The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-06-11

we Sudlll nave IL llAd1lk S1SQOG MauCl~
neHi for stirring up old memories with
his ballet in the second act. 1t made
me think of two years ago, when the
Bacchante tripped it in the Public Lii
brary courtyard. and of the breeze her
gyrations caused among certain people
here The Bacchantes in this new opera
early become a prey to the fumes of
wine, and their pretty posturings came
to too speedy end for my taste, for the
Fro Leandro' ballet music is one of
the most fetching numbers; but, of
course, the audience could not expect
an encore Of the scene on which the
curtain disereetly fell"
Genoa newspapers give further de-
tails regarding the opera (''King Isear')
on which Verdi is said to be at work.
Among other things. it is said that the
opera is in four acts, the last, in ac-
cordance with Verdi's custom, being
written first; that Lear baritone, has
a pathetic lament In the second act.
and that Boito, tins hbrettist, has some
how introduced into the story the char
acter of Cafiban, from "The Tempest"
y
Georgiana Won Januschowsky, who,
until the death of her husband, Adolf
| Neuendorff, was prominent in New
York operate matters. was injured re-
Gently while singing in Berlin. The ac-
cident occurred in the last act of 1.-The
Huguenots." AS Raoul drew his sword
to rush to the aid of his brother Hugue-
nots he tripped and wounded Nine.
Januschowsky, who was the Valentine,
seriously in the eye.
| Marcella Sembrich is the only one of
| the, great singers now left in this CONN.,
TRY She began on April Doth, at Co.
lumbus, a brief concert tour, during
which she will sing in Columbus, Gin
cinnati, Indianapolis, Detroit, Nashville
and Louisville. She. has been engaged
as the star of the Maine festival next
October, at what is said to be the high
| est pay ever given for the services of
soloist there. These engagements are
conditional on her return here with the
| opera company, and she has already
contracts with the same proviso that
will keep her in this country until the
| end of June.
| A candid farmer of EVERY, Iowa, re-
Gently heard performance Of ST.
Paul. sung in Spencer, Iowa. by home
talent, and his impressions of the grand
work are herewith produced as they APP
peared in letter from his pen, written
to the Spencer HERALD:
/ EVERY, Iowa, April 23.-Editors
Herald: Ever hear an oratorio? No?
Well, sir, it's the warmest proposition
in the musical line on the road.
II went down to Spencer last week
on business, and an oratorio was billed
at the opera-house CD that night, so
stayed over and took in the show.
| What's it like? Well, the curtain goes
up on a stage full of singers; on sign
| from their leader they all start in sing
| ing just as hard as they can. They sing
| up and down the scale and round and
round; first lady to the center and sa-
lutte; second gent salute and cross over;
first four forward and back, and all
hands round, and SO on.
81 got in little late and didn't get
| program, SO had to guess what it WAS
all about. From what I could gather
they had been chasing a hen around
the lot and trying to catch her. They
/ chased it round and round the house,
through the grove and under the corn
crib. Then a soprano came forward,
L !
catch her, she runs too fast for me, she
runsLruns-runsk too fast for me- Then
an alto comes up beside her. and war
bles, Let me assist. let me assist, We'll
catch her yet; viii poke her out-poke
| her out from under the e-o-r-n-c-r-i-b.'
Then the tenors eackle, Yes, yes, yes,
yes. poke her out. yes, yes, yes. yes,
poke her out And the BASES growl,
| Poke her out
Some one evidently 'pokes her OUT
for she sails out over the smokehouse,
and into the calf pasture with the en-
tire chorus in hot pursuit, shouting
Stone him to death. stone him to
death, stone him to death. s-t-o-n-e-
h-i-m-t-o-d-e-a-t-h. Then the sopranos
and altos squirt ahead of the crowd
singing the war song, Stone him to
DEATH, while the tenors and BASES
bring up the rear, crying Stone him,
stone him, stone him. etc. But the
chicken, worn out by the fright and
fatigue, erawls into a joint of stove
pipe near the woodpile. and is dragged
out by the tail feathers, by an alto
singer in a pink sunbonnet, and is car
led back in triumph before the judge
Ia big man with fierce whiskers-who
proceeds to pass sentence on said chick
en-. After much growing by the at
torneys en- beth sides, in which all the
chorus occasionally chips In, the chick
en- was sentenced to death. This ended
the first act.
81 should liked to have heard the rest
of the show. but I remembered that
late freight would take me home
if I hurried, so I left at the intermis-
sion.
GA good many complain that they
can't understand or appreciate classi-
cal music but though I am only plain,
plodding farmer, I could see through it
easy enough. though why they should
call it ST. Paul any more than Mime
apolis or Omaha, can't imagine"