The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-10-08
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
THE MAID OF HONOR,


Haleyy's opera of "The Maid of Honor"
was the attraction of last evening at City
Hall, and was the first, in the brief Ideal
season, given outside of the Stockbridge
course.
The scene of the opera is laid at Poiliers,
during the reign of Louis XIII. Anne of
Austria, and her royal consort Louis XIII,
have becnibrought to Poitiers to await the is
sue of the military operations against La
Rochelle under the direction of Cardinal
Richeleu. PHILIPPE and Hector are intimate
friends, as devoted to each other as are the
young maids of honor, Eugene and Berthe
but Internationally the gallant musketeer,
Hector, Injuries his friend by making love to
Mile Eugene De Solange, of whom PHILIPPE
is deeply enamoured. Phillipe's affection is
returned by Eugene, but as he has never
had the daring to make his love known, he
has never heard the soft confession of mutu-
al flame. 1t happens that Hector, concealed
in grotto, hears the fair Eugene confess
her love for PHILIPPE. He writes her letter
VIII ich she believes comes from PHILIPPE, she
answers it making an designation Gn reality
with Hector which she fulfils, but when
Hector finds how deeply PHILIPPE is in love
with Eugene, he is so disguised with HIM
self he challenges an old ire-eating muske-
teer, Roland, to a duel. The musketeer,
however, declines. But PHILIPPE has been
arrested on charge of fighting duel on the
palace grounds and to save his life Eugene
confesses to the assignations-as she suppos-
es with him in order to save his life by an
alibi Then the Cardinal orders PHILIPPE
and Eugene to be married. Phillip, how
ever, determines to ascertain who the man is
who has wronged hiEl, and finally Berthe ex-
plains the needless jest. Hector, and the
musketeer, fight their duel, the former es-
Gaping with wound In the hand, and finally
Hector marrieS Berthe, PHILIPPE and Eu-
genie make up, and all ends happily.
To say that the opera was splendidly pre-
sented fails to give any idea Of the admirable
manner in which it was produced The
MAID of Honor is not light opera like
culties, full of most ornate and ford musi-
cal numbers, and with finale to the second
act that is worthy of place with the cele-
brated sixtette and chorus from Lucia. y
That finale was sufficient in itself, as sung
by the Ideals and accompanied by the
orchestra, to give them a high reputation.
There was a. grandeur in the volume of tone,
an attention to the harmOnieS, a breadth and
sweep to the music, that lifted the nearer
out of himself and bore him along as on the
crest of a wave. Not in a single respect did
orchestra or singers get away from the con-
ductor, whose eye was everywhere, and
whose baton ruled as a rod of iron, from
which there was no escape. Portland peo-
pie have the satisfaction of knowing that
never before have the Ideals given this opera
with the perfection that marked last nights
performance. From manager down, every
one was pleased.
From beginning to end the opera was de-
light to rigid musical taste, as well as to the
popular ear, and the cast to which it was in
trusted gave a certainty at the outset that no
opportunity would be neglected. Miss Marie
Stone was the Eugene; Mile. Lablacke the
Bertha; Tom Karl, PHILIPPE; Mr.. Lawton,
Hector; Mr.. Mcdonald, Roland the mus
keteer; Mr.. Clark the Criquet.
Miss Marie Stones voice, with its great
compass, its 1exibility, and great brilliancy /;
Mile Lablache's powerful and flexible con-
tralto, Mr.. Karl's agreeable, penetratiye ten
or, and Mr.. Lawton's sweet, melodious notes
harmonized so perfectly in the quartette in
the second act, and the number was SO SUI
perbly given that it evoked hearty encore.
The florid duet between Misses Stone and
Lablache, "COme, confess" in the first act,
Electors song," ooh, the young and Free"
in the second act; Phillips lovely song, so
full of sentiment, and so charmingly sung by
Tom Karl-"Deep in my heart. in the first
act; I. M. Clark's spirited lsolo,, The lady
of my love- in the second act; all these had
to be repeated The choruses were remark
able for the spirit and Intelligence with
which they were rendered. The masquerade,
with its minuet, was not only exceedingly
picturesque, but it was made pronounced
feature of the opera, which was mounted
and costumed with an elegance that did cred
it to the manager. In fact, to sum up, a
more brilliant rendering of this delightful
opera has probably never been given for
many years. anywhere.
Tonight, the lovely "L'ELisir d. AmOre,"
or "Adins," will be given with Mile. de LUIS
san and Tom Karl in the two leading roles.
sHAMUS o'BRIEN.
Tonight Mr.. Charles Werner and Miss
Annie Lewis will appear in "Shamus
O'Brien" at Portland Theatre. An exchange
says: 'Mr. Charles Werner, in his various
parts, was most amusing and elected round
after round of applause. His comic singing
is admirable, his acting excellent; no song
he sings is allowed to pass without an encore
in fact, he had only to show his merry face
to set the house in an uproar."
NOTES.
at the suggestion of Mr.. Theodore Thorn
as, President of the New York branch of the
National American Opera Company, the
Boston Symphony Orchestra will give Sc
ries of concerts ON Dec. IA, Jan. IL and Feb.
Is at Steinway Hall, and the New York
branch of the National American Opera
Company will guarantee the same.