The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1886-04-25
AMUSE NJ ENTS.

More than verified we're the predictions OF Tin
IRRAih as TO the success Of the Boston Ideal Opera
Company under the management OF w. II. Foster
so long connected with the organization IN an cx.
ecutive capacity. From almost every Northern and
central city come words Of commentator and mott
ncaiion OF artistic and financial results better and
more noteworthy than best OF friends expected
Results 80 satisfactory nave not been attained with
out large expenditure, constant and painstakinp
rehearsal, and talented execution OF intelligent
plans No other English opera company, while
travelling, has ever attempted to put on two new
operas. The Ideals have. aud successfully, "Mald
OF Honor" and "Adnan being received with high
encom'ums WHEREVER they have been presented
Daring this weeks engagement at the New Nationa
both OF these operas will he given, the complete
rcpcriory being as follows: Monday and Thursday
"Maid OF Honor;" Tudsday and Friday, "Adna;
Wednesday matinee, 10y special rcqucst,) "rrs
pmvolo;" "Wednesday evening and Saturday hiatt
nee, "'irtot, me rlaeslockng," $50 great success
here when presented by the Ideals last January !;
saturday evening, "Martha." Speaking OF one oi
the initial performances OF Mad OF Honor" the st
Paul PioneerTress says: "If the adjective full had
comparative degree II might he used to describe
the size OF the audience at the 81. paul Grand las,
evening with reference to that OF the night before
When gilded youths sit on the floor there must In.
deed he charm on the stage and plethora IN the
auditorium. The orera-tne second revival Of an
Old iarorlte by the Ideals since their last visit TO ST
Paul-was Haleey's Lea Mousanetaircs de ia Refine
done into American OF tile brand Of iSsG Inv Mr..
Fosters libretlist In ordinary, Oscar Wen. IL is
perhaps the Wost popuat opera comi1ue by a French
tsl6 II ran for six hundred consecutive nights and
Is subject to frequent revvals. The story is loo
complex for detailed narration, being tale of love
and intrigue OF which the scene Ia laid at Poicrs
whittier Cardinal Richelieu has brought the French
court and where to Keep 1t out of political mischief
he encourages mischief OF tendercr sort. Tom
kari perSOnuteP humble Dut NINA
keteer, who madly loves the cardinals niece, Marie
stone, aud who OF course finally becomes a duke as
every down.trodden stagelover ought, in the last
act. Miss Huntington "a merry friend Of the car,II.
nails niece, Mr. Morscll o. an ahatort practical Joker
and Mr.. McDonal4 as hrnsfue and grizzly old lre.
eating captain make out the other characters who
fgure In the story, though Mr. Clarke gets a chance
to sling an encore-icchlng bass solo in the second
act. But the interest OF the opera does not as il,
Adna,' depend largely upon the story of the comedy
by-play, but upon the music, which IL much more
serious and sentimental In character than the lifting
effect and Astounding IN taking solos, duets, and
guaItets Miss stones reception In the title role was
most M friendly and she responded by giving the part
the best use of her brilliantly clear and thrilling
soprano. Her execution Of The beautiful trills and
war,ncst expressions OF delight. MIR. Kari coud
hardly be happier placed than In 'Adina, and We,
his rich and hearltu voice was heard to at least
equal advantage. His song In the first act, ,Deep In
my heart familiar air interpolated from a. Eclair
by the same author, was the most delightful single
Dh vi TUE cNeullIE. IL was nlgnt oil trillmOn for
Miss Huntington, whose rich and sumptuous con
tralto with the greater freedom which her season on
me stage has brought her, comes out with glorious
OF the evening with her i've been told men are hut
deceiyers and her Interpolation OF old ballad In
the third act. They say that the boy god Love- Il
not strictly In Key with the opera, pleased the audi
ence very much She was the recipient of an i'm.
mense bunch OF roses from her sister singer, Miss
De LussaD, who occupied a box. She has deyeloped
since last seen on a ST Paul stage style of comedy
OF her own, which principally consists In the natura
expression OF her own sprghty and pleasing per.
and commanding figure, and great desire to please
she can hardly fail OF that result. The opera is ad
mirably staged, the costuming being expensively
rich and elegant, and the general movement
OF the chorises speaking eloquently for The
excellence Of MIR. Wams's stage management
critic Of the Chicago Tribune has this to saw TIas
night was red-e,ter night for the Boston Ideals
inasmuch as 1t marked the first production of thei
third new opera for the present season. 1t wa.
