New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-03
MJTSIC AND THE DRAMA.


The italian operas which were popular tWen' i
thirty years ago, and which continue 10 hoiu w
.tace. may with one or two exceptions, De salu -
belong To enc of two classes The first consists Oh
those works which have long since won rish' ~ a.
Memorable retirement by long and arduous soi'ioo
INT are still kept in active employment 10 'n9
oret Of the public The other comprises those Wio"
ore for the most part left in idleness but WINCH
o,oo in a ,Sbile brought out for the Denen' VI
asnirina singers TO serve as usn'-.0'''
r-h;oh tbav NAV display then No'"i
ABILITY or as spirometers on Which ny -
demonstrate their lung power. 10 'his h'''i ~
dition has "II Troyatore come al i"s''
lacbrvmose LeoROra, the wicked gypsy VIZ
"mixed those babies up, the ooii'i'"'
tenor and the sardOnic baritone are ho'
49,, :, r,,1l;c nowadays. Only occasionally. when
there comes a tenor with an exceptional cnesV anu
veil 6eveloped high c. is the old score taken down
f,om the shelves and the dust brushed off, and the
pblc has a chance TO see what sort of character
II was of whom Owen Meredith Wrote
that he could "SoOthe with a tenor ho,e
the souls in purgatOry." Last night tn's
onera of Verdi's was resuscitated for the oehoo ="
M. Henri Provost, q tenor who chose III lor HIS i'
anpearapce before this public NJ. freVoSI Is
very young singer who was, last eVehins' io'.i"i
able for two things one OF them extreme M
perience, the other voice OF eAoep'io"1
character As to the latter, Is VI
great range of even timbre from one emu " .no
other clear and resonant not OF a dlsagreoapio
oualty, and of considerable power. WIN 10"
wears of proper training he would douotleSS w
,naae an excellent artist As it is, he knows
almost nothing at all OF shs'ns' ~
rroner seose of the word. He phrases
bad his delivery is faulty he vociferates, he has
no repose and he appears to aim to be successl ny
Of he
careful and finished work. 1t must be cohleSSeu
tb.t last night he gained his poih''
e. +bongb two of his best songs,
tbo serenade and the "Ah! che la mof'e'
fell perfectly flat the D quella pira III "hol ~
delivered the famous high with sup TO lorce az"
rIoornoss created the widest enthusiasm. Inc
bnse fairly rose at him. and the song had TO be re-
heated II was all very pretty. hut 1t Is not good i
IN make the success Of whole evening"
work deuend on the delivery OF slhgie hote' ."
far as last nights performance went II proved ina
Mr.. Mapleson has in NJ. Provost an artist Who WIZ
hn rsofnI IN the production of such operas as will
lam Tell" which need high tenor; ana 1t also
nroyed that the new singer sadly in need OF learn
ing how 70 Sng.
Miss Minnie Hanks impersonation of Leoaofa was
one Of the most dramatic performances that mas
been seen on this stage in many long day. She
sobbed. She painted. She moaned. She
vrithed In short, she was utterly Voc
beeone Her mental agitation seemed 70
have extended to her singing, and she did some vo-
ealization which was astonishing and entirely
original cha ging the quality OF her voice for III
stance. four times in one run Of about ten notes.
Clearly. LeoRora is not ole OF her best paris
Mile Kalas, the AEucena, was stu more
unfortunate The music is too low for her voice.
which is not contralto at all, and at times SHE
was Quite inaudibe, as in the "Strida La yampa.
Dramatically. her rendering of the part was new III
design and not a bttle amusing. We have had 40
AzHccpd ike ner.
The artistic success of the evening belonged 10
Galassi and magnificent success it was. His noble
voice and firm, dignifed style stood like rock
against which all the o hers could tntter and beat
without disturbing it, His rendering OF III Baien
was a model of refinement of elegance ana
of sentiment. Ii was not only incomparabiy
the hest thing of the evening but almost the
only thing except the work OF the orchestra ana
cbCrns which was good at all. The chorus CON
Times to show the improvement which mas been
evident in the last few performances and ~ rs now
clear that SignOr Ardit has gotten i well IN hahd
~ last There has been very little fault to lind with
the orchestra at any time.