The Portland daily press., 1877-10-05
Teresa Tltiens.

a despatch from London conveys the sad in
telligence of the death of Mile. Teresa Titens,
the celebrated operate singer. She has been
seriously i'll for some months, and her decease
was not unexpected. The despatch states that
she was attacked Tuesday night with difficult
ty in breathing and faintness She relied,
however, and appeared better until o'clock
wednesday morning, when she died. She was
OF Hungarian origin. and was born at Ham,
burg in 1884. The sweetness of her voice hay
ing attracted, while she was child, the notice
of professional teacher, her parents resolved
to have her educated for musical career. So
rapid was her progress that on her return to
Hamburg, in 1S49. she made her debut in op-
era, essaying the arduous but brilliant role of
Lucreza in "Lucrezia Borgia." Despite the
non-success of her first appearance she perse-
Vered and improved to such an extent that she
received an offer of an engagement from the
director of the Royal Opera at Frankfort-on-
the-Main. Here her success was decided. and
she was engaged by the directors of the impe-
rial Opera, Vienna. She made her debut in
the Austrian Capital in 1856 as Donna Anna
In Don Giovanni lin GERMANY, and at the
fall Of the curtain was called upon the stage no
less than six times. The management then Sc
cured her for the three following seasons, and
her wonderful lyric and dramatic powers were
displayed in Norma" lies Huguenots," 'Lu-
crezia Borgia," lie Nozze di Figaro" "Fidel-
10 and "Troyatore She sooD attracted the
attention of Mr. Lumley. manager of Her
Majesty's Opera in the Haymarket, London.
The Viennese director permitted her to fulfil an
engagement in England, and on the 18th of
April, 1858, Mile. Titiens made her first ap-
pearance on the stage of Her Majesty's Thea
tire. singing (ia Italian for the first time) the
role of Valentine in lies Huguenots.' One
of the leading critics of the day TINS spoke of
her after her London debut: "a voice so rich in
quality so extensive, so flexible, combined with
temperament so passionate and dramatic per-
ception so exact carries us back to the highest
standards of lyric excellence in our memory,
The great line that commenced with Pasta
and was sustained in all its honors by Schroe-
der, Malibran and Grisi, finds no feeble vindi-
cation in the genius of Mile. Titens." From
that time to the date of her last illness
Titiens has been the brightest star in the Lon
don operatic armament, receiving an annual
salary of 100000. In 1876 she visited this
country and fulfilled a series of engagements in
the leading cities, appearing in concert, opera
and oratorlo. Her superb performance in this
city is still fresh in the memory of hundreds
Mile. Titiens took her farewell of America in
the Boston Theatre on the afternoon of March
IL, 1876 on which occasion she appeared in her
wonderful delivery of the role of Lenora in
Ill Trovatore' On the evening of that day
the Papyrus club rendered her reception at
the Revere House, which was an occasion of
great Drlllldncy IL was on tnl5 evening tnaC
Mile. Titiens sang the last time in Boston.
Mile. Titiens's best parts were in what are
termed the heroic operas, and in such works as
"Fidello'', "Semiraemide," !" Norma "Lucre-
zia Borgia," "Media," she was unsurpassed by
any artist of her time. Mile. Titiens could not
be called handsome, but she possessed an ex-
pressiye countenance and a majestic figure
Her style of acting resembled to certain ex-
tent, that of her compatriot, Nine. Janauschek;
it was full of passion, breadth and grandeur.
Her singing was superb, her voice clear and
powerful and her method noble. It is related
that at the musical festival In Birmingham in
1864, when Nine. Rudersdorff who was to sing
the leading soprano part in Costa's oratoro of
"Naaman" (then produced for the first time,)
was Suddenly taken i'll, Mile. Titiens was called
from the audience, and though she had never
before heard or seen a single note of the music
sang it at sight. feat rarely if ever equalled.
Her benevolence was proverbial, and she annu :
ally expended large portion of her income in
charity, besides being ever ready to contribute
by her musical services to deserving objects.
Mile. Titiens has long been sufferer from an
internal tumor, and has, within few months,
been subjected to two painful and dangerous sur
gical operations, which, however, afforded no
permanent relief. OF late she was apparently
improving in health, and, about month ago,
went up to London, expecting in short time
to be able to resume her duties on the stage;
but these hopes have been proved without
foundation by the sad event of her decease.