_Opening of Opera._ _Monday, May 13._--Crowded house. _Grand Otello
Co._ unlimited. The Orchestra has been sunk four feet, thus giving
Stalls clear view of stage. DRURIOLANUS proposes a puzzler "Orchestra
_lowered_," he says, "yet all performers in it _hired!_" Royal
Highnesses present. DRURIOLANUS, taking happy musical publishers'
points of view, looks towards Royal Box and murmurs "'Royalties' on
music." ALBANI surpasses herself as _Desdemona:_ quite wonder that
_Otello-Tamagno_ has the heart to smother her with pillow after her
song about the willow. Signor PESSINA as _Iago:_ rather a ponderous
villain. Pecuniary operatic prospects exceptionally good: at all
events, possessing JEAN DE RESZKE, TAMAGNO, and BERTRAN, DRURIOLANUS
has "three tenners" in hand to start with.
[Illustration: Vocal and Orchestral. Marguerite and Strauss.]
_Tuesday._--BOÏTO'S _Mefistofele_. "An opera that 'grows on you,'"
says LOUNGER in the Lobby. "If there were a probability of many
such growing on _you_, my dear LOUNGER," quoth Sir DRURIOLANUS, with
satirical affability, "you would be worth cultivating." The advantage
of a long opera, with disconnected acts, is, that you can "pick
'em where you like," as the coster says of the walnuts, and come in
anywhere for something good. MAGGIE MACINTYRE is "getting a big girl
now." Charming as _Margherita_ and _La belle Hélène_. Signor DE LUCIA
a rather timorous and bashful _Faust_, with one eye for MAGGIE and the
other for NELLI (short for MANCINELLI), as if praying the latter to
conduct him safely and keep him from temptation to go wrong. _Faust_
in situation of TOOLE in _The Houseboat_, when he used to exclaim,
"SARAH! I'm slipping!" PLANÇON equally good as _Jupiter_ or
_Mefistofele_; this time it is _Mefisto_.
_Wednesday._--_Le Prophète._ In spite of name, unprofitable opera.
Signor TAMAGNO (or familiarly TAM AGNO), as _Jean of Leyden_, rather
over-laden, but bearing burthen bravely. TAM receives big _encore_
in Star-spangled Banner Hymn. The two CORSIS and CASTELMARY ably
represent Liberator Firm of _Jonas, Zaccaria, Mathisen & Co._, always
ready to draw on their false prophet in order to save their own
credit. Two CORSIS and dessert to follow. Beaming BEVIGNANI conducts
invisible orchestra.
_Thursday._--Sudden change from summer to winter. Comparatively thin
house. Ladies as wrapperees in furs. Everyone welcoming _Pagliacci, or
the Mummers_, as pantomime suitable to season. In spite of this, warm
welcome to _Pagliacci_ and to Madame FANNY MOODY as _Nedda_. She is
quite the character: Moody yet lively. ANCONA and DE LUCIA good and
dramatic as ever as _Tonio_ and _Canio_. _Début_ of Miss MARIE ENGLE,
who, whether German or French, will be a favourite with the
Engle-ish, starting uncommonly well as _Little Bo-Peep-Baucis_. _King
Jove-Plançon_ and _Vulcan-Castelmary_, the limping Olympian, excellent
as usual. Everyone suffering from wintry blasts in stalls envies
_Vulcan_ rubbing his hands and warming himself at _Bonnard-Philémon's_
fire. Such a night in May is enough to knock any piece to shivers. The
conductors of the operatic 'bus were, for the first journey, Soothing
SEPPILLI; and for the second, Beaming BEVIGNANI.
_Friday._--Still wintry. Italian-German opera _Lohengrin_, with
Cosmopolitan Caste, going stronger than ever. House full and fully
satisfied. Hard to please if it had not been so, with ALBANI as
_Elsa_,--(says WAGSTAFF, affecting a drawl, "Nobody else-a can touch
her in this"),--_Jupiter-Plançon_ as a King, not of gods but men, and
BERTRAN, from La Scala, as a _First-Knight Lohengrin_. As to intruder
_Ortruda_ and Terrible _Telramonda_, these heavy weights are lifted
by Mlle. OLITZKA and Signor ANCONA. Monarchical MANCINELLI treats Time
like a dusty carpet, beating it strongly.
_Saturday._--Crowded house to welcome old friend _Trovatore_. PESSINA
as the wicked nobleman; and TAMAGNO--now known as "TAM"--in splendid
voice for the Trovatore himself. "TAM" doubly encored after
"_Di quella pira_." JULIA RAVOGLI not quite the _Azucena_. Mlle.
BAUERMEISTER'S first appearance this season: as heroine's sympathetic
companion BAUERMEISTER combines the "_utile_" with the "_dulce_."
MAGGIE MACINTYRE vocally good, dramatically puzzling. House happy:
DRURIOLANUS delighted. Fine finish to first week.
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