New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-02


that il deals After describing the use made by
Wagncr of three melodc themes in the instrumental
Introduction. and their supposed connection
with the Holy Grail and It's mystery, nc It"cS
writer .u.ns IN his general impression as follows
4Thc first act Of Parsifal certainly does not show
my dimiuutioG of the peculiar power which has
piyeu rs composer a unique position among the
representatives of modern music. His melody Is as
broad and beautiful as ever and is connection with
tI,. action of the drama is that of an lnSepaTahe
oreuisIu. and ali hOugh Wagner here rs elsewhere.
discard, the clnons OF the od-taSnoncd opera, hS
shows his mastery Ofthat higher form OF mU%cu
structure Which he himself has created"
MADAME PATTI IN CINCINNATI
OfaU the teapot tempests which have troubled
the musical waters of Cincinnati during the past
three y,al, the most ridiculous was that caused by
the coming of Madame Patti. Shortly after she AZ
rived IN New-York a rivalry sprang up between the
College ol Music and the Festival Ass iation as to
which should secure her for a FIRST appearance III
Cincinnati The College wanted her for that sin
Cular thing which it calls Opera Festival;
the Festival Association wanted her for the Christ
mas performance of " The Messiah which was given
last Wednesday evening The Festival Association
succeeded In closing contract with her uhdei
which a ma thcmaucal critic has computed, she was
paid $50 Tor each note sung. Immediately that this
became Known the newspaper organ of the COLLEGE
OF Music began to beltue the ability
of the SINGER 1t was said that she
had come over in her artistic decline; her voice " rs
gone and she could not sing oraioro anyhow. few
weeks clap ed and the president of the college came
70 Ncv-Yors and made verbal agreement with
MI Abb,y under which her Cincinnati concerts n
February are 10 be under the auspices Of the college
Mr. ALlcy stipulated that nothing in the
arrang.mcut should DO permitted to
prcjudic. Madame PATHS first appearance,
and il was agreed that the second engagement
Should not Be divulged until five days after the
"Meslah' performance. Despite tlns condition.
however an announcement was made IN The In
qvircr 10 the effect that Madame Patti would surely
sin, IN opera at the Opera Festival. Denlais and
reas-crtiou, filed columns of the newspapers Tor
the following weeks up 10 the sale of seats Tor
the N-s,iyh concert which, nevertheless, yielded
an extraordinary sum-morc than 9Io,uOO W 'ch
Pat came TO the city she was Immediately
bounced upon by the " interviewer" All asked
her the same question about the February engage
ment Ga-et'e and Commercial agreed IN saying that
her reply WIS 10 the effect that she would sing III
Cincinnati IN February, but whether in opera or
concert depended on Mr.. Abbey. Tie Enquirer
alone said that she replied that she would
sing in the Opera Festival and in an
entire opera Further down the column, however
came the singular statement that she II d sad she
would not sing with Mapcs',n for million dollars.
On Friday "a contract between the college and MI.
Abbey was signed, but the controversy IS stllrag-
ing as To ;c character of her performance when she
return The Messiah" concert added a
new element to the trouble. Her singing was
q disappointment, the critics said, though
exactly what allied 1t does not appear. Only one,
thing is cyident-she did not sing enough, giving
only the TWO airs Rejoice Greatly and Il Know
That Ny kedcemer Llveth,' aud the four recitatves
that follow the pastoral symphony. "On this ac-
count, says The Gazette Iii necessary 10 omit
many OF he soprano arIaS and chorus parts which
are usually sung The criticisms spsci- |
mems Accorlingt to The Gazette she was unfamiliar
with tle music and felt her through the score !
This became more apparent in the Subsequent aria |
"Rejo Greatly" The part is not easy, and abOuuds
f. long are -oa of sixteenths, with which must
be perfectly fam liar order sing them well In the
FIRST long which Patti encountered she inceniousy !
Blurred several notes, or swallowed them, but she man
hgrd 70 o.m" in again with the orchestra Oh the last
bar This defect Of unfaHiliary noticeable through
out nor was u reucdled by the closing baIs or the aria
OF Ike Patti may be allowed the privilege
OF changing tine text TO suit the voice or OF mtepolang
mite ciaht hSlinents mere ara tlere Tor ue sake oil
flourish there j. 10 objection found here against TINS
practice, and hence 10 fault could be found IN the diva,
Il Introduced tim the close, which is not in the
when abe did this. she might have executed it
aIttc more artisticaly.
The Commercial is more poctical II says:
Thc frs impression made BY the Attlc recatives, and
tyeA by tie ana Dice Greatly was disappointment
One felt ule'taly That somehow" despite every en0rt to
BE- capyatnd, there was lack IL seems HHe htrtSy
think Of IA Sc luiCuatOu Yet narrowing doubt
would fore" lSeH In. 40 We ara went on however,
there peiccptbe clariacauon anu the beautiful.
geonc Of The Steclcut phrases began to be revealed
~ mechanism OF execution never heard here before.
This is how the "mgh sharp in tie closing
phrase Of the other aria and trl affected The
Commercials critic:
She held il for moment with quality OF pure,
bquid tender be forgotten by those
who heard J., and never 10 be Imagined by those who
bot merely reached, but kept to the end II NAV seem
bike peiaatr or merely Intellectual delight in scientific
Itucmbcr tnat the heavens OF poetic feeling never
Che lev mountain tops science it with the sunset
srd better acquainted with the soul of the rainbow
tA thc humber heads OF tie nils. however green.
As for Tie inquirer 1t was SO OyeriOWeTed that IL
Iosi all ,ynse oil consistency. rs see:
Luousb WAS heard her Sill gng to convince 10 that
6atou' music Is not her fort In opera she Is uudOuoJ
ely perfect She certainly has perception ~ Handles
great work, hut she II not by nature 0rauatlc singer
40 Was probably impossible lOI her 10 forget that
l0t .iy tr tie last NOTES ~ The beautiful aria
Know That Ny Erdcemer LIyCtA." IL evident that
10 show s qualities, and that all the time she
Ug This aI she Was restraining herself There was
til number, bIl tr has nothing Of religious f.rvOr
within it, NO position 10 her can bee more tr,ug than
dramatic singer, and an utr tuumphH have been won
upon I'd, BOARD, ol The opera But how great au artst
Expectation Of her iu oratorO was fulfilled, bUt more.
Tie saddcst note of al remains 10 be sounded. |
Hadamc PATTI being thus criticised at once found q |
grievance ANA ID Wae tCltgIabh'Q 10 NeW-l ORR.
bliss AZ, led the stage aud sat in her
Chan AMI blI. Thomas "tOOk the ucInpO of one OF
ihe ans 90 last. She told "a reporter ali about it
Arriving Il the stage door, founa Miss Cary there
~" ue 'tAtf sOolsis Much to nay surprise, l. was
b-lE Discus "a who shOuld 20 first expected that
soue one h alibouy-hr Pendeton. the president, fCr
% ""ul present me 10 The audience, ana While
-. .'i e.tt hardly knowing what 10 DO Mr.. WItuey .
ZOE Nls' cary by The hanG and walked on the stage
assure ou was asOulshed Mr.. Thomas said
stulLb ABOUT my gong next and took hand. q