National Republican., 1883-02-21
MUSIC.

"William Tell" was performed last evening
with certain degree of grandeur.
1t had been given out during the afternoon
that Madame Patti, being indisposed, would
not appear until this evening. The operas and
all the other arrangements connected with
the two evenings were transposed in ac-
cordance with this announcement; and
the holders of tickets took the change
with exceeding good nature. The sale
for civilian Tell" having thus been
cut short by o day, the attendance was
limited to the holders Of season tickets, of
whom there were enough to fill about one
half Of the auditorium. 1t was cherries
prospect for an evening upon which so much
store had been set. The time permitted
for preparation of the company, tho stage,
and the orchestra was so short that the cur
tain was delayed upon tho first act, and the
audience was not dismissed until very near
midnight.
But the performance was Of q sort to make
good whatever Of annoyance or discomfort
these things produced. The announcement
of the opera and Of n new tenor for the part
Of Arnoldo was equivalent to n statement
that a valuable acquisition to the list Of the
company had been made, One of the chief
among the many reasons why "William Tell
is so seldom brought forward resides in the
music of this part, which is beyond any but a
voice of the first power and quality. Mierz-
winski more than satisfied every expectation
the announcement had called out. He is an
uneven, but a great singer, whose one danger
of early subsidence lies in the enthusiasm
with which he throws himself into his work
Dramatic apparently by instinct, fully in
earnest, and prodigal of n strength that is
nothing less than magnificent he pushes his
voice to limit that threatens its soundness.
A throat Of brass would not for any
length of time endure a strain such as he
never hesitated to put upon himself where a
striking effect could be had by it. His voice
is metallic, but singularly pure. 1t is dra7
matte only in the readiness with which il
serves for sudden and brilliant turns, and it has
no limit in range, so far as last nights work
gave evidence. The ease and accuracy with
which he delivered the high note that closes
the scOre-giving it from the chest full,
| strong, and clear as air-suggested the
possibility of notes above it indefinitely.
He Is spasmodiC and impulsive in action as
well as in voice, and rs the case always is
where this is observable he has his moments
| of indifference. But these are not
consequential. At every point of real
Importance he was in full vigor. The
enthusiasm of the audience was something
to be remembered. Applause followed the
singer throughout his work. There were
calls and recalls, and two or three times an
outbreak of the old fashioned "bravap
The bravas were not the only old-fashioned
| features of the evening, The visual side OF
the performances were of sort to bring very
distinctly back to the elder spectators those
long past times when grand opera was the
central point in the musical system, and
common as light opera is to-day. The
work was given in full and with d
chorus and supernumerary body about as
large as the audience, The performance OF
the ballet music necessitated ballet, and O
ballet there was, tIicked out quite as the ballet
used to be Of Old-of very old. The cradle and
the grave were tilched from to fill the
chorus up. Little girls are In it, ant
so are men and women who chorused the
first effort Of the morning stars, and should
have tapered of at Grisi; and tho eldest
Of these might have known and worn the
same costumes that were used last night. The
patient skill Of the director who has wrought
this strange army of antiques and curiositiel
into such unison as brings a round and ever
volume Of sound, cannot be too much admired
Mime, Dotti who sang Mathilde was sOmo
what a pleasant disappointment. She is o
good appearance; sings with the accuracy o
a fine school; and has voice of little strength
but pleasing quality, Galassi, Monti
Ronconi, Rinaldini, and Costa were also il
the cast, so that none of the solo parts lacked
justice, while some of them were treated Will
liberal ability