The Portland daily press., 1875-10-29

1t has become we'll understood in Portland
that the lecture AMI entertainment courses pro-
jected and carried through by the Army s.
Navy Union always offer something fresh.
If there be new lecturer 10 the field VINO has
won applause elsewhere, the Association hast
en- to engage him. If new musical society be-
formed and if it give promise of unusual tx
ceence the Army g. Navy Union are sure to
bring it before the pubic Of this city. The
generous and far-seeiug management of the
courses has attracted and retains the support of
all who delight in choice music or who enjoy
listening to the best lecturers now on the
platform. 1t is only by careful attention to
the wants of the better class of amusement
seekers and by diligent search for novelties
and discriminating choice in selection that the
Association have achieved success. Praise GER
tainly is due for the effort made and for the
consequent result.
Last evening the eighth annual course open.
ed with the performance of Mr.. Eichberg's
two-act opera 1.-THE Rose of Tyrol,'' by The
Richings- Bernard ooera company. The troupe
has won an enviable and merited re putation in
the Interpretation of English opera, and of
course was at once secured by the Union. The
theme which the composer has selected is the
old one, old because faithful to nature and ex-'
perience, of two lovers, one of whom has sud-
denly come into fortune and has his head
turned thereby. The scene is in the Tyrol,
thus affording chance for the ideaism and de-
parture from routine and probabilities which
we are reconcled to in far-away places, and
which are necessary to the opera Franz, the
hero, draws, as be thinks the lucky number in
a lottery, &C. and SO looking to the possession
of hundred thousand forms, deserts natur-
ally and man-llke, his early love, aud turns his
thoughts elsewhere. 1t turns out, however,
that he has, like many other people, looked at
the thing in the wrong light, that he held the
ticket upside down, and that the number
should read 80 Then Of course he comes back
to his first love, 1--WE all do, the French proverb
says) and she woman-like, forgives him, and
they become friends again,and presu nably live
happy ever after. The libretto is by Mr.. B E.
Woolf, and while displaying some humor and
much extravaganza, is TO great extent trivial
and absurd.
As to the musical merits of the opera opin-
ions will be likely to differ, The music is GER
tainly not severe enough to be forbidding, and
belongs to that class which it is the fashion to
call light and pleasing. The work contains
number of fanciful airs bright and entertain
ing, and the concerted pieces are we'll COM
structed. Probably it suited the audience bet.
ter than music of more pretension would
though for that matter people who like operat-
ic music at all have generally a sufficiently
cultivated taste to enjoy and appreciate it in
its higher and more exacting forms. Why the
opera is called romantic" is conumdrum
well calculated to oafle the brightest guesser;
comic would be the fitting adjective. The
burden of the singing falls upon2 Mrs. Rich
ings Bernard, who as Gritty, the heroine,
gives an admirable rendition. Her carefully
trained voice is excellently managed, its def
c:encies carefully kept in the shadr, and its
maby better qualities made duly prominent.
The part affords scope for much and good act
ing, and in that she acquitted herself to the
satisfaction of all. In all her solos she was
pleasing, and in the romance cit was my
dearest friend, which she gave with much
sweetness and power. she received warm en-
core. The hero, who rejoces in the name of Franz
was taken by Mr.. Pierre Bernard, whose
pleasing voice. excellent method, and mobil,
face enabled him to meet all the requirements
of the role, and indeed to better and make even
good feeble and absurd character The con-
ception is essentially a German one. Seldom
except in the literature of that country, are we
presented with the spectacle, and called upon
to admire it, Of pretty girl who marries a
fool The situation is probably not uncommon
in life here, but we carefully keep it out of
our books. Mr.. Bernard could not elevate the
character, and he did the next best thing,
strengthening feeble conception, and making
of himself complete and very amusing
BOBBY. He was decidedly funny, and in the
comic duet with Gritty, "a fool, fool,
fool" convulsed the house.
Besides the lovers, the other prominent char
acters are peddler, an inn-keeper and his
wife and daughter The part of the peddler,
who is sort of guardianlwith a pack on his
shoulders instead of wings, and who turns out
to be somebody's long lost sisters husband,
was taken by Mr.. John Benitz. who has
pleasing and cultivated baritone voice, which
he uses with skill and taste. The inn-keeper's
wife was taken by Mrs. Henri Drayton, who
gave spirited Characterization of the vixenish
Frou. The chorus, though small, double
quartette, was finely drilled, and added mate
rally to the pleasure of the performance.
The opera appeared to be enjoyed by most of
the audience, though few were demoDs,rative
in their expressions of approval. Some we're
not SO pleased, and while approaching the eff
forts of the Army and Navy Union to furnish
something new, were evidently OF the opinion
that it would be quite as well not to repeat the
experiment. Their verdict was much like that
of the Arkansas jury, ''Not guilty, but don't
do it again." The fact is that City Hall is en-
tirely untitled for the presentation of opera.
With the small stage and ineffective scenery at
command, any work will show at its worst.
The lack of Instrumentation, too, in "The
Rose of Tyrop' is drawback to its success.
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Martha Warrington Society.
The Martha Washington Society held its an
nual meeting yesterday afternoon. The follow
ing officers were elected: President, Mrs. B.
Kingsbury, Jr sVice President, Mrs. j. J.