The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-09-20

The Foot Lights.
Salsbury's Troubadours gave their inlmitable
Brook" and Patchwork" to crowded houses
at llooley's last week.
The Emma Leland combination began their
season at Lincoln, Nebraska, on the 9Th with
Camille" We expect Emma just beats the
Dutch" as CdHRle.
Eliza Weathersby's "Froliques" have reorgan-
lied and will be composed of Eliza and Jennie
Weathersby, Venie Clancy, Qate of Rice's Evan
gelInes, a very clever and pretty actress Nat
Goodwin, &c. Their season begins in Canada.
The Hyer Sisters have been out in Kansas. The
combination is reported poor,-composcd of a
"lot of co'ored walters and porters;' and Billy
Kersands, Wallace King and j. w. Luca are not
with them, though SO advertised. They are
working towards Chicago to e-organize.
The New York musical season began Monday
evening, Sth, with the Emma Abbott comp any
at the Grand Opera House in Masses (" Paul and
Virginia." so successful in Paris two years ago,
though New York critics believe it is destined to
be but short lived as regards posterity. The M
sicdl Times hints that the lbretto has more to do
with the operas success than the music-full as
it is of poetic situations and pastoral innocence
The Musical Times says of Miss Abbott: "lhe
earnest study she has devoted to the part was
visible in every phrase, and If now and then the
compass OF her voice did not MI the composers
intentions, SO much honest endeavor was shown
that the hearty applause the constant recalls and
floral gifts appeared fully deserved" Mrs Seguin
was awarded the honors of the evening by the
NJ
ing has greatly improved. Castles and Ryse's
acting was praised, and brilliant run through
out the country is predicted for the opera by the
Musical Times.
Remenyi, looking back on his visit to Ottawa
on last Wednesday evening, can say as did Caesar
1900 years ago, ,en uidi, pic and say it with more
truth than any artist who has been here for
many day. Why his audience was not greater
than 100 all told, is hard to explain. Surely his
name and the date announced ought to have
filled the house with lovers of music. But if the
audience was not large in numbers, it was all he
could desire as to enthusiasm and never was a
maestro more graciousy received here. The pro-
gramme opened with Mr.. Helnze at the piano--a
very good performer; followed by vocal music
by Mrs. Emma Thurston don't confound her
with Miss Emma Thursby, now in England) and
Mr.. De Celle. Mrs. It's singing was technically
satisfactory and she was well received, but her
voice shows wear and the thnbrs has long 81 nee
disappeared Mr.. De Celle's voice is sweet
tenor but too light and lacks training. "But
what went we out for to seeg' Certainly not any
of these, but Rcmenyi; and when he appeared
with his Stradivarus under his arm he was greet
ed with hearty round OF applause. His appear
ance was that Of priest tof Euterpe, perhaps
being dressed in fall suit Of black with claw ham
mer coat buttoned nearly to the throat. His face
was clean shaver and his black back and side
hair was close cut; the rest of his head being
bald. The first notes showed the masters hand
and before dozen bars had been played he had
his audience perfectly under control. One never
knows the possibilities of that king Of all instru-
ments, the violin, until he has heard Remenyi.
His power over an audience, the delicacy of his
touch, the purity of his notes and his command
of the instrument are wonderful; and he glides
over technical possibilities as readily as a skilled
pianist makes the run of the chromatic scale.
Without doubt he is the greatest violinist that
ever stood before Ottawa footlights, and true
statement Of his success would sound like gross
fattery. Now, as with breathles silence the au-
dience listened for the sweet and clear but almost
inaudible strains, pin could be heard falling in
any part Of the house; again he would all but
convulse them with laughter with the absurdi-
ties Of the Carnival Of Venice" (played on en-
core, or fill them with wonder with his marve-
lous execution, his superb bowling delicate as a
breath) or the power and beauty OF his theme :;
and had he played for hours longer he would
have found his audience still listening to his en-
chanting strains.
A strong effort was made on Thursday TO in
duce him to give another concert here, and such
is among the possibilities Of the next two or
three weeks. Definite Information on the sub
jcct will be given next week.