Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1878-01-09

who Attend the Performances at
BixeIOw's Hall.

VINO Ahtenu the er1Ornn8n Al
BixeIOw's Hall.
The study of the audience gathered
at the opera. Monday evening last, was
an amusing and entertaining one fol
those who bad the leisure to observe
and the curiosity to note down the
various emotions inspired in the mixed
gathering. The very name stands for
a synonym of culture, aesthetic taste,
and a love for the beautiful in harmo
ny and song. The word brings men
tally to the eye a picture Of all that is
elegant in fashion, lovely in costume
and refined in breeding and manners.
The aclne of the social world is reached
in cities by a season of these render
ings OF the old composers; and before
brilliant audiences the song birds
coin their voices into vulgar gold,
while critics 20 into raptures over
their v%ocalization, and exhaust the vo-
cabularies in laudatory comments on
the pitch, compass, power and range
OF their notes.
By IA combination of circumstances
Eureka has been favored 10y the pres
ence OF an artiste who has won victo
rIes on European stages, sung in such
magnificent structures AS The LA Scala,
at Milan; La Grande Opera House. in
Paris; the ST. Petersburg Temple OF
Song; and, in fact, in all of the Con.
tlnental cities, and before audiences
that were composed of The royalty and
nobility OF Europe. What must have
been her reflections on Monday even
ing, as she contra-ted her surround
ings, with those of her Former ex peri
ences? The note of the lark is clear
n thrilling, whether heard by field
or food, lowering over the daisy Gov
cred meadows, or soaring aloft out of
sight OF earthly landscapes; and We
suppose that this gifted vocalist ielt as
much lifted up in song, and relished
the vigorous and noisy applause OF the
mixed gathering with the same de-
light as she bad the dainty clapping OF
the kid-gloved bands and affected EN-
core OF the elite OF cities.
But il was the emotions excited in the
audience that We started 10 comment
on, and we leave the ludicrous or other
feelings Of the performers as foreign to
the subject matter. The creme de la
creme, OF course, occupied the front
seats. To the majority Of them. al
Trovatore" was no new thing. The
rendition OF the music only re sailed to
them their former ex% periences when
they, in the far Eastern cities, or at the
Western shore, formed a portion OF the
cultivated throngs that listened l0tbese
strains, sang by celebrities like Parepa
Rosa, the divine Patti, Grisi and AL
bani. The elder ones memories We're
carried back to the youthful days of
KIM Bishop, and the coiicertizing Of
Jennie Lind and Kate Hayes. Their
enjoyment was profound. tiDged with
a melancholy realization of their
present baDishlnent among the barren
rocks and desOlate vistas of their Ne
vada home. They formed the critical
portion of the audience. Scattered
among them were a Jew whose highest
tilghis in The musical line were con
fined to the popular ballads of the day.
With a soul for music, they found that
thew had been fed on barren husk>.
and that there were possibilities in the
art heretofore undreauaed of. To them
the performance was a revelation, and
as they drank in the harmony they
thirsted for more, and sat rapt in mute
attention, bewitched aud fascinated by
The force and beauty of the melody.
Farther back in the audience were
the rough diamonds. who went TO the
entertainment simply because il
va a show, in the same spirit
that they would attend a circu>.
They were noisy aud demonstrative
IN their applause, and their
running fire OF comments were anu
ing and laughter provoking TO those
who overheard them. "Cut her loose.
old gal; turn on your music; let Ler
bile, little one; raise her, De MurSka;
lake off the roof" etc.. We're the mild
est eiacdlations they could find To ex-
press their pleasure, and when that
cantatrire finished one of her magn'ti
cent bursts of HARMONY, the hi HIS,
cat calls, whistling, Stamping of feet,
and uproarious and tumultuous cheer
ng was absolutely deatening. As our
friend Harmon would remark, "they
were II healthy lot of ROSTERS" with
about as much idea of opera as a Maine
farmer has of n silver mine. Never
theless, they were pleased, and were no
WAYS ack ward in showing it. Talk
about fashion and culture, a Base
Range audience can cram more variety
and spice into Bigelow's Hall, show
more gt1ulut tlituuSidSiii. KICK up q
bigger row, aud make more noise than
, dozen average city assemblages.
After all, we suppose it makes little
difference To the management or the
members of the troupe. It's a que>
lion of coin, and AS The hall was liter
ally jammed, and the treasury repl-n-
ished in a gratifying, and if rumor
speaks true, unprecedented
we suppose that they are satisfied with
he results. The meagre audiences
that have greeted them at other points
made the change a pleasant one, and
AS their stay with us will be prolonged
as long as it will pay, the harvest of
silver dollars gathered in will more
han recompense them for any little
defects in the behavior OF those who
may attend their series of entertain
ments.
uH snru nhls~