New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-01
MUSIC.
METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE.

There were evidences Of insufficient prepare
ton In the performance Of Mgnon" by Mr.. Aobeye
company last night The action OF the first act asgeds
the crisp and bright choruses were given In heayy
manner and Madame Nilsson acted lstlessly as II
unable to escape the general depression portion OK
the blame seemed Lie with signor vianes whose temps
certainly odd In several instances The heayiness
off, In the second act and tho AUDIENCE
which was larger and gayer IN appearance than any
opening night quckened into enthusiasm ghs
heartily attested, by the sooalled Styrienne or Aon
and the dainty gavotte Of Frederick which sung with
exquisite grace by Madame scalchi
It long decade since Madame Nilsson introduced NJ
Thomas's opera TO NewYork public. 1t her for
tune to create" the title character here and has be
only natural consequence that she has been assocai d
with II ever since almost intimately she has with
Gounods Marguerite. The changes that have taken
place In her person and voice since she last sang the ros
here might naturally have been expected TO Affect hs
part Probably many were ready 10 perceive 1888 Oh
some of the charms OF youthful freshness and grace
which are ndssoubly connected with any conception OF
this most poetical OF Goehes creatures 3d. the resws
fulfilled their anticpations in measure for Madame
WILSON'S impersonPtiOn moro renarkaoe TOT us
deep feeling In the dramatic portions than FOR nghtness
and gracefuness In the lyric
This loss brought with 1t a compensation, however.
Many protests ha been felt when not
the tendency OF singers TO make Mgron mere wiul,
pettisb silly young WOMAN The poets Ideal was SUI
cienty despoied by the uncomfortable French nDre-
tlsts without further dissertation which enectuay
dispced last gnmer OF the poeca light that oughs
always TO shine about this strange child OF the SOUTH
Too much Of tropical passion too much Of underlined
longing too tenderness the part could hardly DO
invested with but it is easily made silly by oyeractng IN
the very place where the tendency to do 40 ID strongest
The whole opera that must either be represented
with extreme in avoiding exrayagant e1preSsoh'
or all effort approach distanty the Ideals OF tho
poet must be abandoned and the piece be given as though
al ltxab aubs
never been written.
Perhap the latter plan would be the better one for ID
hard TO think OF during the performance OF tho
opera without taking violent offence, and would only 10
a relief to have all thought OF him studiousiy kep'
ont of mind Yet we would not willingly lose the
pleasure which Ambrose Thomas provided In this DIS
best OPERA 1t is TO his credit that he felt the emDarass
ments which subject caused At one time he thoushs
seriously of permitting the heroine to go the way Oh
GOethe's MgnOn, and OF Offering the opera "
the Theatre Lyrique instead of the opera Comique'
for which he had undertaken to write IT, He
did not carry out the plan however, but instead
sought to silence the carping of the Germans by compoS-
ing second conclusion dtaouemen AHemand, In WINCH
Mgaon fell dead while listening to FHtndS poacea In n'
last scene tragic end to piece treated in comedy
manner throughout ridiculous, however, ana tho
Germans would have Of the deno"ement
AUemond They raised a hue and cry against tho
OPERA then heard for the sake Of its music aud endedby
admitting its admirable parts without changing thcr
minds about the dissertation OF their great poet
Its no wonder that the Opera-book was made ouch
scrrples az distressed the Germans never
trouble French nbrcttist, and the characters
he found his book are as porn
for the stage What lyric possibilities lie In the HPerf
Was ever a more perfect musical coquette dreamed
of than fUnd Have not MJHohs songs
drawn forth music from nearly every composer
OF eminence since Beethoven The filling in parts
were on the surface Of the story and the character
of their music could not be misconceyed.
WiMeln Mesier himself in his character OK
strong player had only to sacrifice his habit OF refcc
tion TO be dashng tenor. The temptation was Ger.
family strong; the sacrilege committed ana
the verbal skeleton. constructed out OF things whi,h
were dearest In literature, tricked out VIVA
plglant music and ear-tickling rouades by the mln
who was not awed even by Shakespeare. WIN
such characters the play Is easily acted
and the music never fails TO fascinate Mr. Abbeys
| neope were equal to its vocal as well as its
! histrionic demands. Madame Nelson's sympa-
| thet,c voice and manner frequently touched .
tender chord in the hearts OF her hearers thougn
| she did not sing well as she can: Madano
Valea sang her way saucily through the play puruc
ing fhe air with gittering and trills; Madame
scalchi did the little she had to do to perfection M
Caponl concealed his vocal shortcomings with his aeho
acting and sgnor Del Puente supplied the needed bass
parts in the concerted music and acted his doeiu carac
| ter as well the best OF stage mlnstrels