Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1884-05-18
,ne second serIc. Of Concerts.

'Sle2munQ ana Slegi1nde, ana as
Ataterna had just sung many persons sup
meant for her.
l.he second series Of Concerts.
OF aH the six concerts 1 think / may
safely elect the last three as the most sat
isfaetory.. The programme for the first OF
these, "Wednesday. May 9TH, was some
what charged, substituting one more act
from Tar,nda,sser in addition to the two
already set down, in place OF selections
from EuruaaHe, by Weber, which / heard
that Thomas said twas impossible to give
worthily with the force he had" l was
somewhat disappointed, as i should have
liked greatly TO hear in what Eurydnthe
differs from Der FTeischidz, the predomin-
ating traits of the latter being the demo-
MAC, the mysterious forest life, the naive
peasant joyiality," while those of Ettryan-
the are "the romantic, the chivalresque."
The same writer says: I'm Euryanthe
Weber produced pages of great dramatic
power" So that | am very sorry a change
had to be made in the programme. How
ever, nothing could have been more de-
lightfully rendered than Tannhaaser, and
as it is more or less familiar to our opera
goers, there was more pleasure than is
generally the case when one has to make
it an intellectual effort to understand the
component parts of a new opera.
Miss Juch sang the part of the young
shepherd behind the scenes with most
charming effect. Her voice is delicious
soprano of considerable power and much
sweetness, but she is inclined to be little
cold.
Herr Winkelmann, of whom l have
said but little SO far, has glorious voice,
and sings the parts assigned him with the
;.+;a Gyio al, oh fer
istic of his colleagues, Materna and Scaria.
Both tenor and basso are tall. splendidiy
|. proportioned men, with manly and dig
nified bearing that harmonizes perfectly
with the classic art of which they are such
noble representatives. Neither Scaria nor
Winkelnpann can be under six feet, and [
should Judge the former to be rather over
that hight. Herr Scaria is distingue
| looking man, with white hair and mus
tache, pleasing expression OF face and a
great enaDreSsemert of manner. Ills hand-
book gives him only foIty-three years OF
| age, and while he has certainly not an old
face or figure, yet l should take nm to be
| fifty at least. At every concert Herr
Scaria has received the most compli-
mentary marks of admiration from the
audience, being called back three and four
times after every performance. He sang
with such tremendous effect as
'eWotan in Die Wdlkure, that the
house came down with most deafening
applause. He made some notes that
tfairfy took ones breath away, and the
dear old man locked surprised himself, as
| il ne did not know he was going to do it.
! 1t was perfectly delicious to see the naive
, ingenuousness of his smile, as Materna,
| taken by storm also, turned to him with
the most delighted expression on her good
i 80 inf aH n
omen ali looked as if they would have
liked to kiss him. have no doubt, from
what l have heard of the basso's suscep-
| tibility, he would have been quite willing
| had the sweet pleasure been served 'in
sections"
On Friday evening the size of the audi
| ence approximated more nearly the first
night than any intervening one. Our be-
! loved Nilsson was to sing the part OF
"Elsa," making the programme uHcom-
| monty attractive. Whoever did not hear
these two singers, Materna and Nilsson.
that evening will never know what rare
treat they have missed; those who did
will be sure to carry the sweet memory TO
their life's end. The full house indicated
/ the estimate the fair Swede is still held in
by the public os New York And she
has never sung more royalty. AS q
critic remarked afterward, "in the duo
with Winkelmann, LohengriR, in act third,
Nine. Nilsson rose to the full passionate
hight of the OCCASION, and this was all the
| more delightful, because she had for the
/ first time the assistance of a tenor who
sang his part as written" One would
have to hear the "Ortend" of Materna, with
Nllsson's 'Elsa," in order to realize the ex-
| treme beauty of the scene.
l have never seen Nilsson look more
| charming. Her toilet was faultless and
/ Just what becomes her chaste and regal
| style. Her gown was combination OF
| cream satin with occasional suggestions of
| pale turquoise blue, the latter appearing
! at the sides of the skirt, where the over.
| dress of cream satin was left open and
/ embroidered down the edges both back
! and front, while the bottom OF the blue
| skirt was cut in battiemepted squares. The
! coYsage, OF cream and satin, was cut low,
With sleeves of the same reaching the ell
bow. Around the upper part of the
I bodice was row of embroidery to match
} the skirt, while over that the artist fairly
l blazed in Jewels of turquoise and diamonds
and medals that reached from the
| center of her corsage round to the
very tip of her left shoulder. Her ear
| rings were large turquoise drops, sur
| mounted with diamonds.
The second part of Fridays programme
was devoted to Parsifdi, Wagner's last
great work. Like Lohengrin, strong re-
ligious spirit pervades it. 1t proved the
| only selection performed during the whole
I of the series given in New York that was
\ not entirely satisfactory. The motive is a
| somber one, and the music naturally of a
1 subdued tint. The fact that it is new
/ opera here, and that the selections ON this
/ occasion were placed in the second part OF
the programme, aside from the one before
/ mentioned of its devotional character, are
reasons sufficient for the depressing and
restless effect occasionally visible in
various parts of the house. People grew
weary because they could not understand
the harmonies Materna as "Kundry,'
Herr Winkelmann as ''Parsifal," and
Scaria as ''Gurnemanz," sang their re,
| spective roles as Wagner wished. The
| orchestra rendered ''Titurefs Funeral
| Procession" with such wonde rful signifi
canoe and descriptiveness, each one pres
! ent seemed to feel it personal grief. The
mournful tolling of the bell struck pane
to the heart with all the keenness oi
reality. Wagner is a cultivated taste,
and when his art-theories first began to be
| known they met with more criticism, op
position and sneers in Europe even than
in America The eye is powerful factoi
in the understanding of sound, as para
doxical as that may seem. An Ignorant
member of the Roman Catholic Church
| who cannot read may behold the Christ
upon the cross, the Virgin and Child, and
whether he comprehends at first single
note of the Kyrse Eieisoa or the Aon,ts De;
he is able nevertheless to see the meaning
of those divine aspirations by the images
| with which those tones are associated. Sc
it is with Wasner's music; it is unjust Il
great artists like Materna, Scaria and Win
kelmanp TO place them in the concert
room with scattered excerpts from operas
like Wagner's, so almost entirely depend.
ent on stage effect, gesture and costume
and expect anything less than pnessinesl
from an audience totally unfamiliar Will
German opera Of the Wagner genre. II;
wonder is rather that more criticism il
not expressed.
On the evening in question Frau Ma
terna's toilet was both rich and .asterul
White brocaded sst;n gracefully drapet
and ornsmested with punches Of roses O
fiAesent eolors and shades, diamond ear
rings and diamond locket or ornamenf
hung from ribbon round her throat. A.
the people of Memphis will have the op
portunity Of Judging for themselves, il
would be twice-told tale possibly to tur,
my letter into fashion article merely Il
describe Materna's costumes At every
concert they have always been very hand
some, the one worn at the matinee las
Saturday being especially marked by grea
! mood toSfa onA