New-York tribune., 1908-07-12
,~o,,-;r,. ,aos hr u E. KrehbieI.

xo-day I shall neither gainsay my lnioiIldiA' i1O
hermit the fact to give heartburnings in spite
of NV attitude toward the modern lyric drama. To
THAI popularity Nine. Nilsson contributed factor
OF tremendous puissance- No singer who Is sun
u living memory was so intimately assoclateu ~
the local mind with Gounod's masterpiece as sie
whose good fortune it had been TO re-creale IIe
character of Marguerite when on March .. looS,
the opera in a remodelled form was transferred
from the Theatre Lyriquc 90 the Grand opera Al
Paris Coming to New York soon afterwaro' II
was she who the standard by which, Tor a long
time an subsequent representatives of the CHAR
ecter were Judged With her. Nine Scalchi (who
never had more than rival in the part OF Seoel
$50 far as New Workers are concerned, viz, Annie
Louise Cary) and Signor Campanini Che most pop
slar Faust who has ever sung in New York; in the
.rorananv II was no wonder that the opera was
chosen for performance on the opening night AT
The Metropolitan Opera House on October =. lSSS
1lle opera was sung in Italian. no managers fancy
having yet attained such conception as 1hat all
speras ought 10 be sung in the languages in whlch
they. were compassionate might be- for this rea-
son the names in the cast, though given in their
Familiar French forms may be transliterated into
italian IL so they VIII better please the reader
sThe cast then was as follows: Marguerite, Mime.
1lilsson: siebel, Nine. Scalchi; Martha, Mile La
fhache fwhose mother had been expected to appear
sn the part but prevented by judicial injunc-
tion): Faust. Signor Campanini; Valentine. Signor
gDel Puente; Eephistopheles. Signor Novana.
The performance did not differ materially from
Music when the same artists took part. All the
principal artists indeed, had been heard in the
opera many times when their powers were greater.
Mime. Nilsson had been thirteen years before the
AAmer1can public, and though in this period her
ert had grown dignity and nobility, her voice
had lost the fresh bloom Of its youth and her
figure had begun TO take natrony contours.
xStill, she a great favorite. and hers was an
Extraordinary triumph, the outburst Of popular
appreciation coming. to have been expected,
-Aa r--Sa pF fHa Eafo ing n
s11y review of the performance which appeared in
THE Tribune Of the next day, note that till that
.snoment there had been little enthusiasm. After
khe had sung the scirtillant waltz. however, the
aast film of ice that had held the public in decorous
check was melted, and an avalanche of plaudits
overwhelmed the fair singer. Bouquets rained from
The boxes, and baskets of flowers piled
she footlights till It seemed as II there was to be
no end. in the midst of the floral gifts there
elso handed up q magnificent velvet casket inclos-
ing wreath Of gold bay leaves and berries, in
iseniousiy contrived be extended into a girdle
70 be worn n the classic style. and two gold brooch
ilnedalhons. bearing the prof1les of Tragedy and
COMEDY, with which the gi7dle be fastened.
Tie donor not mentioned, but inscription
told thar the gift was in commemoration of the
opening Of the Metropolitan Opera House Signor
Campanni had spent the year before the opening
sn retirement hoping repair the ravages made in
his voice by the previous seasons the Academy
of Music. and ] regret to say. possibly his
less mode Of life His faults had been conspicu-
for several seasons. and the hoped for amend
1nent did discover Itself. Occasionally the
oldtime sweetness, and egain occasionally the old
time manly ring apparent in his notes, but
they were always weighted down by the evidences
of labor. and the briIliancy Of the upper tones
with which he used TO fire audience into uncon-
rrollahle enthusiasm gone"
The regular subscription nights at the Metro
Tolitan in the first and for all the seasons
that followed down that of l9O7-'OS. were Mon
DAYS. Wednesdays and Fridays with afternoon
performances on Saturdays On the second night
of the season. October "a. 1883, Mr.. Aloey brought
forward two of his singers. The opera was
Lucia di LammeTmoor, the first performance OF
which in the house made memorable by
the Introduction Of Nine. Marcella Sembrfch She
had been engaged by Mr. Abbey the strength
of the success achieved by her in the London
season of 1883. She was almost at the beginning
of her career being little known outside Of
Athens, where she made her debut; Dresden.
where she had sung in German, and London. She
had dazzled the British metropolis by her vo-
calizatien, especially in Lucia" and it for
this that ii elected to be first heard
3n It IN New York Before the season came TO
end she sang IN Il Puritani, Don Giovanni La
TEsviata" and Hamlet" All the good qualities
which have since then been extolled hundreds of
times by the critics of the New York newspapers
were noticeable in her first representation. turn
back 10 the files Of The Tribune what
wrote while under the spell Of her witching art
and find the following:
Nine EernbriCh is a lovely singer.-loVelv
person. of address. of voice; and her ARTISTIC ac-
cuirements, in the limited field ia which Doni
are OF the highest rank Her style is exquisite
and plainly the outgrowth Of a thoroughly musi-
Snents Of art such reposef1lness Of manner such
eoothness and facility in execution, such perfect
balance of tone and refinement OF expression can
bs found only in one richly endowed with deep
carries her voice wondrously well throughout a
wide register, and from her lowest note her
highest there is the quality OF tone IT is
voice OF fine texture too II has Telvety softness.
yet is brilliant and though not nagnetic in the
same degree as the voices OF other singers stun
before the public. il has hne, sympathetic vein.
warmer Efe-blood in Il
OF the n1usicianly qualities Of this charming
singer. recognized this first acquaintance, we
were to have a demonstration before her depart
ure which in the highest degree surprising
Sympathy for Mr.. Abbey in his great losses and
admiration for the self-sacrifcing in
which he adhered 10 all his obligations TO them
as well as the public, led the directors Of the
Metropolitan Opera Company offer him bene-
fit concert At this entertainment, which
oessfuI beyond anything that local records had to
show up TO that time, the profits amounting TO
$4,000, Nine. Sembrich sang an aria; then came
upon the stage and played violin obbligato to
Nine. Nusson's performance OF the familiar Bach
Gounod Ave Maria; again she appeared and
this time played a Chopin Mazourka Inc piano
forte in every instance she the complete
artist, and the public. who had been charmed by
her wftcherles as Nozart's Zerlina and melted
by the pathos Of her singing in the last act Of
La Traviata." we're al & loss 10 say If she had
shown herself a greater artist IN song in in
struraental music, pianist violinist 1t
not until many years after she had returned
70 Europe continue her operate triunphs in St
Petersburg. Madrid, Vienna. Paris and Berlin that
] learned the story Of her life and with il the
secret of her musical versatility how she had
started life asa player Of the pianoforte and
violin with her father at dances in the houses of