Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-11-25
THE OPERA.
An American Objection TO Foreign
OpeIa-No "Going II BIind''-.Marie
Hoze ana the Great International
Opera Company.


Opera Company.
Special Correspondence OF State Journal
Boston Nov 29-The ..season OF
English opefa' at fbr Giobe Is quite the
boom IT the present and pas. weeks.
Messfs s'fakaseh q Hess haze Established
malnuioth attraction ia tuis has win o
very big company a very full repertoire
OF the mest popular operas all done into
excellent English, and iIss OF talent"
which, both as to numbsr AID dnalisy,
must ensure them successful seaeon.
1t is undoubtedly the fact That very lew
OF our country people have tyer really en-
j9yeu opera, aud they are only those who
have made II special study. But the
great majority OF Amsrioaos do love good
mpsie as music, noI are they unapprscia-
tive OF the merits of TIE dramatic art.
providing always that they know what it
10 all about But they have an intense
dislike 10 going it blind" which Is what
they aase to do when listening 10 Italian
opera. In Italy, every nute OF all the
familiar operas are Known by heart, TO
every little begsar ard peasant onild
They have them III lieu of their A b o.,
and hence it 10 thai Italian audiences are
such every artist must at once iong tor
and dread. Every good point made is
recognized on the Instant aud warmly re
| ceived, while ever 30 slight miss is met
with equal promptness By these
sym pathetic people But here it
is dlscoursging work alike 10 sing
and TO listen, when not one out of n
thousand understands the language, and
where tue only medium of communications
between stage aud auditorium Ia the uu-
satisfactory one Of psntouimu ot this
worse one of the lbretto, by studying
which poorly written and III printed
translation. one looses all the acting and
facial expression. OF course, one soon
learns the outline of the story of the nom
familiar operas, and these horrible little
sbooks OF the OPP, e-rar" are discarded, and
Que leans back in his seat and tries to look
AZ though he understood Italian equally
with his mother tongue But there ~
precious little satisfaction in the humbng
which in reality humbugs nobody, after
all. Everybody who has listened 10
Italian opera within his heart--agree
with me in this, unless perchance he be
| genuine musical enthusiast, with whom the
sweet sounds and grand harmonies alone
| fill every ysarning Of his soul.
| But the mass are unreasonable enough
to want something more thao the liuslc.
They want the whole meaning of the
thing, in all its phases, aud they appre-
oiate and will support English opera with
out doubt. Or course English opera is
very far from being new thing but
there is great room for more of it. Clara
Louisa Kellogg Emma Abbott AID others,
have done much towards its introuoctlou
and Strakosch Il Hess are following it up
with new operas that have never before, /
believe, been given in English, such a.
Carmen" Fra Diavolo," &c. Win IL
few years more of cultivation OF tue
public taste" in this way, we shall doubt
less become quite an operate nation
with, must add, the additional item of u
reduction of the price of tickets to popu-
lar rates.
The chief prima- donna of the Great
international Opera Company" (wha.
resounding titles they do take y is Mime.
Marie Roze, and when one remembers the
thrilling tales OF the deadly Jealousy which
used TO rend the bosoms OF Kellogg,
Gary and Roz4, when they formed tn
trio Of attraction three and four years "
(and which served such good purpose, 10y
the-way in advertising the company Que
can but think that there must be- nuppi-
Industrious husband, now that she ia uu.
questiouably the prima prima-donna oi
the company. Inc husband, AZ you
doubtless know. MIR. Editor, has mastered
to a degree the nics and subtle sciences o.
navigation aronnd newspaper Offices OF
getting on the "blind side of 'tcritles
and of popping in just at the luck.es
moment with short but telling Items wh,ct
always 60, somehow, to the credit al hn
talented wife.
These husbands OF great actresses ant
I prima donna4 ure interesting studies.
have always been trying to make our il
what light they really regard their petts
, halves, Ii would seem as II it were only a.
g speculation-a money making machine
but of course this may lot b. fair view
Marie RES has done fine work here
her voice is in perfect trim, her acting il
, good, and her II glish is remarkably cles
aud distinct
There are several Americans in thi
, company who are winning wel-deserVet
, laurels. Two of our country women mad
= their deidtt last week, and were recelvei
with degree of enthusiasm which mus
have delight d them, and which well 1t
pays the amount of hard work they hay
done. Ore ia a Miss Laura Schirmer, o
whose success l can only judge by tn
1 papers, for ] did moi zee her.
\ The other, Miss Abbie Darlington | di,
bear, taking especial pains to go on Satu,
day evening for that purpose, for | ha,
heard 70 much of the lady that | wa
4 really on the qui giue She is w starner
n coming | believe, from Wisconsin, but he
. musical education was gaiEed here il
Boston at the N. T.. Conservatory, wher
s she studied some years, and then Wen
abroad to continue her studies, wbc
o proved, however, to be- SO well advance
a that, after little preliminary training il
. opera business, she was gwen q debht in
4 very few months after her arrival in Italy
+, when she sang for two or three seasons
returning home about year ago, aud wit
!. some Intervening concert work-in who
n chs was excelently acknowledging int
i the study of English opera for the presen
season.
# I wish | had been able to attend o
n Friday night, when Miss Coyington mad
J. her debut here, in Fra Disvolo." 70
a here is said to have been quite al ovstio
paid to tue successful pifma donna, VIII
did herself and her training all possibl
credit, while the performance, ia ever
respect, went off successfully. On Sstui
i day evening, however, while the pria.
II donna was altogether satisfactory, an
received repeated and imperative recaill
% she had to row against the tide in th
|, person of the very stupidest and mo,
n or-striebtn clothespin of tenor til.
>, ever went before the footlights. 1t doe
n seem incompre hensible that he Shout
/. have been allowed to take such part d
Ihddeus-the opera was the "Bohemia
h Giri"-evtn though the tenor who wa
|. cast for the part did get sick, and thong
/. Mr.. Montegrffo--such is his awe-ir
re spring name-doss possess remarkabl
re sweet, tuneful, and well-traincd voice
r Or, at the very least if he must slug such
. part, he should pad his legs!
e Spch Tiny, spiudle-shanked little f.
low, with frightened, boy face, an
N gestures which were exactly al wo1d.,
s and jetBy as those of II Jumping j4cl
/ appealed to the ludicrous too strougl,
in ana ! greatly fear that the audience wer
only guying him when they recalled hii
o4ce or twice
The circumstances must have bee
feaffully trying to Miss Oarrington-wh
" had to do all the love moking-and til
ar more credit accrues 10 her, therefore, +,
the tine manner in which she carried be
a part through the evening Bot such
lis voice as hers would tell under any eircuu
~ stances. The rest of her support ",
It, excallent. .
~ Boit7's 'Mephistofelr' is to be give
ID alphabetically y new sensation.