THE OPERA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LIII, Issue 5892, 14 January 1880, Page 5

THE OPERA.

“Bohemian Gibe.”

The performance of this melodious opera, which drew a good house, was distinguished last night for unflagging spirit and completeness of finish. The sparkling music received appropriate treatment from voices and instruments, the scenes succeeded each with rapidity and correctness j the whole thing, in short, was as it ought to be, full of life, motion, and music. The chorus sustained the impression made by their performance the evening before, which is a great matter, for operatic choruses in New Zealand are usually poor, and Balfe’s beautiful opera requires the choral effects to be superlatively excellent. Last night the chorus singing was distinguished for freshness, power, good balance of voices, spirit, and precision in all the effects. The “ Gipsy Chorus” and the long string of choral interruptions and accompaniments following it, were specially noticeable for these excellencies; and the same may be said of the choruses during the “ Fair Scene,” which was very bright and pleasant. There might have been more attention to light and shade in some of the numbers, especially, for instance, might the robbers have been less vociferous in the matter of “ silence.” The chief opportunity for careful singing was, however, not missed, for the famous prayer (like a German chorale) intoned by the Count in the first act, was made very impressive, and smoothly devotional. The two great scenes—-the finale to the second act, and the quintette and chorus following the discovery scene in the third—where the principal performers required choral support, were not, on the other hand, made as much of as, with the material at command, might fairly have been expected from the chorus. But on the whole the chorus was admirable. The orchestra, reinforced by local performers we observed, was in great force, revelling as all instrumentalists do in the numerous vivacious melodies that sparkle all through the orchestration. Here too the light and shade might have been better in places—as for example in one portion of the duet "The Secret of her Birth,” the singers while singing pianissimo, as they verv properly did, wore inaudible. To return for a moment to the vocal music; a magnificent instance of good concerted music was the quartette by Arlino, the Gipsy Queen, Thaddeus, and Devilshoof, “ From the Talleys,” which was distinguished by the smoothness of all the executants, but especially for the crisp vivacity of Madame Hersee’s soprano, the whole bringing down the house with a very demonstrative recall. A feature of the instrumental music was the introduction for the clarionet to “ The Heart Bowed Down,” admirably played by Mr M'Coy, who displayed the range and quality of his fine instrument, as well as his command over it and his good style to very great advantage. He also was recalled very deservedly. The applause throughout the evening was frequent and hearty. Mr Beaumont achieved as usual a success with the part of Thaddeus, which he has long made his own. Though not in anything like remarkable voice, the artistic finish of his style and the sympathetic quality of his tone, secured him a flattering reception and several recalls ; one, as a matter of course, in “ When other lips,” and another, equally as a matter of course, in “The Fair Land of Poland,” which was a very fine effort. Of Madame Eose Hersee’s Arline it would be difficult to apeak too highly. The elegant gaiety of the music, its girlish

vivacity and its brilliant brightness found in her their natural exponent, while the dramatic requirements of the rdle receive efficient treatment at her hands. She obtained a number of re-calls, one for the longsustained shako with which she ended her first song “ I Dreamt That I Dwelt” j bub her introduction of some marvellous florid passages in the conclusion of the final air of the opera “ O What Full Delight” was not received with the applause that such a magnifleonteffort —almost in Madame De Murska’s best manner—deserved.

Mrs Fox song the very exacting music of the Gipsy Queen with great success, tunefully and with dramatic lorce._ Mr Verdi, as Count Arnheim, displayed his magnificent voice to great advantage in “ The Heart Bowed Down," which he sang grandly, and had to repeat grandly. Speaking technically, the absolute perfection of this splendid effort was a little marred by a slight exaggeration of emphasis, common to many singers, producing a harshness suggestive of an aspirate in the wrong place. Mr Templeton was a capital representative of Devilehoof, dramatically, keeping the audience well amused by his grotesqueness. Musically, he was a little overweighted, his fine baritone voice being a little light in places for the heavy music required of him. Mr Johnson made a good deal of the part of Florestein, showing that since his last visit here he has considerably improved in his profession. For to-night “II Trovatore ” is announced.