The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-02
NOTES OF THE oPERA.

'TannhAuser." LES H~uguenots." Romeo
ct Juliette." "H Barbiere di Seviglia." Faust"
and Don Giovanni" The weather was good.
and mono OF the singers succumbed to the Bos-
ton east winds. Ernst Van Dyck was one OF
the slngers new there. In "TannhAuser." as
well as in Die walknre.'' he was highly
praised for his graphic and expressive acting.
Just as he was here. His singing. too. was
much better liked than it ever was
here. 1t was described. indeed. as the only
correct way Of singing Wagner. One critic
picked out for especial praise NJ. Van Dyck's
singing OF the spring song In Die Walknre."
In "TannhAuser I" and in Die Walktre" as
well he made the success which he has not
always been able to achieve in New York.
During the first week N. saleza sang only In
Romeo ct Jullette." but that one appearance
served to gain for him the most enthusiastic
praise OF the Boston critics. He was one OF
the newcomers most successfully introduced.
Miss Suzanne Adams. who comes from Cam
bridge. made a very pleasing impression
as Ju'ehe and caused Boston to feel a ~justifa-
able pride in the possession OF one member OF
the company who had won for herself so much
honor. Nine. -Heink made the same
deep impression that she Is always sure OF. OF
all the singers new there this year NO one else
created the impression that Nine. Sembrich
did. Her debut was made as Queen Marguerite
'"o iiukuoHots at % peTlOTlHduCc. MI
accounts of the evening devote most OF their
praise to her singing. and such triumph seems
almost incredible, in view Of the fact that she
was surrounded by the most brilliant mem
hers OF the company. Evidently she was the only
the critics. Nine. Sembrich had the same ex-
EerienGe at the performance OF II Barbiere
al all seyyigl,an The public was ENTHUSIASTIC.
ING had not been heard there since Ade-
linz linz, Patti was in her prime. Nine. Sem,
week in Boston. M ts"t''E ames's' SEC.
aindei Ess heard for the first time in Boston
new to Boston. but tho criticisms OF that per-
I9rmanSe were not go unanimously favorable;
l,onnd Ezra. Jean de Reszke as Lohenorin
aroused the usual admiration. The repertoire
i Include ae' tristan sfG2aa week Snd d iso tas sfa T. N %i!!
r. ro d i FIsnT%," #TohSsnsEin;;. %JFaast;'
concerts with the engagement Of the company.
It was a surprise to some observers Of the stu
which were Les Hneyenots" and Don GIG:
the singers. and an Irresistible lot of them
were included in both of these programmes.
Mime Melba's company has finished the
weeks engagement in San Francisco and met
there with a rather curious experience. When
Nine. Melba sang the houses were large.
When she was not in the cast the audiences
were small. 1t Is true that some OF the most
prominent members Of the company retired
before San Francisco was reached. Albert
Alvarez and Ernest Krauss returned to Europe
TO fill engagements. there leaving only NJ. Bon.
nard and Signor Ceppi. who Joined the COM
pany at San Francisco. to sing the leading
tenor roles. The organization even with
these changes was much stronger than
any other that has visited California in years.
The other sopranos were Mines. De Lussan
and Gadski. The public refused to patronize
any performances in which Nine. Melba did
not take part. Probably the visit OF the prima
donna to San Francisco last spring. when she
gave several performances with a chorus found
there and other local talent, proved more profit
able than this years season. The fact that So
was charged for all performances is believed to
be the cause Of the poor attendance on the
nights she did not sing. Carmen " Aida"
Il PaGliacci" and "Cavalleria Rusticana"
were the unfortunate operas that Jared badly
In point of attendance. Nine. Melba had big
houses in. Faust IN Barber" di Seyiglia.'
T,La Bol"me, and les Hpguenots." san
cheap prices. and is commonly accounted a
town literal in the patronage of such musical
productions AS the Ellis Melba company gave
since IN" last visit oil the Abbey. Schoafcl 4
GraG company to ths coast. But i would NOT
who was the star of the company. This
was doMHti"ss very iattering T. her. but IS
the success Of the enterprise her popularity
has its drswbacks IL is now intended that
pany, shall open in san Francisco on Oct. ..
Mr.. Grau very, wisely takes with him almost the
ent, 50 he will be able to keep up the repre-
s oi S6n1 to an I even STANDARD. 1t j. not;
again Join the company at the opening Of
ne yeW York season: II is not YET settled that
Nine. ,Sembrich nor Nine. Eames has as yet
signed for next season.. In any case the COM
same. that the Metropolitan audiences are TO
hear later. II is not to be doubted that San
francisco will support such an organization
literally.
The dispute that arose over the commissions
to be paid on the contracts OF Ernst Van Dyck
and Andreas DIPPED suggests the curious ar
ranRement as to contracts that sometimes ex-
lists at tho Metropolitan. The fact that q singer
has not signed a contract does not mean that
he or she Is not to return. Jean de Reszke has
never. since the first year he came to New York,
had any formal contract with Mr.. Grau. He
merely comes over to sing with the company.
after notifying the management. and takes the
salary that he has been in the habit Of re-
ceiving. This year his arrangements were
changed. and he took o fixed sum OF every
performance instead Of a percentage OF all
that the house contained in addition to a fixed
sum OF $1,000. That was the only preliminary
to his coming. No number OF performances
was agreed upon. NJ. do Reszke has no con-
tract for the Covent Garden season. He sings
az many times as he wants to and goes to Po-
land when he feels that his season has been
long enough. He Is 30 necessary at Covent
Garden that without him there would probably
be no opera there. Before the boxes arc
subscribed for most Of the applicants make
sure that VI. de Reszke is going to sing,
NJ. de Reszke is thought to be necessary to op-
era in New York, With some of the other artists
who come here the terms Of their contracts in
| reality amount to very little. Nine. Lehman
came to New York this season for only ten per-
formances. and has, sung at twice as many.
If her health had kept good she would
have appeared even more frequently. Nine.
Sembrich's, contract was Just AS much
altered after the season began, There
are some contracts. however. that are most
intricatcly arranged and filled with all sorts OF
conditions and restrictions in favor. naturally
enough, of the artists. AS a matter OF fact.
such arrangements are rarely necessary. The
consultations between the. management and
the artists usually accomplish all that is nee
esSary. II rarely happens that the contract