Parepa-Rosa Concert: 2nd

Parepa-Rosa may not be a great opera singer, but as an oratorio singer she is unrivaled.

“Mme. PAREPA-ROSA’S concert on Friday evening was the last of the present series. The lady proceeds in a devious way to New-Orleans, and thence returns by a route still more perplexing to New-York. The object is to capture all the mid-lying and out-lying towns, and compel them to pay tribute to the foremost representative of art now in America. May she be abundantly successful. The concert on Friday evening was remarkably well-attended. Steinway’s chaste and classic hall was completely filled by an audience that represented every class of the community from the stag dead head to the reserved aristocrat. Even the upper galleries and the private boxes were filled. We mention these facts to show that Mme. ROSA has lost none of her old-time popularity. And, indeed, there is no reason why she should have done so. Her voice is as powerful and pure as ever, and her art is of that sort which does not quickly perish. We are not of those who admire Mme. PAREPA-ROSA in opera, but in the concert-room she is certainly unrivaled. Her bravura singing is perfect, and in the declamatory recitatives of HANDEL, MOZART, and BEETHOVEN she leaves absolutely nothing to be desired. The way in which she interpreted “Ah! Perfido” two years ago still lingers in every musical memory. Mme. PAREPA-ROSA, from her attainments rather than her style, is an oratorio singer, and the finest, or at least one of the finest, now living. Our readers who have not heard the lady will have an opportunity of judging for themselves during the last Lenten weeks of the present year. Several oratorios will be given in this City, with Mme. PAREPA-ROSA as the soprano. It is not, however, for these things that the public heart warms toward the lady. She touches the multitude by a simple and earnest rendering of ballad music—giving to each note its due value, and if the note be an upper one, acting with great liberality toward it. In these little pieces Mme. ROSA often displays much archness and vivacity, and there is a charm about the smallest trifle, for the reason that every word can be distinctly understood. It is in the highest degree delightful to hear Madame sing a ballad. To return to the programme of Friday. The defect in it was that there was a great deal too much ROSA and not half enough PAREPA. We mean of course in a musical sense. He (the ROSA) appeared three times, and the audience being hardened in crime or steeped in supineness, permitted him to play twice more by way of encore. It is the curse of the fiddle that it always gets an encore. It is a Sisyphus of an instrument. If Mr. ROSA were the best of violinists, which he is not, this would be too much. In his way he is pleasant enough. He trots around his little mill with manifest pleasure to himself, and even amuses those who are looking on. But it is enough to give one the blues to reflect that the next time we are called upon to attend a PAREPA-ROSA concert, we must hear ERNST’S “Elegie.” It was necessary to wade through four numbers before reaching Mme. PAREPA-ROSA herself, who then gave us an aria from Robert le Diable. This was sung superbly and led to an encore when the brilliant cabaletta from I Lombardi was substituted. It was given with remarkable animation. In the second part the lady sang a new ballad by Mr. STEPHEN MASSETT, called, interrogatively: ‘When Shall I See My Darling Again?’ It is a smooth and melodious piece, which will take with the public, but it was cruel of Mme. PAREPA-ROSA to sing it twice. Owing to the accidental condition of Mr. LEVY’S lip, the lady sang once more; this time a thoroughly delightful ballad called ‘Nothing Else to Do.’ Mr. LEVY’S position on the programme was extremely bad, coming as he did immediately after Mme. ROSA, and with a tame piece, SCHUBERT’S ‘Ave Maria.’ Nevertheless, he carried the house by storm, and was compelled to essay another piece. This was the ‘Carnival of Venice.’ He played the theme delightfully, and the first variation well. Here, however, he paused, and explained to the audience that his lip being out of order it would be impossible for him to play more. And this proved to be the case. It is wonderful that what he did was accomplished so clearly. Signor FERRANTI obtained a hearty round of applause in the ‘Largo al factotum,’ and was obliged to sing ‘Femine, Femine’ as an encore. Mr. BROOKHOUSE BOWLER also sang several pieces effectively.  He has an agreeable voice, but a somewhat affected manner. Mr. C. W. COLBY was the accompanist.”

“Madame Parepa Rosa created quite a sensation in Stephen Massett’s ballad called, ‘When Shall I See My Darling Again,’ at her last concert in this city.  It was enthusiastically encored.”