The Portland daily press., 1881-01-29

throng of visitors to Florence. Considerin
what an exodus took place in early Summe
from New York the number of Americans i
surprisingly small. But that may be becaus
so many have gone directly to Rome withou
breaking the journey here, as was necessar,
before the present system of train connection
came into force. Formerly the tourist sough
first the City of Flowers in his migration
southward from northern winds and Alpin,
snow, but now it is reserved more often fo
the homeward journey when the mists O
Springtime make Rome hot and unhealthy
Naturally the resident artists notice this de
crease in the number of their visiting country
men, for none come to Florence without max
ing the tour among the workers in clay and
color. This falling off is the more to be re-
GREETED since just now there is so much of in.
terest in the studios of our American sculptors
Ball is putting up large group representing
Chrlst rebuklng the disciples when they ask
him who shall be greatest in the kingdom Of
heaven. st. Luke says: "He took little
child and set him in the midst of them" The
beauty OF the work consists in the admirable
blending of tenderness end severity in the
look and attitude of our Lord. Mead-as ey-
eryoody knows-has been for the past few
years almost wholly engaged on works of a
pubic and national character, and those who
admire the colossal in art make frequent visits
10 his studio. His latest works are a model of
an immense statue representing the Mississip-
pl river, and a relieve of the Washington
monument OF "The Surrender of Cornwallis." !"
Among other beautiful things is a marble copy
much reduced-of the "Snow Angelo which
appeared to the startled inhabitants of Brattle-
boro', Vermont, one New Years morning
more than twenty years ago, and awakened
them to recognition of the genius they had
| unsuspectingly harbored. Turner'S studio
presents several gems of beauty His Fisher
mans Daughter" little bare-footed maiden
with flowing hair and garments futterng in
the wind, looking with shaded eyes in search
| OF her fathers boat, is full of life and charac-
| ter.
Spirit and animation are characteristic of Tur
ner's work. He has another fine thing, "Sa-
brina, the Water Nymph," not yet cut in mar
Die, which in design is graceful and unique.
This season thu extremes of the American con-
tinent have combined to furnish subjects for
the admiration of Florence and its visitors.
California and Maine are sharing together
the highest hOnors in music and in art here in
the very home of song and sculpture. While
Thaxter's Loves first dream" is the theme of
every friend OF art who has been allowed to see
1t, and compels the general admission that it
IS the finest ideal statue ever seen i'll Florence,
Miss Emma Neveda has achieved UNPARALLELED
success in the most select as we'll as in
| the m nonnior
the work OF the former, it is impossible to aid
anything to Mr.. James jackson Jarvess accu-
rate description in his letter to the New York
| Times published i'll the Press of Nov. Doth
Inc very high praise there given it might
seem almost extravagant but know that it
| represents the common judgment of artist and
amateur alike. without regard to national
preIudlce or opposing interest, and must be
| considered the exponent of all competent criti-
clsm In about a month it will be ready for
casting, and when this product of a years up-
interrupted labor. which has already made for
the artist name both here and at home. is
onered 10 the world. it will give Thaxter the
recognized leadership in the school of modern
sculpture, the characteristics of which Mr..
Jarves SO clearly and hopefully portrays The
burden OF bringing his first important work to
successful completion and of realizing the
! high hopes of his friends naturally weighs
somewhat upon the young artist, but fortu-
nately he has the robust constitution and
| physical vigor which so much mental activity
demands for its healthy continuance. Mr..
Ihaxter has just sold his "Reproot''-a choice
DIT OF genre finished about a year ago, to
Sypher & Co. of New York, and when it is
placed on exhibition in their gallery it is hoped
it may be the means of bringing his later and
more mature pro duction to the country where
it rightfully belongs.
The enthusiasm of musical Florence for
Miss Emma Wixon Emma Neveda) is some
thing quite unheard of. She made her first
appearance at the aristocratic Niccolini Thea
ire ABOUT five weeks ago, and was received
with much favor during her five representa-
tions OF La Somnambula. On Christmas night
she appeared IN the same opera at the Pagli-
ano]the third largest opera house in the
werld-and eminently the peoples theatre''
in Florence. 1t was stormy night, but five
thousand people came to hear the American
prima donna, the floor and the three upper
galleries being. densely packed. A more mu-
Sical and merciless audience it would be hard to
ma. A Elorentlne OF the lower class NAV not
have enough to keep him comfortably warm and
may nave to supplement- his scanty subsistence
| Dy at least one daily meal at the 'sun restau-
rant" or the Lungarno, but he is sure to find
tne Wherewlthal to purchase place in the
| upper gallery of the Pagliano whenever a new
attraction is offered or new favorite reap
| pears. The result is that having heard them
| from their youth up they are familiar with
| every note and word of the principal operas
from beginning to end, and woe to the luck
less de6utdnte who fails in either important
particular, for they are as pitiless as their Ro-
man ancestors! In fact it is the custom of the
| Florentine populace to indicate its modest dis
| approval by tearing up chairs and benches
| whenever anything goes wrong! Correspond
| lngly, success at the Pagliano ensures success
| everywhere else, except perhaps at the
Scala in Milan. where applause or the
reverse is very largely matter of contract,
or can he made so.
| On the evening of the principal holiday of
| the year those friends of Miss Nevada's who
feared that the immense auditorium might
prove too much for voice not yet matured,
| awaited her appearance with little apprehen-
slon But such anxiety was wholly unnecessa-
| ry. The first notes of the beautiful "Come
| per me serene" hoated through the expectant
stiffness of the great interior as clear and
rich as the tones of silver bell, penetrating
easily to the farthest recesses of the sixth gal
lery, and when it was finished the audience
gave vent to their delight in heaaty and long
continued applause, and would not allow the
piece to go on until she had sung the passa ge
second time. AT the close of the rondo "Ah!
non guinge," exquisitey rendered, there fol-
lowed demonstration such as the Pagliano
had not seen for twenty years. In response to
| repeated demands she sang the rondo again.
but one appearance was not enough, and with
| every fresh recall the enthusiasm was redoub-
| led.
From galleries and boxes came perfect
storm of ''bravas!'' and ''bravissimas!" with
cloud of flying handkerchiefs, while the floor
semed only confused mass of waving hats,
umbrellas, and flags improvised from canes
and scarfs! The crowd forced their way in
side the orchestra railing even to the edge of
the stage, and shouted their ''bravas!" over
the footlights. Only threatened extinction
| OF the gaslight put an end to this unusual
| scene, and left the little American to rest in
the happy consciousness of triumph such as
Florence has not accorded to any artistic for
many years. Neither Patti nor Alban were
| received with so much enthusiasm.
| The object of all this adulation is a young
lady yet in her teens with a sweet face and
charming manners, whose good sense is in no.
wise disturbed by her remarkable success,-in
| short, an American girl of the best and truest
| type. She is the laughter of Dr.. Wixon of
| Austin, Nevada, gentleman of abunda nt
| wealth. who, having consented reluctantly to
her intense desire to sing in opera, wisely gives
her care and business affairs his personal at
| tention, having been her constant companion
| since her debut at Her Maiesty's Theatre in