New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-21
MUSIC IN LONDON.
AMERICAN ARTISTS ABROAD.


.ners in vain for far account OF the first appear
arco Of a Cerman-Ameriean LObeRGriR, who won the
o,bor night at Her Majesty's Theatre substantial
;f not q reallv brilliant success. Some OF the best
cr;,ics seem 70 have neglected the performance
oltother; other writer's in the press dismissed II
with a few words Of careless compliment. II was ID
fact persouatIon of remarkable merit; ana u MI
William Candidus can do other things as wei as lie
does This. he rs an artist whom any manager ought
"a he glad 70 secure. Those who remember nm a. nv
used 10 be in New-YOrk with ringing voice anu
no STYLE Will find it difficult to realize how great
change has come over him. His voice mas grow"
firm. flexible, and sympathetic Ihere Is pe'n"P'
NO tepov now ON the stage in London, except Fan
CELL. whose tones so even ana so pure. lnen
have none of the throatiuess characteristic OF
carn..r s,nyers: and indeed Mr.. CaDdidus appears
70 have formed his style in the true Italian rather
than the German school. he sang Loheagrin WIN
only one piano rehearsal and the slight constralnt
observable in his acting was probably attnbutahie
in mart to nervousness Certainly the SITUATION Was
n irving one He came forward, almost unprepared'
in one OF the most conspicuous ana e1acuhg ol
rules side by side with Of the most renowned OF
FIsas before a vast and brilliant audience (which
,pclnded the Prince and Princess of Waiesh ana
uDder the eve of a conductor who notorlousN
dislikes L0hengrin and who. must say-wlth all
difference TO Sr Michael NbSJdS tuiAitfN dbiiltlNo
in other respects-dOes not know how to direct 1t.
Mr. Canddus moreover labors under the double dis
advantage for an Italian opera-singer in London
Of beng an American and being German. The
Rri+1sb metropolis does not believe in German
,o,ces or American art: Sir Michael Costa, regret
IN say. regards our beloved country with horror.
That Nr Canddus should have succeeded In the
face Of 80 many unfavorable circumstances IS sig
nal proof Of merit. He bore himself nobly; ne
,ctad with little too much stiffness, but with in
telhgence and an obvious sense OF the
picturesque; and If his delivery OF the
music was now and then lacking IN fer
vor. il was nevertheless careful and poeuc'
In the long and romantic monologue Of the last act.
"Da Vol loutan." etc.. wherein LoAengr" dl>cioseS
his name and rink, Mr.. Caudidus produced an adj
mirable effect by the elegance Of his phrasing and
the purity and steadiness of his enunciatlon. lie
has not the dramatic intensity of CanpanIni IN this
stirring passage. but be makes Of it a beautiful
piece of singing.
IawaIted the appearance Of Nilsson in the role of
Elsa that night with peculiar interest. because /
have heard great deal lately about the alleged de-
cav of her powers. If / am to judge from single
performance. I must say that these stories are
grossly exaggerated. No doubt she has lost some
thing: she had lost little before she left America;
b,rfa.e is somewhat thinner than il was; her voice
| Ii
tmuared. The first and sweetest IF our EIsqs Is
inst what we remember four OF five years ago,
he most fascinating and ethereal OF modern operate
creations. The Ortradq of this representation was
Mile TremeIH cuntraltO Of the second rank, and
the Tsr0m0ndo was sig. Galassi. Taken altogether
the performance was by no means equal TO that
which SIR. Muzio gave Us during the Strakosch
season Ina New York. Sir Michael Costa led
his dHe orchestra of seventy eighty men with an
evident dsrelish Of the whole business and with no
sort regard for the nuauces Of expression, without
which a Wagner opera is little better than a bur
lesoue The sunrise scene in the castle court, and
the military march and assembling Of the knights
IN the last act. were ruined Just they were dur
ing the Allrlessl season in New-YorSl by mutlla-
lions which destroyed their very character. The
1-e on scene was abOut az we have had IL at home.
errept that the ucrsonaces on the stage were more
numerous. and they were c0sJumed and grouped
with kccuer eve for the effect Of color The stage
mauaaer ut Her Majssty's present IS the same Sig
Dubreul who has filed that part at the New-lork
Academy o. Music for many more years than ike
toreweljer. Tho common stock operas, at both
houses iu London, are yU- cGeapiy and carelessiy
noun eel.
lis understood here that neither Mapleson nor
the eyes VIII find much profit n the current season.
all enterprises being unfsvorably affected by the
depression ID trade and the Respondent feeling in
society: but whenever 1 hava CHANGED 10 visit
either establishment have seen large audience
Nine. 0srsfer. who Is a universal tavorlte even
with Pi.d and Nilsson 10 divide the honors.
trumphs still as Lucia and 4mi1a, and ElrirG. and
tie performance Of Djgorab. in which she per-
s0na.gd be distracted heroine last week, was one Of
the best representations Of an opera shat have seen
in London. In this work SIR Michael Costa showed
what be can stll do with orchestra. The cast
T... 49, Til
Nothing could have been more delicate OF more
wiu1nr than Nine Gerster,s rendering of the
Shadow ny. The fascination which she exerted so
strongly In America is 30 less marked on this
eraBHer stage ana among these brilliant and excit-
ing scenes. Miss Hauk. apparently prosperous and
conteuts9, sings " Carmen" at least once a week.
The chief novelty of Dir. MaVlesOns season Is the
production of Aida for the first time at his thea
ire though not for the first time IN London. He
has prepared IL as grand spectacle, with superb
scenery painted by the same artist, signor Mag
Iaui, who made it for the Khedlve when ii was
originally produced in Cairo-with brilliant dresses,
elaborate properties, a good ballet, and multitude
of people for the PROFESSIONS ETC. II Is in this work
that Miss kellogg has presented hersefor tine first
time i'm many years-to a London audience. You do
hot need to be told how she sings the part Of the en-
shaved princess for she has been heard recently IN
the same characterlu New-YCrs. and l need not
quote the complimentary notices of the London
press for You have no doubt seen them. One I'M
pOrtant journal remarked that on the first nghtshe
was apparently somewhat affected By nervousness,
which made her voice seem TOO weak for the
house bat that in the second performance she did
much better. 1t was a kindly observation, but un-
fortunately when il was published the second per
fornance had not yet taken place. To me- Miss Kel-
loegs voice in London seemed quite strong as IN
New-York Campanini, when heard " Aida last
--ool- .-as NOT at bis best. and the An.Maria of