Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1882-02-11
A Chat About Music.

Detained in St. Lou on busin sss, lsst
Saturday and Monday, we took advantage
of being there TO hesr soms nfuaic. First,
Saturday afternoon. we heard Emma Abbott
In Faust, then IN the evening wa heard the
divine Adelins, and lastly on Monday eve
ming the grand opera company OF Col.
Mspleson In Carmen. 1t 10 very rare, In
deed. that so short u visit to q city can be
filled with SO many and so notable musical
events.
Gouuod's Faust Is . grand competition,
and one OF which no lover OF music can
ever tire. While Miss Abbott's company
may scarcely deserve the title OF grand:
1t is nevertheless = very good one. The
orchestra IL sufficiently large for most pur-
poses. and Signor Tommssl has 1t We'll In
hand. This particular opera was better put
upon the stage than we had seen 1t. since
1865 when Gr.u presented 1t, at the old Pine
stree, thestsr. The seeaery was good. the
cboruses well sung and the general effects
pleasant. Abbott and her TENOR, Castle, are
not to be ranked among the highest class Of
singers, still their voices ars sweet and
musical, and their acting very nearly perfect,
~ "uSu . O. " CuPtivet1 Ill VIZ boSLAS
and to draw large houses every whore they
go. Their Paul and Virginia hiss . national
reputation, and their Faust and Marguerite
was no less spirited and lfe-like. Though
they were warmly applaudsd throughout
the play Mr.. Geo. A. Comfy, the basso, IS
Mephisto. 10 the ssrsnads song, deeidsdly
won the honors Of the occasion. We had
heard aim in the same character some years
ago when Kellogg was tho Marguerite and
Carey the Slebel aud We were surprised rs
we'll as gratihed At his great improvement.
Miss Annanuale, as Siebel, and Mr.. Stod-
dard, as Valentine, niled their places very
crsditably, the last scoring ono very decided
encore. Altogether the opera was 80 we'll
rendered that we teit Inclined TO say that We
should never again miss . good opportunity
to hear little Abbott.
Well, as to Patti. Bulwer IN his earlier
writings %assiduously taught his heroes that
the way to obtain credit for q knowledge Of
the world was always to practice the st1
admirari. The cynic's logic was good,
and no doubt were WI to exercise ths as
sumed p%rerogalive Of newspaper writers In
general and depreciate the dioe We should
receive from certain sources greater credit
for musical acumsn, but the truth Of the
business Is hat we can't do 1t. VIZ attend
expectations, as. to her voice and per-
son, and we were most .sgrseabIy disap-
poin'ed in both. To say that she is . beau
tiiuI woman is faint praise. She 10 Indeed
surprisingly lovely. A little below the
medium height; Of perfectly symstriesI
form /; delicate little hsnds and feet ; = wealth
OF rich, black hair tair skin ; large ,lustrous,
liquid dark eyes In which shine the passions
and impulses Of her Spanish ancestry, and .
perennial youth, she is pre,ter than any
picture. Her voice 10 3 marvsl-it Ia 80 COM
prebsnsivs and so bird-like. There 10 ab-
solutely no effort In anything she does,
the mot difficult notes coming frsm
her throat as do those Of the winged songs.
ter, spontaneously and freely. Her stage
manners are charming, and her accommoda-
ton to an audience Ill that could be ayked
by the most exacting. The programme for
the evening was = long one, still she sang
four sncores. In the concerted music there
was 3 pisno solo by Signor Gorno q duet
by Signori saivati and Pinto Gina Voce
POGO Fs," cnvatina, by Madame Patti
Romanzs, "M appari,'' Marta, Signor Nico-
lini, an ] a violin solo by Mile. I. CastslIan.
The second part OF the evening consisted OF
the fourth scene from Donizstti's Lucia di
Lsmmermoor," with Madame Patti as Lucia
and Signor Nicollni as Edgardo; ana the
entire second act of eli BArbiere di Sivi-
l <ltn - r,Itl, M,lopn- l1.r l -
NIcolini as Conte d'Almavivs. So 1t will Be
seen tbst Ia dica was generous In song. That
she pleased her Immense audience was evil.
denced b.! the continued warm applause
which she received. In response to her first
recall, In the concert part, she sang "Com-
Ing thro' the Rye,'' In the sweetest and
simplest way, and as a second encore q
second simple little Scotch ballad. In the
Barber, at the singing lesson, she introduced
the Shadow Song. from Msysrbeer's opers,
"Dlnorah," which won her more enthusas.
tic applause. We hould like to speak In
detail Of her. support, but air adj this ar
ttcle Is growing TO too great length, W.
were somewhat disappointed with Nisollni-
In some respects iav0rably and In others un,
favorabiy. We heard persons say tina,
PATHS support was not COED. VIZ rmakinet
any other tour male Voices brought into suef
close comparison with hers, and DOUBTED
and as to Adellna, sweet lAdelina, Esmpsrs
trice de Ia chanson, she Is above criticism
truly u queen Of beauty and of song. 'Sb,
was most magnidcsntly dressed for the con,
cert In an elaborate silk and satin dress, q,
trdins, and with q Kings ransom In Ola
monds. but her artificial adornmsnts al
paled before the 1eauty Of her. face. and tn,
exquisite sweetness and touching pathos o
her wonderful voice. In her concsrt drss
she looked 10 be nineteen or twenty "a
kos,na. in the budding bloom and fleshnss
of sweet s!x,esn. u,
We have devoted SO much space to Fatt
that we can scarcely do justice to Her Nj
jesiy's opera company. under the manage
ment Of Col. J. H. Mapleson. This 10 hard
" fair, either, as Csmpanini 10 reputsd to b,
the greatest living tenor I; Is Del Puent
divides honors with him very evenly -
baritone, and as Minnie Hsuk. the prsmA
donna. is q very fine singer and excellent az
tress. Col. Msplsson certainly has . s'gran,
opera company" 1t consists Of 1855 person
who are musicians. The ladies Of tn
chorus, which is q very large one, were csr
tainly selected because they can sing, 70
charms OF face or form never recommends,
them. They Gun sing, however, and that l
what is needed in an opera. The compost
tion OF the company Is evidently rather 10
general excellence than for particular merit
as it contains q number OF prime donns, sew
eral tenors of great merit, and as man.
baritonss. The opera We saw was Blssp
Carmen" with Miss Hauk ~ Carmen
Csmpanini as Don jose, and Del Pusnts .
Escsmillo. Miss e aux Is said to have mad
the part OF Carmen very much her own, he,
rendition OF it having elevated the part, an,
made it a very popular one.- She Is q dn
actress snd q good singer. Campanini s.sil,
sustained his great reputation, though b
was evidently suffering from trouble wit,
his throat, having to retire behind til
chorus once or twice to cough. His voice 1
a magnificent one, and bis concluding note
Of the air, III flor Gle auepi a ns," were til,
sweetest we s,e- heard by man.. SiRno
Del Puente, who is really q great bariton
So well as q very handsome young man
| sc0raJ O vf.f0rv g., a = - Id. =.