'Adina,' Mr.. Oscar Wells adaptation of Donzetti,
elixir OF Love- Why 1t should have been Thought
necessary to change the name OF the opera 1t is mo-
easy to say. Possibly because the present version
makes number OF changes In the work, the main
one being the Encouragement OF the material into
three acts instead OF two. The story IL amusing ant
not abored. Idind Is the soprano village coquette
sweetly in love with gentle tenor rustic named
Nemorino: The lovely maiden is also the cynosure
OF unattached admiration In general, especially tina
OF the soldiers stationed near and particularly Of tn
dashing and somewhat cOnceited bass sergeant IN,
nrft act serves to introduce these d,didtis
In the second act luack doctor arrives, D,lcd
| mara, (BarnabeeO who advises his wonderful cure
alls. Nemortno applies to hun for ove-potion
and the doctor sells him a bottle OF Bordeaux wine
Having taken this, Nenoriuo is full of confidence
and dsgus's the fair Idind, who forthwith agree
10 70. marry Se'gedm Belcore Just before the wed
common soldier, In order to be able with his adyanc,
pay to pay to purchase second bottle of the won
dies and leaves him all his properly. That Ad,nt
marries him is now matter of course. The stor
| Affords room Tor pleasing comedy OF various kinds
and especially for much tuneful singing. The prin
clpa musical numbers are the following: In tn
hrst act Nen,orino sings Il love her, I adore her
Adina has the legend of Sir Tristan and Isolde
Nemorino and Adtna having a charming duet, sAs
the zephyrs, lightly s,rayng;' there Is a soldiers
chorus and song for the sergeant; a sentlmenta
quartet, "Twere best thou shouldst forget me- TN
act closes with pleasing ensemble. The best thing
In the second act are DuicdDldrd's song, duet be
tween Duicdmara and Nemorino, the barcarol
| duet between DuiCdmdrd and AdiHu, an aria O
Nen.oriao's, good ensemble and duale, and ca
pecially Adtna's nerpolated song. 1nths instanc
little bird that sings and as sung by Miss d
| Lussan 1t made the best effect OF the Who'll
opera. In the third act there are several pleasin
numbers. The music throughout Is bright an
| sparkling. The melodies are pleasing at first hear
| Ing and improve upon acquaintance. All the musi
also is genteel In cut and sngulary becoming to tn
voices OF the singers In the cast last night Miss d
lussan as .idi,,d was charming. IIervoce appear
to better advantage In this part than in almost any
the Bohemian Girl. Her representation of tn
| coquettish maiden was that Of one 'to the manne
born Mr. Karl a. Nemortno was pleasing. II
was not wholly successful In Disgusting the fact tina
the days of his bashfu youth are beginning to be
long to the period that Clarke sings OF in 'rhe Mai
| OF Ilonor,''Wh men indeed were men, But hi
voice is charming, and as soon as he becomes itl
more at home In the role this will be of his best
Barnabee as Duicd0drd added another to the role
IN which he Is irresistible. Clarke as the dashin
| Sergeant sings much better than he dasheB. Tn
chorus sang well, and the ensembles went with goo
enec,, eIs ~ adna, Judging from the qnckness wit
even greater success than Victor, II people car
to hear light melody beautifully sung. The costum
being rich and TASTEFUL
| Ihe all-too brief season OF American opera a
Albaughs next week will bring together the voarie
| OF fashion and lovers Of music The manag emen
for wonder, offers us only one opera, Wagner
| "Flying Dutchman," That has ever been heard her
before. The repertory is: Monday, Gluck
| "Orpheus and Eurydlce;" Tuesday, Dellbes's spc,
tacular ballet, "sylvia," and Victor Masses sho
opera, "rhe Marriage OF Jcanneite;' wednesda
matinee, Delibes's "Lakme," and Wednesday nigh
| "The Flying Dutchman.n The sale of single seal
for these operas will begin tomorrow morning. Tn
company were last week playing III Boston I
crowded houses, and speculators were reaping
| harvest. or the performance OF "Orpheus an
Eurydlce" last Wednesday evening the Bosto
Herald said: TO have one opera OF a weeks repe
| tore put upon the stage and sung In such q wa
as Glnck's great work was on this occasion cause
| surprise even 10 those familiar with the ndomi
iaolc energy, llDeraty, ana good taste Of the eat
| ing spirits In this operate enterprise. Nothing ca
| eulated to complete the presentation has bee
| omitted, and the expenditure Of time and means
| fully Justified by the results obtained. No musi
lover who heard this performance can fail to feel
sense Of obligation to Manager Locke, Musical ID
rector Theodore Thomas. and their assistants fo
the pleasure afforded. The OrDheus OF The cas-
Helene iastreler, gave another evidence Of he
eminent dramatic and vocal abilities, and her pre-
sentation OF the role was an admirable cOmbinatlG
OF artistic musical defamation and strong draInati
action, which well mcrited the generous applaus
which rewarded her efforts. The lament owe
the lost E,nydiCe made the eliminating even
In the evenings success OF this artist, and tn,
grand delivery OF this number created quite q ser
| salOn In the audience. The impersOnaii0n OF tn
role was OF great dramatic strength, and she mad
| notable figure In tableaux OF the first scene. l
the Eu'pdiCe OF the cast, Emma Juch, was had
| however, not only eminent dramatic and vocal ab
ity, but perfect picture OF ideal classic beaui
such as IL seen but rarely save In dreamland. lie
face, set OF by the very simplicity and severity
the fashion In which the fair hair OF the singer wa
| arranged, and her 1gare, about which her classl
robe fell In graceful folds, combined TO make stud
for an artist, and gave an added beauty to all OF he
surroundings. Her voice was again heard wilt
peculiar pleasure In the several numbers OF her role
anu lis delightful purity, the simple direct way II
| which II was used, the admirable clearness wit
which each syllable was enuncated, and the intell
gence shown IN every phrase, were well calculate
10 win the high praise which was accorded to Eurb
dice OF the cast upon all sides throughout the aud
| ence. II would he dilicult, indeed, TO imagine
more perfect conception OF the role than that give
by this artist. TO hear the noble chorus numbers q