New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-04
MUSIC.
"L'AFRICAINE" AT THE OPERA.

(, might as well he confessed that it is getting
more difficult year after year to maintain a solemn
deneanor in the presence OF NJ. Meycvnoer's Mala-
rassv lady The efo.ts 20 interest the public in her
r,,sfortunes have not been numerous Of late hut
they seemed quite Intellectual and disturb
ing 70 a serious frame Of mind as last night. Il
was not because The music was not cung as well as
usual az such phrase may be allowed in nee
ton with an opera chat appears in the lists so
sporad!caily "LAfrcline'). or that the ship was
less imposing and the seamanshp less bewdcring
than We are accustomed to: on the contrary in all
these respects the opera was given TO the delight
o. is lovers who do not seem TO few. for the
fine big house full Of people and there was
enough enthusiasm In season ana ont 90 make
casual spectator think that IL was a gala night II
the public had only known it, moYeoter. they might
have worked mp a special demonstration i'm favor
Of the representation Of Don Diego. for this Is
season Of anniversaries. and NJ Castelmlry, whose
ewes were rolling in fine frenzy all evening was
the original Don Diego in Paris But rs 1t was, The
neh--oir!tci Hidalgo was only one scia 'ilalt spot
n % mass OF glory. l. was probably because Of the
retrospect that the occurrences at the Metropolitan
trs compelled that the opera failed TO COM
rlaaI an altogether reverential hearing from all.
Had VI Jean de- Rcszke not disclosed himself in
Oh, recent past as something vastly dferen. from
the conventional operate tenor Of heroic" meu his
Inpe~sonauon of Nasco da Cana would have
seemed impressive. and the usual ample mantle Of
charity which his Inconsistency toward the suavely
warl.rc Intz and The highly colored Selika calls
for would have been forthcomin :; but IL was
good deal Of a strain to keep serious while Lohen-
grin Tristan and Siegfried took a lesson in geogra-
phy from ,he Malagassy lady in the second act and
discovered q way 90 India 10y the careful inspection
- a map which looked Ike QsurEdniZed human
---~o with the island Cf Madagascar located short
distance from below the rEhf aTmpit. But there
were many VINO were undisturheu by su'h ConSil-
e-a.. -rs. and they enjoyed his manly bearing and
sincere singing nUcn ever. ana waNod en-
tnus.s-tic over everything which came up 70 the
Standard of the goo0 Old days when Mapleson was
k.rc ~ The operate men.
u Jean de 4.esZke was the central figure or the
entertainment. but he had some admirable com
r4rt1us chief OF whom was ". Lassdir, who was
d superbly picturesque ana savage NelusKO. Inc
par, is Of his best. and last night NJ recalled
ros- pleasantly his entrance on the New-Nork
trp retirement OF the German institution in the
way OF Nine Litvirne's complete success as
- ka there stood only her physical proportions
and -onventiOHa.itv Of pose and gesture. for she
sang with pure and resonant VO!c" ana me lii'lH-
-erra Miss EnGle a sWeety SuaNe lneZ. hul.
as So often before. she was too diminuuVe Tor hSr
SURROUNDINGS ". PancOn was the Standard
bearer Of Two religions ~ the course Of the even
.rr circumstances compelling him 70 appear as
me Grand InQuisitor in the first act and as a
NalAcassy Grand "rahmin in the fourth, bUt ne
" equally repletc with JUNCTION IN bO'l parts.
s. or the Don Pedro Of NJ. Edouard de Foszke.
Il can easily be imagined for Il was muSlc2Il!
r8lv 1. asks nothing but a presence ne Nl-H-
water mark of musical enjoy mert Was ieaentu
when VI Jean de ResZke sang 30 ParadIS' "HlcH
he had 10 repeat.