New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-23

himself as well satisfied. The performances
at both places passed off smoothly.
MR.. ABBEYS FIRST NIGHT.
In its social aspect, the opening of the Metro
politan Opera House last night was brll'ian'ly
successful. In its artistic, 1t was lun VI
pleasure for the moment and OF pleasnraoio
promises for the future. All expectations were no.
realized to the critical among the auo'olS auu
spectators, but it is agreeable to Dc aolo Il" noVO
that all the managerial promises were
tent Tba accessories to tho opera
house were not all finished, but the audience
room and yestibules and corridors were ana they
were all in this department that were needed 10
make the first night a success, The audience
crowded the house the interior glowed with hght
and blossomed with gay toilets; there was rea-
sonably prompt beginning, aud though the wahs
,,,oro lone and the performance of Faust" lasted
five bours. there was so much to talk about that
this was easily forgiven.
Whatever may be the merits of the opera house
in other respects it Is question of taste whether IL
Is success q setting to brilliant audience. is
colnrins Is soft and subdued, and In perfect har-
mony with the arohitecture-it has hghtness ana
airiness about it that seem to lift ones spirit
and make one forget anything like business or care
TO nut one lust in the mood to listen to the music OF
20 be "a sociable with his neighbors the laws of
music room VIII allow, but it would not seem as IL
It were not calculated to show off beautiful dresses
and fair faces to advantage From the orches'ra
chairs last night tho boxes that encircle the room
tier above tier had the appearance OF CABINET
frames half open revealing brilliant living pictures
almost embedded in fowers-but the background
TO these was not dark enough to show half their
loveliness Golden heads seemed to blend with the
old cold of the silk curtains and
hot ila1 oil hprp
failed to emphasize the soft silks and satins that
rested against them Diamonds glittered in all di-
rections like crystals upon snow but there was
not that flashing and blazing of rays that come
from darker setting. Everybody was
In full dress and in the glorious good
spirits that a consciousness of elegant clothes
inspires When the opening notes of the overture
sounded through the house there was mOmentary
hush and then as if everybody had made his bow
and done his duty by that everybody turned TO his
neighbor and began to chat in the iveliest manner
OF turned completely around in his seat to get full
view Of the house. more sociable gathering It
would be hard To imagine. Everybody seemed
to know everybody and everybody seemed to
have something to say. But when the curtain
arose the conversation ceased at once and
from that time forth, except between
the acts, the audience was attentive TO that
heartily, If not with the greatest enthusiasm and
seemed to be generally satisfied with everything.
The performance of the opera was on the average
plan of performances of the same work by Mr..
Map - IN and his admirable artistes-nOt better
q whole nor worse as a whole. The fears which
had been generally felt that Sig. Campanini would
not show O complete amendment of the faults
which were so conspicuous during his
last season at the Academy of Music were
II. ~.
sweetness and again occasionally the old-time
manly ring wire apparent in his notes but they
were always weighed down by the evidences of
labor, and the brlliancy of the upper tones with
which he used TO fire an audience into uncontrOlla
bic enthusiasm, was gone. The rest OF year
which he has taken has not repaired
the ravages of the last five years.
Such result is peculiarly unsortunato in GOnOuds'
music. The third act speaks the very exstacy of
passion given the voice and no music ought to be
sung easier Its sentiments crowd forward eagerly
for utterance and every phrase is imprisoned elO
quence. One could think that the singers would
only need to open their mouths and
the enhancing sounds from the orchestra would
lure the melodies out. Whom instead of sue
spontaneity the music is given with indications of
hard work the life is gone out of it at once. This
weight rested much of the love music last night
and whenever it did the spirit took fight and the
melodies and harmOnies were of the earth earthly.
OF Mime. Nelson's N0rgheritd there is little TO be
said that has not been said over aud over again.
For the transformation which the poetica character
has undergone, not She but the authors
of the opera are responsible. The viii
lest controversy that could be carried on concern
ing the comparative excellence of the impersOna-
tons of such singers as Nilsson, Patti, Lucca and
Albani, is as to which is the nearest
81 Af,a na.,l,
to the ideal is ont of the question
the bar was put up at the outset by Barber nda
Care, and though Gounod has put an exstacy Of
preston into sumo of Margheria's words i'll all re-
spects worthy of Goethes original, be has not
been able 10 reproduce her. Some Of the tender
grace of the unfortunate child is in the French
mans creation, but there is none Of the simplicity,
none of the rusticity, none of the cOarscr
fibre, which make Gretchen a national typo.
That which GOothe's Gretchen does with
deliberation GounOds Margherita does in
q moment Of passion, and there has not been want
ing even German critic TO place the Gallo maiden
on higher ethical plane than the German because
of sthis fact. All that Nine. Nilsson sings as all
that she does, is so imbued with a
current of sympathy that there is no re-
ssting her whether she be reproducing the ideal Of
the author or giving instead her own conception of
character We would not that Gocthe's ect child
should do as Nilsson does but we would not that
Nilsson should do otherwise. Yet the verites of art
are not violated for opera is such an incOngruous
and irrational art form that it makes and shifts
its standard with every production.
Madame Missions triumph came in the jewel
song, where it was expected, for it is the golden
link with which last year she established
the connection between her concert room aad the
memorable night at the Academy when she
first sang her way to the hearts Oh the
people. After she had sung it last night the last
film of ice that had held the public in decorous
check was melted, and an avalanche of
plaudits overwhelmed the fair singer. Bou-
quets rained from the boxes and baskets OF flowers
were piled oyer the footghts till it sOoncd as If