The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1882-10-13
Adelaide Phillips.

American singers, is reported TO nave
died at a watering place in the south OF
France, where she has been spending
several months in the hope of regaining
her health. This news is sad surprise
to her friends, who had but recently
heard that she was gaining in strength
and would shortly be able to reappear
upon the stage, where her presence has
been much missed. Miss Phillips lacked
but one year of So she was born in Eng
land, in Shakespeare's city of Strat.
ford on Avon, but she was brought to
this country when she was but seven
wears old, and was about as thorough an
American in all her characteristics as
she could be- She began her stage ca
reer as II prodigy at 10 years old, but as
an actor and singer of small parts at the
Boston Museum when she was 10 years
old. She is remembered well as playing
in spectacular piece entitled The En-
chanted Horse" Ia predecessor OF the
"Black Crook"), beside Louis Mestayer,
then the idol of women, and William
Warren, just opening his career as co
median it was composition OF Co
mer's now a. forgotten writer, and lnclud-
ed several bright popular pieces which
her sweet child's voice gave an addition
al charm to. She began to study music
with Nine. Arnault, and caught the az
tention of Jenny Lind on her visit "
this country by her remarkable sing.nf'
chiefly in small soIbrette parts e VI she
degree thsst hhsstrdad Mis- a Lind dnsssif ansifh headed
subscription which was OF course gener-
ally filed out by the admirers to whom
Jenny Lind's word was law and gospel.
She studied in London under Garcia,
went to Italy and continued her studies,
and made her debut at Brescia in 1858. On
her return home she first appeared in
the Boston Music hall in concert, in 1855,
ana began her career as an opera singer
in New York, at the academy of music,
in 1855. Since then Miss Phillips has
been noted not only among American
singers, but among those of the world.
She has spent many seasons in Europe,
singing and acting in the opera-houses
of Paris, Madrid, Milan, Vienna, Ant
werp, London and other English and
continental cities, and everywhere she
has won recognition. In fact her artistic
career. was from the first, one of success,
and in all places she was profoundly re-
spected as woman as well as admired
in her art.
Adelaide Phillips was well known
here, and had many personal friends
who will mourn her loss more deeply,
but not more honestly, after all, than the
unknown and uncounted friends she
made in her vocation. She was not
great singer or actress, though she had
genuine quality in both lines of art. She
had quick sympathy and a ready alb
sorption into her part, and versatile
capacity both for melodrama and for
mocking humor that will always be ex-
tremely rare. This fitted her for such
brilliant soubrette parts as that of Kos
| ina" in the Barber" and such extraor-
dinary character presentations as that OF
"Azucena" in I'll Trovatore, (which de-
pends for its effectiveness quite as much
on it's acting as on its singing. Miss Phil
lipps was 80 eminent in either role that
no one else can fill either to satisfy those
who have enjoyed her rendering. Her
voice was pure cOntralto of rare hexi-
bi.ity and power, of large compass, and
! of the most profound emotional charac-
ter. She possessed the secret of stirring
her hearers to tears, by something irre-
sistibly tender and sacred in her tones.
| Even the enhancing voice Of Anna Lou
| Use Cary never eqnaled in this respect
the voice of Adelaide Phillipps,-for in
stance in the air "He was despised and
rejected of men," from the Messiah" T"
Her highest success was undoubtedly
won in oratorio, though she sang songs
admirably, and was, as aforesaid, an able
actress, For the last few years Miss
Phillips has sung good deal in comic
opera. as member of the Boston Ideal
company, with whitney and Barnaby
and others who have rendered Pima
fore. ;" "Fatinitza," and other light stufi
of that sort so finely around the country.
The last time she appeared in this city il
was as "Fatinitza," and she both acted
and sang the piece with great spirit and
skill, the trio, by virtue of her splendid
elan, quite electrifying the audience.
The more sensitive, however, felt that il
involved a considerable descent from the
position held both by herself and
Mr. Whitney that they could appear in
such parts, which certainly derogate
from the dignity of oratorio singers oil
the first class. Miss Phillips did moi
really intend to enter the company at the
start, and to prevent it, when she wa.
approached with the invitation, named
what she fancied would be a prohibitory
price,-though it did not so prove.
Miss Phillips personally was one o
the most heartsome of women, lovinf
her friends earnestly and frankly, anc
generous with her aid TO every one IN
need who came to her and whom she
could really help to any effect. She wa
greatly beloved by many besides thost
with whom her acquaintance was on
level of experience and thought, ant
will be tenderly mourned. II is now in
teresting to note, in these days of Web
ster memorial celebrations, that Mis-
Phillipps's home was in Marshfeld, ,wher'
her venerable father died few year
,, ago, and where she has lived long years
near the Webster farm Miss Phillip
leaves a sister, Miss Mathilde Phillips
: fine contraltn singer who has latel,
: devoted herself to her eldest sister an
] Springfield Republican.