Grau German Opera: Magic Flute

“The great name of Mozart filled the French Theatre last night with an audience composed principally of Germans, gathered to listen to that strange allegorical medley, that superb collection of choruses and melodies, the ‘Magic Flute.’ The opera was fairly given, though the mounting and scenery were, to be sure, so indifferent as almost to make a burlesque of the work as a play; but the singing brought out many good points. Madame Frederici was the Pamina, and was generally acceptable. Madame Rotter was the Queen of Night, and sang the famous aria in the part so as to elicit considerable applause, though we have heard this lady do it much better. The hit of the evening was made by Mlle. Dziuba as Papagena, both her acting and her singing fully answering the requirements of the part, and securing for the duet with Papageno a most hearty encore. She was ably seconded by Herr Steinecke. Weinlich, the basso, sang with more correct intonation than he usually does, and in the two great airs of Sarastro showed to great advantage his lowest notes. Himmer was the tenor of the evening, singing with care and good effect.

“With one exception, the choruses were excellently given, and a repetition was demanded for the grand chorus of priests. The performance, on the whole, though not first class, was enjoyable, and was the most successful—as regards a paying audience—of any of the brief season.”

“Mozart’s fairy gem of ‘The Magic Flute,’ the absurd story of which is powerless to offend, so exquisite is the music accompanying it, was sung at the French Theatre last evening in presence of a very numerous audience. There is no need to dwell at length on the performance, in which was perceptible a heartiness of purpose on the part of all concerned that went far to excuse many defects. Herr Himmer was Tamino, Herr Formes Papageno, Herr Weinlich Sarastro, Mme. Rotter Queen of the Night, and Mme. Frederici Pamina. The most notable feature of the representation were the perfect execution of the magnificent overture under the direction of Herr Carl Anschutz; the impressive choruses of the priests; the solo allotted to Sarastro, commencing ‘In diesen heil’gen Hallen,’ and the second of the two great airs of the Queen of the Night, lowered, of course, to suit the powerful and unbending voice of Mme. Rotter, but rendered by her, to one’s pleasant surprise, with a correctness and effect that extended even to the vocalization of the difficult staccato passage terminating the allegro movement.”