The Portland daily press., 1895-09-13
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
Last Nights Concert.

FOftlhnQ mas not lulrequouUly III oiie
past had occasion to take pride in her
sons and daughters musical abilities, as
after long course of study at home ana
abroad, they have come forward on the
concert stage to show how they have Gull
tivated that rarest of all gifts, the hui
man voice. We doubt, however, If there
has been time before last evening when
three of her singers in thesesame concert
appeared in City Hall to show the results
of foreign study. The verdict was one of
unqualified approval. 1t is not probable
that there is any city in the country that
can bring together three more satisfac-
tory voices in all round singing.
The atmosphere last night was by no
means calculated to favor the singers,
il was SO heavy with moisture and the
temperature was so high. 1t was night
when a good deal of courage was required
to visit public hall and stand the added
heat that proceeds from large audience
and numerous lights. But, if the assem-
blage was not crowded one it was large
and intensely musical, and each of the
artists was SO warmly received that they
could not complain of any lack of in
terest in them or their work.
The programme was made up ralmost
entirely of well-known numbers from
the operas of Verdi, Rossini, Meyerbeer
and Donizetti, arias and concerted pieces
that every opera or concert singer is IA
miliar with, because they are part of the
instruction received from the great voice
builders abroad They gave an excellent
opportunity for the friends of Misses
Knight and Kicker and Mr.. Merrill to
see how they had improved, and that inn
provement was noticeable i'll the method
they had acquired, the skill in phrasing,
the life and spirit infused into their
work.
Miss knight sang the "forse lui" from
"Traviata" Sd that the purity and clear
ness of her tones were made more mag
nifcent than ever before. and trills and
runs near the close of the aria were adj
mirably executed. In the two songs
"Damon" and the "Gavotte" an oppor-
tunity was afforded to notice her deli
cacy of treatment of the one and win
ming airiness in the other, whose dance
measure was admirably suited to her
voice. In reply to most enthusiastic
encore she responded with a delightful
little Scotch song, "Laddie,'' and in the
concerted numbers with the others. the
oarefulness and perfection of drill was
noticeable
.. The rich, deep contralto of Miss Rick
or, was delight. With what nobility and
dignity she sang the scene and aria
from 'sThe Prophet, and with what
charm she invested and..what vivacity she
rendered that encore number Love s
Garden She was heard toyfne effect in
the duet with Mr.. Merrill, and also in the
concerted music.
Mr.. Harry Merrill has greatly improved.
His voice has broad III and deepened
and he sings with L. "A life and style.
He gave that great air "Piff Paff" from
the Huguenots in a manner to astonlsh
his friends, aud in response to the hearty
encore pleased eytremely with the drink
ing song Gu. .
Miss Alice Philbrook and Mrs A. M.
Smith brought out in a great degree the
beauties of the Beethoven concerto.
AS the Hayden Quartette the three
singers with Mr.. Will Stockbridge,. gave
Sullivan's "Lost Chord beautifully.
They have all sung so much together
and know each others voices so well that
more perfect harmony could hardly be
obtained
The closing number the grand sextette
from Lucia, in which Messrs. Barnard
and Harmon joined, was splendid
MI. Harvey Murray performed the ardu-
GUS duties of accompanist with the taste
and skill characteristic Of him.
The, Cotton King.
Tonight, Saturday matinee and Satur-
day night, Sutton Vane's striking melo-
drama of "The Cotton King" will be
prod uced at Portland Theatre, and there
is a large advance call for seats. The
story of the piece is this: Jack Osborn,
an American goes to England to intro
duce American ideas in the mills OF the
Manchester district. He falls in love
with an English girl, Hetty Drayson,
who is loved by another. Hetty is
wealthy too, and Jealousy ana avarice
are two strong incentives to urge the
unprincipled fellow, who is the villain OF
the piece to accomplish the disgrace OF
end the life of his rival. He is con-
tinually thwarted in his scheming and
finally tries to get rid of the girl whom
he pretends to love by locking her in the
bottom of an elevator we'll and then
bringing down. the ponderous car
heavily loaded with freight, upon kher to
crush her. There is always great ssnsa-
tion in the theatre when the elevator car
tegins to descend upon the apparently
HELPLESS young woman. Jack, who has
unexpectedly arrived from America, rush
es forward in time, breaks through the
bars of the cage and pulls the girl out
Just as her career is. about to be ended
forever. The piece is said to be finely
cast and excellently staged.
Ada Gray.