New-York tribune., 1898-11-22
MUSIC.
NINE. MELBA'S CONCERT.

There viii b more than SOC iaL interest IN the
concert which Mime. Melba viii civ" at the Met
fOpolltsn opera House this evening for me beneht
Of the sunnyside Day Nursery. The opportunity
to hear Nine Melba confrss~dly the finest of Nv
ing singers ih ler linz pace Nine PattD. sf"r
half a years interval. II tempting enough 10 IN
sure a delighted gathering. for there is a'"afs
something inspiritng in popular singers hrsi ap-
pearance after long absence Ana Nine. M'lft
has chosen the music which Of all that she sings
best brings out the oveiness OF hsr voice and the
perfection Of her vocal trsinng-ih" Mad scene
from Lucia di Lammermoor" But the concert
VIII ONLY illustrate Nine. Meba's knd-h'artsf-
ress and philanthropy I'm general, i vii ai-" "f-
emplify her professional amiabiliiy and good-i"o~
ship. Nine. Gadski ls also TO sing al the concert
ana for her d will be Ia one respect novel ex-
pericncr.
The popular understanding about Mr EIli'''
opera company il that Mme Meba represents
the Italian end OF it and Nine. Gadsk the G"'-
mau-that Nine. Melba il the exponent Of lyricism
and Nine Gadski Of dramatic music in th" diter-
day senSe In general way. This IL true. bur II
~ not all the truth. Nine. Gddski VIII ihis year
effect her debut the stage Of Italian opera md
of her manner and ability In what - ne" 90
partment OF activity for her this evening" audience
al the Metropolitan Opera House viii have me
first opportunity to Judge In the line Of what she
has done in the past she will sing the grand scenr
from Webers "Obsro1'; IN the new che VIII blend
her voice with Nine Melba's in a duet from No
zarts marriage OF Figaro" Part OF h"r work
during the summer interregnum was the acquire
ment OF the role OF Susanna in that sparkling and
char1c cteristicay Italian work or the German
master
Though the announcements made thus Tar nave
been vague on the point. there can be niue douot
that the duet which will be sung will BE- that
I'm which the Countess and Susanna concoct the
letter 10 Count Almavira. which leads 10 his dl@-
comhture in the fnal scene Of the opera-the duet
beginning "Che soave ZcffirettO,' I'm which the
Countess dictates the letter which Susanna writes
and which finally they read out loud together TAX
about the artless grace or thia duet "ouid Do
wholly superfuous. but since IL Is TO be sung with
orchestra accompaniment an observation "hch
Mozart's critical bographer Jahn makes about tho
treatment OF the orchestra in II IS worthy OF no.
tice AT other times" he says, "the orchestra
forms the foundation in the working out or motits
upon which the voices suffered 70 move freely.
There are indeed few numbers in which inc Or
chestra does not temporarily undertake one or tho
other office in order assist the CHARACTERIZATION
The orchestra is never employed in this way with
better effect than in the sO-caed writing duet
AT the close OF the recitative. the Countess dc
tates the title 'canzonetta sur aria. and a. soon
as Susanna begins to write the oboes aud oas*oon'
tak. ND the ritorueIlo and undertake to tel a. II
were what Susanna is writing when she Is silent
and the Countess dictates" The Marriage or
Figaro was first performed at Prague on May l.
i-ss Sgnora STORAGE. English woman. was inc
Susanna and Signora Laschi the Countess on
Nav Is Mozart's father wrote home 20 his daughter
AT the second performance OF your brothers opera
FIVE pieces were encored and on the third seven.
One little duet had 70 be sung three times or
course II was the "canzonetta sui aria