The New York herald., 1878-11-12
ADJUSTMENTS.
lrdE. oERsrER's DEBUT IN ''LA soNNAaiBvIA
AT THE ACADEMY or MUSIC.

srIE. eERsrER's DEBUT IN 'LA soNNANEvIA
AT THE ACADEMY or MUSIC.
Eivpo signor eamlanna;; n;
il oute Rodolio ,ign9. ro;
Aicssi" r;,aN poli
Nile Eobat,
Amna Nine Erika Gerster
1t was magnificent audience that assembled last
evening at the Academy Of Music to greet Mme'
Nteka Gcrster upon her first appearance III America
The long illness of the lady after her arrival fro,h
Europe had enlisted sympathy in her behaf, out
there instaking the temper OF the house
1t was resolved to be critical well as hospitsbe
So it said. crushing its way into the iobbes. and
bustliug and rustling into stalls and boxes. Nine.
icrster had been heralded. it said, with q flourish
Of trunlJe.s and the clarion notes having died
away while the lady still lay in pain. time had been
left for sinister murmurs to come from one place or
smother about her her acting and SO on So wealth
fashion and culture, and the uncutured that love
beauty by instinct only, all came masSe 10 sit IN
stately Judgment There were bright eyes, lovely
faces, silks and diamonds in Judgment as well
Is lined and wrinkled artistic faces that looked
rom the TO the singer. First. to be sure. she
was TO have her welcome 1t came in generous
thunder pealed forth again and again when Anlna
appeared on the There was pause; now jnde-
ment was to begin. But almost in an instant the
pure and penetrating the vibrations OF the
Arst phrase came to the ear, and before the
Arst pause Judgment hung itself TO tho
winds and something nearer worship took It's place.
IT queen OF sons--and easily queen
who swayed the vast audience az will. In
. word her success instant. emphatic. sustained
and unauestionel Tho optimists were raying
the pessimists applauding. and those who gave
professional opinions i'll theatrical vernacular went
about between the acts saying, 'its go; lts 20.
Applause, and recalls were the order OF the
evening. The opera n whole was suIerbly gwen
Ii is long way back to Beni When Titiens gavo
US Norma with poor support few years ago. tho
Of ons Ss
lines Of Norma Bellini's musical drapcry seemed
scsnt and tawdly beside the breadth OF Meyer
beer the cosmic grasp OF Wagner. In
.Ia sonnambula" this comparison not 80 is
strongly evoked. Weak is its Instrumentation It is
lowered with the wealth of old Italian song Melody
that lives in the heart the gift of Ben and those
songs that Pasta warbled and Rbn wreathed with an
pdded erace-songs that fresh after nearly fifty
years--cannot appeal 70 the musician IN raln.
II is it seems fancy Of Nine. Gcrsters-a s'iperst
lion. If you will-thaf La Sonnampnia >, prngs ner
with such Offering; they blessed her amply last
night. 1t is long since the simple story OF Ainnss
love. which her sleepwaiking casts clond on
and again the cloud TO leave her beloved as
we found her at first has been illustrated fty here
To the part Mme Gerster brings good figure
and a face that if not handsome. has pleasing
expression. Her acting. never strained. WAS easy,
Satural and sympathete The & part r. only calls for
picon and the JOY of maidens vindcation. But her
nnging fairly tested She is pure soprano. with
two ocsaves and half in her compass. and
without imperfection III any part OF it,: III
the upper register it is clear and reaching
without being great in volume-brdlike; in the
middle voice and lower tones full and vibrant with
the varying stress laid upon it. Joyous in JOY sympa
thetic in sorrow and giving meaning 70 the least
OF the stronger passions we cannot yet say.
Her training has evidently been Of the severest kind
Her certainty OF attack her ease OF execution the brill
lance OF her foyia, her ringing tril the beauty Of
her caatabe her clean phrasing all tell how labor-
ousIy she must have toled We welcome her
great artist every OF the term nefesture Of
her excellent method must be noted at once--its
tire independents of that singing for applause which
spoils the artist II it captures tho gods,
when Christine Nilsson returned to England
it was complained that she had lapsed sadly in this
particular during her stay with u.s. We enter pro-
beforehand against the slightest foundation being
given for this charge in the case of Gerster.
As we have above indicated the potentiaty Of the
priina donna's voice was recognized instantly. Her
nrst solo confirmed all this and on reaching the bril-
mi poss." she gave further earnest Of tri-
nmph in the Hat in alt, which she reached
from the above with perfect ease, the passage being
rcdcmanded In the succeeding duet with Elvno
she sang with tender grace. and at the lovers
quarrel, reconciliation and farewell the house
became enthusiastic the purity of her
tones. Her singing in the sleep-walking scene
of the second act was marked by snbdued emotion.
lover the discovery OF Amna ON the couch OF the
Count given with fine naidenly intensity.
evoked whiriwind Of applause and
an encore Signor Campanini has seldom been heard
TO better effect than he in this
In the third act where the interest Of the
slender story eliminates, Mme Gerster crowned
her previous efforts. Anything exquisite
~ the .'Tcnero pegno, o for has not been heard in
New York in many year. The prthos that dwelt in
the single phrase, .'Che giorno sol duro brought
tears many eyes. 1t wonderful. With the joyous
burst of melody. "Ah! gtunge" which brings
the opera TO close ripping with trlls soaring to the
in alt and closing with superb b fiat in alt the
audience and cheered the artist she deserved
Upon Sgnor Canpanini as the Eyino fell the weight
OF the prima donna's success He sang with
power and grace. and. although support could
have been admirable. the fair debutante
rather obscured his brillane In the trying solo cf
the third act. "Ah! perrhe,' known in English
versions as ''stll gently DER me stealing"
beautifully rendered, but its fiat did
not charm the gods into calling for it
again. signor Foli sang the music Of Rodolfo with
care, giving the well known xvi rayyiso" Ia capital
form. Mile. Robiati. Lisa. and Mile. Filomena
Teresa were fair. The chorus remarkably good,
the color given 10 the descriptive bit "a fosco cieo,
motto bruno" being especially remarkable. In the
opening chorus OF the third act there was moment
OF grave inhsrmony. but the conclusion Of the
passage splendidly given. signor Arditi's lead
was superb.
EDWIN BOOTH AT THE PIPTH AvEyrT THEATrr.
Mr. Rd-vir p1pfh