Year: 1876

SECOND APPEARANCE OF MILE. TITIESs AS


NORMA.


Mile Titiens made her second appearance in the title
role Of the opera of Norma the Academy OF Music
last night The house was crowded. the occasion
OF her FIRST appearance and the good fortune Of her
previous effort attended her also in this. SO far as
voice is concerned Nile Titiens not so ioru-
Monday night but her acting full OF the
fire which has given her much Of her fame
as lyric artist and her singing at all times
displayed consummate art As TO the performance as
whole, considering il from a hgh operac standpoint,
we cannot speak confidently Indeed, the entire
evening only Illustration Of what the HERALD
has already said of performance that the presenta
tion OF opera at the Academy this season is only
operate concert From the overture TO the finale
this was true last night Everything that went
before the "Casta Diva" exceedingly feeble,
and was submitted to quietly and as! a thing
necessary 70 be endured because there was this
grand aria in the work and Titiens TO sing It, AT


concert Signor Bacce might have sung the "Me Pro-
tegge air before audience equally patient-he might
have sung il with as little much effect for last
night the idea that the little who doing
Polio Roman proconsul more suggested
itself TO his auditors than his singing the song would
have done on less pretentlous occasion. The same
remark applies 10 the rendering OF tho opera
throughout, the tenor, the basso and the donna
Becunua only nlllng In lnterSuces OF evening
for the occasions when Mile. Titiens put TO the full
her either actress a singer. In single
instance Mss Beaumont rose above this level and IN
the "Mira Norma she sung not only with much sweet
but with force and expression II the first act
only led up through much patient suffering TO the Casd
"Dvan and the Al, BeUo Ritoras, in neither OF
which Mile Titiens was equal TO her own high stand
ara the successive scenes Of the second act pre-
paratory. in the concert sense TO bit OF
splendid acting on the part OF the prima donna
IN the scene where she exposes the perhdY OF Polio.
The recatve during this episode breathed ali the fury
0nHno nf aTdi nnnoA
acting stands opt boldly and by Itself for tragic force
and power After this the trio "Oh III Qtsdl Sci Ttt'
came relief TO the overstrained feelings OF house
and her double skill as lyric and dramatic artist II
was the only thing Ike real opera which
the evening afforded and II seemed even to inspire
Signor Bacce with higher artistic spirit than his
him. The curtain fell tor the second time with ecldt
and the triumph in measure justified the operatic
concert which was assuming to be opera at the
Academy OF Music In the last act the battle chorus
earned recall, but the gem Of the evening
was the deep feeling and consummate taste
with which Nile. Titiens sung in the
''Qual cou Tradestin duet Here too she lifted the
Polio Of the evening above his level Of medocry and
invested his eebieness with part Of her own
strength. 1t will be from this that the perform
Of Beni's work under its present conditions is
OF episodes each agreeable in ITSELF and in
measure justifyng what comes between. 1t is not
opera in It's highest sense-indeed Norma" does
not admit OF the highest artistic interprcta-
ton, but II IS better than
cert in this that 1t gives the great artist who embodes
the work opportunity for displaying those excep-
tonal and phenomenal powers which would have been
denied her in the concert room. IL is pleasant that
such great good fortune has followed her endeavor and
the alacrity with which the American public sustain
her is proof that her efforts appreciated II has
been determined TO repeat the opera again
evening the production of Lucreza Borgia" being
served for Monday night