Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-02-16
TWO OPERAS
Presented By the Abbott Company Yes
terday, "OliTette and /" Chimes
OF Normandy"
A Very Fine Rendition Of the Latter
Opera with the Full Strength
OF the Company.

The Abbott Company appeared yesterday
in two operas, Oiiretts and Chimes Of Normandy.
The latter opera was delightfully."- presented,
the company appearing to It's best advantage.
OHveIIe.
Yesterday afternoon the Abbott Company
| appeared before a rather small audience in
Audran's comic opera of Otpstte, Miss Julie
Rosewald assuming the part OF the Little
Maryejol" The public hy this time knows
pretty well what Oiirsne is. 1t has been
well acted and we'll sung, but there is always
a something lacking in it, and one is COM
PEELED to conclude that the fault is inherent
in the opera. The artifce is too percept-
ible. The opera seems made Tor the string
of airs, instead of the airs being made for
| the opera. Olsrette is small bonanza for
the minstrel companies. Why Miss
| Abbott, with a well-equiped musical
organization should descend to play
| such trash Oiirsne is hard TO
| determine. The public have looked to her
for standard works, which they can hear no.
where else. For instance, they want such
operas as TToudtore, Carmen, Romeo and juliet,
Chimes Of Normandy, Martha, Fra DiavoLa,
Faust, Bohemian Girl and Mariana. OF course
these operas are mostly old, but the people
| that Miss Abbott plays to seldom hear them.
| If Memphis enjoyed a season OF Italian
| opera it would, of course, soon weary of
them; but it does not. The APPEAL thinks
the lady has made a mistake in embracing
OliUette in her repertoire, and she has lowered |
the tone of her company. The performance |
| Yesterday afternoon the best seen !
here. Miss Rosewald sang and acted capt. !
| tally. The "Sob Song" was given By her in |
a way unequale1. She is an excellent singer, |
| and the music simply pastime for her. |
The quality of her voice is sympathetic, and |
her fine musical training is apparent. Miss /
Annandale, fue artist that she is, was, of |
course, good Countess" and her singing of |
! the "WaItz Song" was one of the features of
the opera. Mr.. George Olmi sang we'll as
Captain de Merrimac," but his acting was
great deal like his impaired leg, decidedly
corky. Mr.. Fabrini was a superb "Valen-
tine" This singer improves on acquaint-
snce. Instead OF being a second-rate tenor,
be il one of the best singers in the company.
He has a handsome, mobile face and sings
with vim and vivacity. He is destined to
hold a place similar to that of Tom Karl.
Mr.. Alonzo Stoddard's fine baritone voice
had no chance for display in the silly part of
the "Duc des Ifs" Mr.. Tams was dispropor-
tionately absurd as "Coquelicot." The music
of the opera was sung yesterday very con-
scientiously, and the histrionic part of the
performance was not neglected.
Chimes of Normandy.
The Chimes Of Normandy is the tartest of
all the operas. Its music IS ever playful, and
it is pervaded at the same time by ghost
like charm that is as understandable as sun
shine. Its ingredients spice, pertness
and mirth; around all which entwIned
the mystic element of wandering spirits
1t is an opera demanding that those
who present it shall be thoroughly
en- rapport with it. One unsympathetic
spirit casts a damper upon the music 1t is
full of breezy airs, rapidly a-chase of each
other. The effect is to lift ones spirits into
the nights. There are airs which may be
likened to the tumbling pillows Of the ocean,
and others resembling the tiny waves that
ripple hythmically upon the beach. To
have heard the Chimes adequately presented
is to add new possession to ones collection
Of the fanciful. The fine old Normandy fair
with its pranksome girls; the vain and pretty
"Mignonette" stepping like a picture from
the life of the Normans; the dramatic
old miser "Gaspard" with his hordes
of gold hidden in the castle; the
dainty "Germaine;" the good for nothing
"Robin More" who acts like bastard and
sings the airs of an angel; the grim old cas-
tie, with its awful legends, and the discovery
of the miser in the haunted chamber count
ing his gold, are all picturesque incidents
and characters, which go to make up this
most delightful of all comic operas. To
of life. The company handled the opera
in a most artistic way and gave
what was probably the best perform
ance of the Chimes ever seen in this
city. When previously given by the Alb
bott Company, 1t seemed to lack some-
thing and its saucy music failed to arouse
the audiences. Last night not point was |
neglected; scarcely fine piece of music but
what was sung as it deserved to be; not an
inherently strong dramatic feature but what
was forcibly portrayed The Chimes is an
excellent instance of what composer can
do in lesitimately comic opera. The
and its tuneful charm should be mated.
Neither was made to appear as the
better half. The leading singers all
did nobly Miss Abbott sang and acted the
part of marguerite" charmingly. All the
graces of that piquant character were ex-
hibited, and the PIimG donna was imbued with
the tuneful mischief thereof thoroughly. In
the last act Miss Abbott interpolated
beautiful selection from another opera. This
selection gave her ample scope for ford
singing, and brought out the exquisite ease
and fine capability OF her voice. Miss Lizzie
Annandale was delicious " Germaine."
The night before she was laboring under !
some difficulty with her voice; last night it
was under much better control, and her
singing as "Germaine" was artistic {
all the way through. Every
new performance adds to Miss AMMAN
mandates title to be considered an drtiste. {
Miss Kate Hatfield was pretty Gertrude" !
one of the gossips. Mr.. George Appleby
made his maiden appearance as robin
More" a fisherman, and created most Ia
vorable impression As singer. He is good
example of the tenor di grdzia, possessing
voice of great sweetness and range. The (
higher register, strange TO say, is I'M :
usually strong, pure and sweet, while :
the middle seems to be somewhat '
lad To he IA, 1
l Caught Fish," beautifully, and was vigor-
ously recalled and made to repeat it. Though 2
a fine tenor he is very poor actor, and wants !
that suavity SO necessary for the stage. The =
appearance of Mr.. William Castle, as the }
Marquis OF Villeroi." was signalized by
applause. He is one of the most re-
markable men the lyric stage. There !
is no doubt that Mr.. Castles claims to
being considered tenor are no longer
tenabIe, and yet there are few men who can e
gain more applause in any part they may :
assume than he. His acting goes a great !
way to help out the defects OF his voice, and G
such singing as he does give us is character b
lied by such fine appreciation and true
method, that it seems pity he can
not be endowed once more with !
the voice which was once considered
phenomenal. As it was Mr. 8
Castle was one OF the striking features of the
opera, and his acting was brave md DASH F
ing. He was the rowing Marquis to the ]
life. Mr.. Tams was a very witty sheriff. =
Mr.. Enjoys "Gaspard" was the most telling y
character in the opera. His great, resonant +
voice lent awe and strength to the part of y
the cid miser that it seldom has Hot R
shot applause followed his acting in the
scene where he fumbles his money bags In y
the last act he was, for some inconceivable \
reason, deprived of singing the '"Song of the c
Tramp" the most effective music falling to | =
the character. The last act was rendered
rather insipid on this and other accounts. :
The chorus did excellent work. J
Patience T0-Higbf y
Tonight Miss Emma Abbott will appear
as patience" in Gilbert aud Sullivau's 6
opera of that name. Annandale, Stoddard,
Bonheur, Olmi, Tams and Castle Patience 4
is the brightest OF the Gilbert and Sullivan J
operas. 1t is a satire upon the aesthetic q