Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-06-04
MADAME BISHOP,
The Oldest and Best Preserved Of Prima
DOnuas and One OF the Most Famous
Of Nemen Travellers.

OF N6meH 1FafelefS.
Her Last Concert in New York Triumph
Worthy OF Her Palmiest Days-The
Love of Artists for Her.
Special Correspondence of the Appeal
NEW YORK, June Mime. Anna Bishops
grand and complimentary concert at Chick
ering Hall last Saturday evening was an
event Of more than passing importance, send
ing one of into perfect state OF bewilder-
ment and wonder.
A Contemporary Of Grisi, Persiani, Garcia,
Sontag, Novello, Jenny Lind, and ever so
many other brilliant and famous queens in
the realm of song, who, if not forgotten,
have long since passed away from public
notice and applause, soma by death, others
into retiracy and quiet, Nine. Bishop,
equally "a great in the lyric world, Is sing
ing still.
Tennessee wish it wasn't so many years
ago, alas!--I remember Mime. Bishops first
visit there; how dszzlingly my childish
imagination was wrought up when people
spoke of the great py-iHa dOnRo's beautiful
voice, and with what feelings 81 wonder,
pleasure and awe / fret heard her sing.
She was divine, l thought, In my limo
cent enthusiasm, and not at all like ordinary
everyday women. And now, at this moment,
after having heard nesrly all the famous
singers vino have ever visited this continent,
among all my cherished early memories !
have no sweeter or happier treasure. That
\ long TIME AGO,
a.. IL
singer been? l don't believe there is a spot
on this broad, habitable globe, among saw
ages or the civilized, wherever the foot OF
man has trod or human voice been heard,
where the name of Nine. Anna Bishop is
not known, or where she has not been, and
more fascinating subject for ones pen l can
BOT well imagine.
Listening to her the other evening | was
carried back through all those intervening
years to the time / heard her first, and l
had to pinch myself TO realize that ! was not
the same child still.
But what a wonder this woman is! How
kindly and sffeciionately the public remem-
bers and cherishes her!
The hall was quite full, and when Nine.
Bishop appeared the glsdness OF welcome
accorded her in hearty and prolonged APP
plause must have recalled to her mind the
glorious old days when her fame was at its
Her voice, of course, has no longer the
liquid freshness and resonance OF youth, but
1t is nevertheless remarkably flexible and
pleas ant still, and it is a marvel how well
she controls and manages its tones.
Like all artists who have been we'll taught,
Nine. Bishop sings yet with the came ac-
curacy of inionation and exquisite purity OF
taste that only perfect method and severe
early classical training can give.
The programme was very attractive one,
and the rendering evidently pleased the au-
dience, as every number was eneOred
THE ARTISTS ASSISTING
were nearly all OF the very first rank, as
their names indicate: Nine. L4blache, Miss
Henrietta Beebe first appearance since her
return from London), Mrs. Florence Rice
Knox, Miss Fannie Lowering, Nine Chatter
ton-Bohrer, solo harpist; Mr.. A. l.. King,
Signor Lencioni, Mr.. S. b. MILL, Mr.. Ar
buckle, solo cornetist; Mr.. G.. w. Morgan,
organist, and Mr.. c. Z. Pratt accompSnist.
1t was touchingly beautiful to the low
ing reverence each one showed for the dis
tinguished singer whose career is so glori-
ously marked by years and years OF the most
magnificent triumphs ever achieved by any
artist before or since and who yet has always
retained the high respect and affection OF
her own profession, despite the many rival
ries, the bitter jealousies and heart burnings
ScculuSiN ~ luSt ilOhA II 'NhA "hiNh
are so hard 10 avoid.
Whenever the little woman would come
out TO sing the gas was turned down in the
little ante-room, and grouped together just
inside oil the opened door, her iellow-artIsts
would stand to hear. 1t was 4 tribute not
lost upon the audience.
