The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-08
= IN EURoRn


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tss-Donisettt's FESTIVAL.
Edgar Tinel's sacred opera. saint aodslivs."
in three acts and six tabieaux. was sun the
other day in o~ratorio form at the Brussels Expo
sition, and the performance 10 said 10 have boon
received with great enthusiasm. II Sas the hrst
time that II was given. Joseph Dupont conduct
cd, and the title role was sung by Nine. Jeanne
Raunay. the leading soprano Of the Theatre do
Ia Monnaie. The work deals with the life of St.
Godelive do Ghistelle, who hvod In tho eleventh
century. She was married to Bertolf OF CHS
telles. who, after treating her with great cruelty,
had her straneled and thrown into q well. In
consequence Of certain miraculous cures re-
ported from the use OF the waters OF the WE'LL
Bertolf became q monk and founded an abbey
near BruRes. st. Godelive 10 one of the patron
saints of the town.
Nine. Melba, who will go TO Borgamo for the
DoniEetti centennial celebration, which began
thore the other day. will be heard In THE
Daughter OF the Regiment" and "Lucia." She
will be heard In both Of these operas here noxt
winter. and according to the latest reports she
has announced her intention Of singing WagS
ner's music no more, and even e sa will DO
dropped from her repertoire. She will sing at
Bergamo in the carly part of September. One
of the rarely performed operas OF Donizettl to
be revived at the festival is "IMartiri. " founded
on Corneillo's tragedy "Polyeucte." Tamagno
will be the leading interpreter OF this work,
which 10 regarded by many as the most dramatic
OF Donizetti,s compositions.
Christine Nilsson, or the Countess do Miranda,
has lately boon In Sweden. her NATIVE country,
and according to the accounts OF her reception
countrymen the woman who has incarnated tho
spirit OF. their art TO the outside world. Nine.
nilsson had not visited Sweden for many years,
story OF her rise to her great position as one OF
the famous prima donnas Of the world has ALMOST
fhA M N n laEnnN In har nWn nnnfR Mia
has contributed to the musical section Of the
Stockholm Exposition many souvenirs Of her
only occasion on which her voice has been heard
In a long time BY many people was during this
enthusiastic greeting Of a number Of students
In one OF the university towns she sang a familiar
Alexandra BCssella, the leader of the Municipal
Orchestra Of Rome, who was lately tho victim Of
ademonstration made against his performance
justified In his selections by the attitude OF the
crowd that Kissed down the faction that endeav-
ored to bring the concert to an end: but 1t has
proved impossible for him to give performances
newspapers did not blame the group that raised
the row, but commented on the action with very
little faultlndinG. This brought about q preju-
dice against the leaders programmes, and rather
beer. he has decided to abandon the direction Of
The performances at Bsyro1th this summer
have gained the usual praise from the German
press, anu buCn blnRGTb III "lineiU STunlnR,
who are known from their appes RANGES hero to
be artists Of very mediocre ability. are very
hatteringly mentioned, and this circumstance
might no taken AS an indication Of the paucity
OF really fine artists In herman to-day.
Mime. Wagner has not continued the policy
OF inviting distingu iehed foreign artists to Bay
reuth which she began without any particular
result several years ago. Her intentions In the
matter apparently never get beyond the sugges-
tion that they should appear there. The length
of time for preparation and study which she eH.
acts of the less well-known sinRers makes 1t
seem impossible for them to accept. and mono
Of the foremost artists has in recent seasons
given evidence Of any great desire TO seek .
Bayreuth eng
The General Richard Wagner Union OF Ger
many held Its annual meeting at Bayreuth last
week. This body. at ono time so influential,
has lost nearly ZOO members in the last year.
Last year the society was represented in 100
places and now IL has branches in only eighty
two. The question OF the dissolution Of the So
ciety was discussed and that course was found
to be opposed to the wish of a majority OF tho
members. Max Alvary, who is not singing this
year at Bayreuth, has succeeded in having the
Judgment reversed which decided that the pro-
priet0r OF the opera house on the stage OF which
he fell and injured his leg was not responsible
for the loss caused by the accident.
sing there in IL. Prise de Troie." will 90 to
Italy this winter as tho primA donna of SonEo-
gno's Milan eeason. She will SIM in "Orphec,'
La yivandiere, and "L'Altaque au Moulin
She has learned Italian for the purpose OF tho
Mile. Blanche Picard, who was formerly In tho
company at Brussels. She appeared at Covent
Garden during the past season, and will remain
In Paris for some time.