Los Angeles daily herald., 1876-05-20
The Opera.

Flotow's productions is as much a ne
cessity to the completeness of enjoy
ment as is good wine at hospitable
entertainment. 1t has peculiarities
that can never fail to captivate, ,and of
his works, all of which are in the high
est degree merltorious, artists have Sc
Iected Martha as the favorite, and
popular sentiment has endorsed the
choice; and the company that now fa-
vors us with their presence were par
ticularly happy when they placed it
in their list of performances. This
was testified to by the largest and
most fashionable audience that has as
yet been in attendance during the sea-
son at Turn-Verein Hall. There is
in Flotow's music vivacity, grace
fuluess in movement, and force, with
out marring the beauty of the melody
and harmony, that CAN but please the
most fastidious and refined, and last
evening full justice was done to the
author. Even at the first the audi
ence was captured, and an en- thusias-
tic call before the curtain at the
end Of the first act was the re-
ward of the performers. In the Sec
ond act Miss Elzer rendered her
part with spirit that evinced
both her appreciation of the spirit
and sentiment, and her capability
to give them expression in an artistic
manner. The quartette after the con-
tract between Harriet, Plunkelt, Nam
cy and Lionel was warmly received,
and was admirably rendered. The
scene at the spinning wheel was ex-
ceIiently perfOrmed-in the third act,
anu the by-play was very apt as well
as amusing. The drinking scene in
the next act Was we'll rendered, and
Muller received hearty encomiums.
In the succeeding solo the effect was
pleasing at the hands of Phuger, and
he was warmly applauded. Both
Fabbri and Elzer in this act were very
accurate and artistic, particularly Miss
Elzer in the hunting scene. The clos
ing scene of the opera was rendered
with such effectiveness that a call be-
fore the curtain was demanded with
enthusiasm. The entire performance
was a complete success and in re-
ponse to general demand, ,and for the
benefit of Madame Fabbri, the opera
will be reproduced on Sunday even
ing. A crowded house is a certainty.
We had no idea that the little word
"interpOlation" was of such potency
and could be extended to such a length
vs to strupthe animals in neigboring
establishment, aud excite their win.
dictive ire and Inherent ugliness. We
asserted that 1.-THE Last Rose of sum
mer' was an ''interp0lation" in the
opera of Martha, aud we adhere to the
statement. 1t WAS sung to us at least
thirty-eight years ago, the words ami
the present music being the same; and
many fond memory clings around
this incident. Tom Moore, Ireland's
favorite Poet, sang it also in tile same
music, and it Is but robbery of the
meanest sort to attempt to rob HIM of
this graceful feature OF his career.
Such an act is but characteristic and is
wholly unwarranted. There hun
dreds,n may thousands in this communi-
ty who can testify to hearing the same
air and the words accompanying forty
years ago, and the opera Was written
but eighteen years since-and there is
not passage in the score of the opera
that indicates solitary strain from
the beginning that is in any manner
similar to it. Any one even with
shorter ears those who say other
wise, if they have any music
in their souls can testify to this
if they have heard opera. AS to the
other remarks of a contemporary, We
have but to say in word that the
spirit evnced is~more characteristic
of charlatan than of respectable
journal. A slurring allusiOn to typo
graphical errors is no answer to
statement OF fact, nor no argument to
correct an accidental error. Miss Ade-
laide Phittips," by all who ever had
sufficient journalistic experience to
become acquainted with that artistic
or any others of her contemporaries, is
always mentioned in the familiar
and kindly manner in which we
did, both in the public print
or social intercourse. Her artistic
skill and wOmanly graces have won
for her the kindest regards of the en-
tire press of the country which has al
ways, from the beginning of her Ca.
reer, given her every encouragement,
support and courtesy. We have seen
both AmOdio and Carl Formes play in
the role Of Plunkett, but We did not
say at the same performance. The
elder Amodio died few years since,
and his brother, several years younger,