Nine. Bishops first number was Robert
Ton que Jaime, with harp Obh9dtO and
piano accompaniment. The grand style and
exquisite taste with which that gem was
given was a most excellent lesson for any
student of opera music, or for the matter OF
that any professional present. For encore she
sang
''HoME, SWEET HOME"
a ballad Nine. Bishop is identified with moe
closely than any singer who has ever lived,
it being a composition by her first husband,
Sir Henry Bishop. Her Interpretation of it is
thoroughly original, but always pathetic
and full OF tender sentiment and taste. In
addition to the generous applause she re-
csived, beautiful basket of flowers was an
other tribute of regard.
Let The Bright Seraphin, by Rossini, with
cornet Obh9ato ard organ accompaniment,
was tue Madame's second selection. 1t is a
very beautiful but difficult and horid COM
position, and it was perfectly astonishing TO
hear how exactly in tune she was with the
cornet through all the long running passages,
trills and shakes in the upper register, and
where the least varying of intonation be-
tween the cornet and her voice would have
been disastrous and frightful. Again she
was enc0red, but in response gave the finale of
the aria she had just sung.
The programme closed with a duet
Quanto Amore L'ELizir fAmore, between
Mime. Bishop and Signor Lencioni, a
baritone buffo. Then the old-time spirit
broke out and the pTiBld donna was before the
footlights again. The duo was rendered with
most charming gesture and expression, the
Madame's naivete, archness and piquancy
being perfectly delicious and Irresistible.
Nine Lablache, one Of the Mapleson
troupe, is, everybody knows, superb con-
tralto, but she has never sung more finely
than on that evening, when her selections were
"Fac ut Portem,p from the St1bdt Mater, and
the ''Brindisi," Lucretia Borgia. The latter
wa a gem in spirited rendering, and Nine.
Lablache repealed the latter part Tor encore.
A word upon Miss Beebe, one OF
OUR NATIVE SINGERS,
who, according TO most critics here, has
pure, sweet soprano voice, and highly cult
waited, but l cannot admire her singing, try
as / may. Her middle register is very
throaty, and, while the upper is clear and
flexible, there is an insipidIty and utter lack
of coloring that fails to please; besides, she
does not enuAciate distinctly. The song,
Lullaby" by Caryl Floria, sounded like
anything but a cradle song with which
to sing a baby to sleep. The melody is not
simple, on the contrary it is changefui and
undulating often with many high notes, and
she might AZ well have been singing diff
cult operate aria, with foreign words, for
did not hear blessed word that baby was
supposed to be lulled by, and l have good
reason for knowing something about lul-
labys.
S. B. Mills played well, but it is perfectly
disgusting that pianist of his rank should
eternally play his own "Barcarolle" that
every concert goer Is worn out with. 1t re.
minds me of PerIing's Beautiful Venice
or merry Maids of England" 1t is an in
suit really to an intelligent public. The
rest of the artists engaged were well received,
and played and sang timely.
/ don't think much is known OF Nine.
Bishops life, or even what her name was be-
fore she became Sir Henry Bishops wife
You wonder as you listen, but she actually
becomes phenomenal as you look at her.
She is one of those women who possess the
rare charm of growing old gracefully. There
is no trace OF age in the brightness OF her
beautiful eyes, fit companions to her voice,
in the havoc it has done, or in the soft
smoothness of face where you look in vain
for wrinkle, and where there is still the
freshness and tint OF
COMPARATIVE YOUTH;
or even the few gray threads just at the
temples, among her glossy dark hair, which
il only a cares from the years gone by and
old Time himself but another and the proud
est of all of this remarkable woman's many
brilliant triumphs.
La Riveire was Nine. Bishops maiden
name, and she has brother, painter, now
in Rome, whose pictures are ranked by con-
lloissetsres as works of Inc greatest merit, and
another in London, famous a water color
ist 1t is delightful to hear the singer speak
OF her wonderful experiences, which she sell
dom can be persuaded 10 do. She has sung
in from ten to fifteen Languages, and before
greater number of people, it is believed, than
any other artistic living or dead. On one
occasion in Moscow, at the Outset of her ca
reer, she sang the part of "Alice" in Robert
le Diabie, in the Russian language, with en-
tire success. She has been the re-
cipient of royal honors and gifts
from kings and emperors from Eng