The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-10-12
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
THE IDEALS.


The second entertainment in the Stockbridge
course was given by the Ideal Opera Company,
Saturday evening" to as crowded an audience as
has ever been gathered in City Rail. 1t was a
mild night and the heIt was intense when all at
once the doors at the foot of the back stairs
opened and cool draft of air was waited up the
staircase, striking the audience, located in the
seats the floor Of the house, fairly between the
shoulders 1t seems singular that there doesn't
seem to be any way of properly ventilating the
hall. If it is cold windy night, ten chances to
one there will be a cold wave descend Oh the
heads Of people through the ventilators, and if a
mild night, all the air that can be obtained will be
a draft on the back of the neck.
The Bohemian Grip is, and has always been,
a most popular opera, and bids fair to continue so
eral # its numbers are household words, such as,
81 Dreamt that dwet," Then you'll remember
me-" when the fair land of Poland" and 1.-THE
heart bowed down." Besides these the inter-
polated aria of the Gipsey Queens from the
HPuritans Daughter now forms part
Of the stage score of the opera,-the charming
quartette, in the second act between Devilsh0of,
the Queen, Airline and Thaddeus, and the beauti-
full choruses, Come with the Gypsey bride" and
"a Gypsey's life" the former OF which is contin-
ually repeated throughout the work, account in
great measure for the popularity OF the opera.
All of the numbers were admirably given, Satur-
day evening, and IN the case OF the SOLOS, ABOVE
mentioned. and the quartette, were redemanded,
but the company's manager did not permit en-
cores
Miss De Lussan has very agreeable presence,
acted with spirit, and possesses voice OF GOOD
compass and quality. She has been well instruct
ed-her mother will be remembered as a member
Of the opera companies of twenty-five years ago
and she cannot fail to please her hearers every
where. Miss Huntingdon made most command
ing Queen and acted with dignity and manifest
power, while unsteady, she proved very salts
factory. Karl was a pleasing Thaddeus, and Mr.
Clark not only acted well but was admirably
fitted for the role of Devilshoof. Mr. Macdonald
was good as the Count and II his rendering of
"The heart bowed down" lacked something of
feeling, he acted the part flttingly The choruses
were all very good and happy innovation was
the dance of Devishoof with one of the gypsey
maidens. We cannot be as enthusiastic perhaps
as we should for recollections of the Arlines,
Thaddeuses, Devilshoofs, Counts and Gypsey
Queens Of other days are too firmly fixed In the
memory TO give place to these younger aspirants
for fame but for all that, the opera was, in its
entirety, very well rendered and very richly cos
tuned
In the afternoon Farnies @Musketeers" was
given to a very fair matinee audience. The opera
was presented here by this company two seasons
ago and, as Ii pleased then, so 1t did on this oc-
casion The convent scene between the school
girls the disguised MoSketeers, the Able and
Sbbess, made much merriment. and Frothlng-
ham, as the Able, called forth a shout of merfi-
nent with his gag ION trying to fix up the Ogdens-
burg" From foruahu the company Boio Troy,
N - s-,..a. - ~. r..,....
formerly Of Chambers Band. were glad to well