, 1881-12-18
A Brief Review Of the Alb
bott-English Opera
Season.
Close Of the Engagement Of the
Melville Company, at
Hayer}y's.
Four Very Important Concerts
During the Week to f..
Come.
Notes and News Concerning n1u-
sfcal> Matters in Chi
Emma Abbott nj tho" Grand Opera
EfnltHe.

N<lEOs
Emma Abbott II, tho Grand Opera
House.
The Emma Abbott Grand English Qper
Company "-iI is $50 nominated in tn
bond have been giving week of E,glIs
opera at this house, and lave not done eitte
Il very large or a very profitable business
For this We believe the company have III
sl.e but themselves to blame, and we llav
during the week commented at some lengtl
upon their different performances and point
cd ont their weak points as well as thei
strong ones. 1t is unnecessary 10 repeal
what We have already said. To have sait
less would have been to do an injustice tt
really 1irst-ciass organizations. TO have sale
more would have been to unnecessarily
wound some apparently very sensitive pen
pie It has long been curious problem tt
account for the fulsome notices, the
unqualified praise, the extravagaut eu'
1ogies bestowed upon this comblna.
iion in other places. The faults oi
its leading members are 10 new discoveries.
They have been patent for years, and yet the
company have had full measure Of success
in their different seasons financially, and
have nearly everywhere been greeted with
Al amount of praise and 1audatory comment
which every musician knew to be as unwar-
rantcd as it vas unaccountab}e. This mys-
terry is To certain extent no longer IN I'M
solved problem. But Its solution is not to
the credit Of the managers Of this co.nbina-
tion. IT. does not travel on its merits, but on
the ability of its advance agents. And that
ability il not Of the highest OF mos. CON-
lnendable kind Unless the management are
careful, their present agent will find himself
Some day very suddenly at the foot of long
flight at stairs without any very clear idea
as to how he got there. When sober, we be-
lleyc he claims to be a Washington jour
nalist; when In tile q opposit condition.
he is the agent of the combin alton,
and it will not do to disayow responsibility
for his actions and then to enjoy the benefits
in some cases resulting from them.
THE Tribune has today, as it always has
had. sincere admiration fur Miss -Abbott's
energy, industry, conscientious study. and
devotion to her art To criticse the quality
Of i,er voice or the method Of ner action is
no reflection on the hard-wcrking little lady,
but is duty imposed upon the critic by his
position. Her very Clergy is to some eyteut
the cause Of her own vocal shortcomings
She wears out her voice, and, instead of only
appearing two or three times week in the
best pieces IN her repetoire, alternating with
another singer, she insists on performing
nearly every night In operas for which she
Is NOT. as well as those for which sshe is,
l.iapted. Possibly her company is all ex-
peusivc enc II ought not TO be. But even
in that case 1T would be a much
more profitable one if it cost more.
With three or four exceptions, it
is a remarkably inferior organization for the
TDlI; 1t tries IT, do. And Yet it must be judged /
y the stn1!dard 0f the work attempted and
1one. Alls2 Abb0tt's voice has been highly
cultivated. but is after all thin, with some
good notes, capable Of considerable eXtcu~
body and Tnu"uness. and does not possess 1
the Necessary strength for trying work. so
that WHEN forced 1t loses all sweetness. Mr..
Castle Il great only by the memory ct what
wear. although his upper notes are clear, if !
not strong. Mr.. Appteby is neither singer
nor actor. Mr.. Comfy is both fine singer
and good actoI ME. ol!nF is Only q fair |
basso, and Mr. Stoddard very uneven in his |
t1osewald made a pleasant impression. The !
former is light contratto, and the latter Il t
soprano with difficulty Of enuncia-
lion [ion' and and -, rather hard method.
aye1aee. Chorus sax and orchestra ] were we're" weak s
siyen while here Era Diavolo," "Cllimrs
# Normandy" Bohemian Giri.'' Mari
ana :1a', "Mart!Ia, :" :" LUCIA di Lammernioor;"
Lucia :" Miss Abbntt was seen to the best
ldxan,agc. and in ''Fra Diavolo ~ to tie least.
NTH all Kindness to the prina donna, it is
IMPOSSIBLE to commend hcr present organfza-
ion or its work, and certainly fair criticism
S more to be desired thai, the sarcastic praise
adopted by at least one critic. There il no
reason why Miss 4 hpalt should be considered /
Exempt fr0H criticism or ua,inting out her de-
ects OF voice he regarded as iconoclastic.
With last nights performance of Madame
'avart" tile Esnelie Melville opera company
ndcd what hns been a very successful two
weeks engagement During the first week
The Royal MILDLY" was given every even
ng and at the Saturday matinee, and 1.-The
'lrates Of Penzance" at the "Wednesday mat
nee. Last week, "Patience" was given
hree times, "BeIls of Cornevilie II twice.
Boccaccio' twice. and MADAME Fayartn
nee OF these ''Boccaccio" was the most
accessful, and with some pruning might
ave run longer. In the opera given last
light Mr. Freeman as Fauart and Miss Mel
lille as Nine. furdrt gave some exceI!cnt
]
cry acceptable. The performance TN the
hole was a fair one, although mt
quail to the one< by the CONFEDERATION
ompary. We understand that this
,mpany will give "Patience and "plna-
're" at Central Music-Hall during Christ
las week. We have SO often commended
ie performances Of this organization that 1t
unnecessary to dwell upon tntir merits
Eaiii. Every member strives to do his or
er best at all times, and the company.works
'gcther not fur the aggrandization of any
enlber, but for the best combined preseu-
tion OF the work on which they are ell .
aged. There are NO remarkable yoices i'll !
!e cnnpany, but many ulat are acceptable |
:. Macreery has u pleasing tenor, and Miss | !
ost y: fair s0pranu, while Miss Melville I
ms with life and spirit which atone Tor
.iicicncies Of voice. Mr.. Freeman is a ,
lpital actor. and Mr.. C:sselti has good. |
itnIal voice without much cultivation, But