thonah her voice was again
her. teins It present e !"t!e undss The weashe