New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-21
THE CINCINNATI FESTIVAL.

EXTRAORDINARY PREPARATIONS FOR WEEK OF
oPERA-rHE STAGE, THE SINGERS AND THE PRO-
GRAMMR.
CINCINNATI, Feb. 1S.-The Opera Festival which
opens in the Springer Music Hall Monday evening
under the management Of the College of Music and
Colonel Mapeson. is an assured success financially
and Will not lack IN notable features from musical
point OF view. The seats are all sOd aud those in
the best portions of the hall at very generous pre-
mums Two or three hundred which have fallen
into the hands of spectators are beng taken by the
late corners at 50 and upward. The stage, which
has accommodated with ease the great choruses
that have such wide renOwn at the May Mus-
cal Festivals. has been entirely transformed and
made TO serve the purposes of the opera in an adj
mrabe manner. Tiers of proscenium boxes, capable
of seating from ten to twenty persons each, and
with openings upon the stage and toward the audi
ence, have been built on either side of tue stage
and, aided by rich enumeration. will serve to
grace the singers. which the management can be
D. rloned for tcrming magnificent. The drop cur
tam - the work of Mr.. John Retug, young artist
of this city of decided genius. aud SIR. Charles Fox.
of Her Majcsty's Opera Company, and the preplra
ton Of he scenery has been IN equally good hands
The operas TO be given are "Lohengrln" on
Monday night, E" II FlAuto MagcO' on Tuesday
night "Meiistoele" on Wednesday night, Lucia" 10
be followed By selections from ROssinrs Moses in
Egyutp on Thursday night, AIDA" on Friday
night LA SonnamDua" Saturday afternoon, and
"Faust" SatnrdI ~ evening. The principal singers
Will DO Canapanui, Ravelli. Antonio Faentni.
Galass Giuseppe del Puentc, Franco Novarlo,
Etelka Gerster Alwina Valera, Annie Louise Cary,
Anna de Belocca and Marie l.. Swift. The orchestra
will consist of 100 pieces. and tho chorus will be
made up of the regular chorus Of Her Majestys
Opera Company. strengthened by the Cincinnati
Maennerchor. the Cincinnati Choral the Germania
Maennerchnr, the Welsh Choral and the College
choir. he muNca directors are Sig. Luigi, Ardti,
Otto Singer and Max Marctz X.
here IL no doubt that tho College or Music ana
Colonel MaplrsOn have here the material and OppOr-
tunltV for presenting opera with mdgnliicencc ana
br.lllancy seldom If ever before attained III this
country The hall and stage and the great organ
furnish facilities nowhere else at command. The
80 usis are OF the BEST ana the chorus, by general
consent, - without All equal.
1t Is the purpose to MAKE the present the first OF
series OF regularly recurring opera festivals. The
design was daring a:Id there have been UNEXPECTED
difficulties III tie tx, cutlOn Win Colonel George
Ward Nichols as the protector and head OF the en-
terprise, opposition was encountered, hrst from tue
ilcton OF musicians WHO stood by Theodore hOmas
while here, ana VINO nave $ en- nothing but musical
deCadence since his departure and LATER nom the
clergy aud small religious tOliOwng.w who regard the
opera ~ an agent OF the Evil One But the sale OT
seats has shown that the people approve the enter
PRISE aud arc willing to pay literally cor tho prv
Irge of hearing the wOra5 OF the masters under cir
CumstauCes 50 favorable.