Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-01-24

HER MAJEsTY's OPERA COMPANY IN THE HUE
REDUCTION OF STATE EXPENSES.
BosToN, Jan. Is, 1879.

BosToN, Jan. Is, 1879.
To the Editor of the Free Press and Times.
Her Majesty's Opera Company has given
two weeks of italian opera in this city, and
is now in the midst Of an engagement at
Chicago. In the meanwhile, let US ask what
conservative, critical Boston thinks Of the
company, now that the presence Of the
musicians has ceased to have any direct in
huence on the calmness of judgment.
may say at the outset. that it did
not take many days to convince the
skepticaI that the high-soundiDg name Of the
company was not shield for imposing third
class talent on the musical public. Madame
Custer, you will remember, had already
carried away,the hearts of the populace in the
Knickerbocker town; but, of course, that
fact had no more effect on the critic geniuses
Of Boston than if New York had been rural
village of ) 900 inhabitants. They must see
with their own eyes and hear with their own
ears before they would be convinced.
When Custer first appeared on the Boston
stage, she met the gaze of small audience
and one that might, though wrongly, be
called Enthusiastically Indifferent ; in
truth, there was before her an audience
that could appreciate a good voice and good
taste in singing, and that would not, under
any circumstances, applaud, unless the taste
and execution displayed deserved applause.
A rLa e.. Al 1C
her auditors. Nay more it is not too much
to say that she charmed all, and captiva.ed
the sympathies of all, who heard her. She
cannot properly be called handsome, like
Marie Roze; nor is her manner on the
stage most pleasing. Her presence is mark
ed by exceeding simplcity-by seemingly
studied simplicity. which at first appears
little awkward but before the first act is
half through, what at first appeared fault
is ardently admired. 1t is the inherent
quality Of her voice, however, that makes
Madame Custer what she is-one of the
first, if not indeed the first, soprano in the
world. As she accompanies the flute in
Lucia di Lammermoor," for instance, it is
quite impossible for the ordinary ear to de-
tect the slightest difference between the
tones of her voice and the tones of the
flute. Again, the faulrless expression
and absolutely pure tone with which
she sustained her highest notes
deies comparison with anything that has
ever before been heard in this city. 1t is
very rarely that three such prina dOnnas as
Nine. Custer, Nine. Rozs and Miss Minnie
Hawk, are engaged by one management.
Nine. Roze is already 50 well known that
need say nothing of her, except perhaps that
she retains her old-time sweetness of voice
and beauty of feature. She is the wife CT
the elder son of Col. Mapleson, the manager
of tie company Miss Hawk is native of
New Jersey and, before her prolonged
visit to Europe, was favorably known in
New York. By the way, it is said that before
she studied in Europe, she spelled her name
with &C." but evidently she has now got
above &C." Had she not been so unfor-
tunate as to succeed Custer her voice would
have been called wonderful, and, indeed,
under the most unfavorable circumstances
she was highly lauded by the public, and
the critics place her before Pappenheim. 1t
must be confessed. however, that to compare
her with Custer, is to place gian. and
pigmy side by side.
OF the half-dozen male solOists in the COM
pany, Campanini is the best lie has
deep, flexible, well-trained, tenor voice,
and his abilities as an actor are of
very high order. A good many have told
me that they like Charles Adams better than
Campanini, but it may perhaps be question
ed whether little bit of disguised -entiment
ofloyalty to our own artist may not have add
ed a charm to Adams voice that is not really
there. There are over 200 persons connect
ed with the opera company in this number
is included large and correspondingly ex-
cellent orchestra. Among the operas per-
formed were"I Puritani,' - Carmen" "a
new opera which, it is prophesied, will
have permanent reputatiOn), "Rigoletto,"
Faust" 1.-The Magic Flute" and the
one before mentioned in connection
with Clusters name, /" Lucia di Lammer-
moor" The prices for tickets were so
high (three dollars for orchestra seats) that
the performances of the first week were no,
given before full houses, but if Col. Maple
son returns to Boston in March, after he
has completed his Western and Southern
tour, as it is reported he intends to do, he
will certainly enjoy a hearty reception.
One more word must add to what have
already said of Nine. Custer, before leave
this subject Her history is but another
mere chance in rural village, remote from
the opportunities of great intellectual GEN.
tres. Her fathor is a carpenter at Kasehan,
Hungary, and there she was born and rear
ed. One day, Herr lIellmesberger, musical
director of the Conservatory at Vienna. IVES
passing by her fathers cottage, when he
heard her singing as she was engaged
about her hOuse-work. He was 50 struck
with the richness of her voice that he in-
duced her to become pupil in his Con-
servatOry at Vienna. She developed rapidly,
and at the Vienna Exposition be brought her
before the public as Il musical prodigy. 1t
was not long after that she married DR..
Gardini. She is now only % years of age,
and all who have heard her sing declare
tina. marvellous future awaits her.
Republicans, Democrats and Butterflies
have all united in making three demands
of the Tooth Massachusetts, Legislature.
They are, First reduce the expenses
Second, reduce the expenses Third, re-
duce the expenses and yesterday re-
trenchment committee reported in the
Senate bill for reducing the expenses.
The bill provides for reducing the salary of
the Governor from $4,000 to 81 600; Of the
Lieutenant Governor. irom 81, 500 to
$1,000: of the Councillors, from 81 200 to
$500; of the Governors secretary, from
S2,500 to 81 500; Of the Governors mes
senger, from 81 ,000 to $500 of the mem
bers of the Legislature, from $3.50 per day
to 81 80 per DAY of the Sergeant
alarms, from So 900 to $4,000, and other
salaries correspondingly. The bill received
the signatures of ull the mombers of the
committee, excepting Senator French, the
Essex Butlertc, who alone demanded that
legislators should receive Only $3.50 per
day for their services. II the bill is passed.
and no Senator or Representative can vote
against it without entirely overlooking the
wishes of his constituents, It will 60 into
effect immediately, excepting the part that
relates to the Governor salary, which will
90 into effect ut the close Of the political
year and the total saving 10 the State as
compared with last years expenses, will he
S69.792.
1t is interesting to trace the rise and fall in
salaries of legislative and executive officers.
Very rarely have they kept pace with the
rise and fall in market prices. In some eases,
the Sergcant-at-Arms. for instance sal
aries have been increased ard dlmlni ihed
by the mere caprice Of legislatures. From
1880 to 1857 members Of the Legislature
received 81 90 per day and mileage, amount
ing to one dollar for every five miles travelled
in going home once in each session. In 1858
a bill was passed fixing the salary OF mem-
berd at $500 fer the session, regardless OF
length, and the mileage remained the same
as before. In 1865 this bill was repealed ard
no law was substituted Elch Legislature
simply voted for itself such pay as it
wanted. Tne members received S4.O0 per
day in 1856 and from 1867 to 1870 inclu-
siye, they received 50 90 per day. From
1871 to 1876 inclusive they received by fix
cd law, 81 50 per day As might be expec,-
ed, this was the period Of long legislative
sessions. Members came early in the
season Us possible and remained as long as
the Winter attractions Of city life lasted. |
Often, indeed the session was prOtracted
far in the Summer, and for no earthly rea-
son except that the members found the cool |
breezes ON Beacon Hill pleasanter than the
stliing air of the workshop, the meadow.