Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-01-25
tn Spi.EsI.
IOlantho' by is;eo's Company.


Mr. Rico's opera company looked out
upon a lacgc and brilliant audience ;lIIL
gathered III Fulton opera house last lIi,, lit
to see and hear " Iolanti.e =" for the second
time this season. There does not remain
any doubt that Gilbert IS SnlIivan's
latest venture into tie walks where
in they lcug since won fam is
q decided success whether REGARDED from
the standpoint Of artistic worth Or poru-
lar approval. The opc.. is = 20, thuuZ,h
it may be doubt d whether it viii stand so
long and severe i test ..s has heC:I applied
to some other productions Of the giltcd
author and composer, even though tho
"crk is one that appears t. gre" in Tie
listeners apprehension, and The airs albeit
| at first they seem elusive, at secphd or
| third hearing ji..-, e ever so merriiy III "n
ear that is ordinarily quick at catching a
tune. Nevertheless the prediction is
made that "IyIanthe,' will never reach
the height of popularity attaircd by
| let u, say "Patiercc,' it's Immediate
! predecessor in the joint authorship of
Gilbert Il Sullivan. The humOr Of the
li0.etto, though broad and rOllickug,
lacks the pccu.iar sUbtl-ty that bas GcIni
mated SO much Of GilDert's other uri5in $,
while Tie score in its entirety does not
exhibit the comprehensive treatment and
careful finish with which Sullivan is wunt
to charm the car that delish in melody
with the accompanying virtues that 80
experienced cOnIU:er has 1T his Com
n,and.
OF LAST nights performance tho best
that can be said IS ths.: is was uneven. As
a whole AMI regarded fcGin purely m;.s-
ical standpO:nt it was inferior to the rnr
dition Of the opera head hera last week !:
the comparison is made because Mr.. Rice
was az pains TO challenge it. WithaI,
there we're in the later performance
many points Of superiority, notably
in the orchestral accompaniment,
which Mr. Rice has f:tiusly
made chief feature Of the opera as
rendered by him ; moreover the stago set
ting was better, the second sGeue, repre-
senting the palace yard at Westminster,
being extremely good and an additional
charm baiDs lent By the calcium light
which flooded the stage. Mr. Rice has
also been discriminating in picking out
chorus girls who are plump and p.a,ty,
with graceful figures, sparkling eyes, and
with enough snap and go i'll their consti-
tutiOns to give the thing an ;thunfiaEce
of eclat and what with lho bright dresses
and appointments he has amply sustained
his reputation for producing clever spec
tacular effects.
But with all tie sprigttly girls and the
admirable orchestra, the vocal rendition
of the work did no3 measure up TO the
standard Of anticipation which discrimi-
mating public had fixed. MIR. Rice must
get people who can sing as well as look
we'll. As last nights performance was
perceptibly strong in portions where
the earlier rendition was weak, 50 may
the position be reversed in many instances
and the prepoudcrance of merit remain
with the party who first sang the opera
here. A notable exception must be made
in the case Of Phyllis, which character was
last night charmIn4ly sung and acted bya
little mite of a lady, Miss lia Mule, a
child iu staturJ as sic is also evidently
in years, and with face Is fresh as
flower, but whose voice neverth,lcss
showed uncommoI strength and maturity,
breadth of compass and sweetness Of
tone that were surprising, and who acted