Parepa-Rosa English Opera: The Marriage of Figaro

English rendering of the opera’s text by J. Wrey Mould.

“The palmiest days of the Irving place opera house could not boast a more brilliant or crowded audience than that which greeted the Parepa-Rosa English Opera Company last night on their return to the metropolis. ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ is probably the most characteristic of Mozart’s works, as it give an insight into his guileless, childlike nature, such as one cannot find in his greater works. We again find the ‘Barber of Seville’ and the other characters of Rossini’s opera, but it is difficult to recognize them. The Count Almaviva does not forget his inherent gallantry in married life, but is as fond of intrigue as ever. The light hearted Figaro is weighed down with the responsibility of prospective marriage with the Countess’ maid, Susanna, and a new character, a page, is introduced.

“The plot is full of perplexing and laughable situations from beginning to end, and the music fairly bubbles over with merriment. Still we regard the opera as an exquisite cabinet picture which loses much of its beauty on a large stage like that of the Academy. The house is not well suited for the production of works of such a delicate texture, especially when its acoustical qualities fail to do justice to the little nuances and penciling of thought which breathe in the music of Mozart. The orchestra was admirably conducted by Mr. Carl Rosa, but its power will need to be moderated to give the singers a chance of being heard in some of the numbers. The cast comprised the principal members of the company, Mme. Parepa-Rosa, Miss Rose Hersee, Miss Seguin (a trio of rare merit), and Messrs. Lawrence, Campbell, Hall and Nordblom. The two first of the artists received deserved encores. Some judicious cuts and alterations were made in the score, especially in placing Basilio’s air in the first act instead of at the end of the opera. The chorus and general ensemble of the opera was everything to be desired. Special pains seem to have been taken in the mounting and appointments of the work.”

“As everybody expected, there was at the Academy of Music last night a crowded audience to witness the first production here by the Parepa troupe of Mozart’s ‘Marriage of Figaro.’ Comparatively few in the vast assemblage were familiar with the work; but it bore the magic name of Mozart, and was therefore received with unquestioning faith. To be sure there were opera-goers who, accustomed to the stronger meat of Meyerbeer and Gounod, to say nothing of Verdi or Donizetti, found the strains rather monotonous, and the orchestrations lacking in resonance. The puerile language of the libretto wearied a good many more; but then the work was, after all, the great Mozart’s ‘masterpiece’ (it is somewhat remarkable, by the way, that every opera that happens to be on the boards at any time, is, for the time, a ‘masterpiece’), and nothing more was to be said. In matter of locomotion we may be allowed to freely say that a railroad train is an improvement over an old-fashioned stage-coach; but in matters of music the name of Mozart at once puts a stop to any similar acknowledgment.

“The work was well performed throughout, though the first act passed off very tamely, even the closing air—the pretty and melodious air known in the Italian version as Non piu andrai—failing to elicit much applause. In the later acts the audience became more interested. Mrs. Seguin, the Cherubino of the evening, sang charmingly, and was encored in her principal aria. Mr. Laurence and Mr. Campbell, as Almaviva and Figaro, sang well and acted fairly; the latter, however, needing more vivacity to do full justice to the part. Miss Hersee, as the Countess, sang delightfully, albeit her voice is rather lacking in power for so large a house. Mr. Hall’s Bartolo was a decidedly clever performance, his personal appearance bearing a striking resemblance to that of Susini when he takes the similar part of Bartolo in Rossini’s ‘Barbiere.’ Mr. Nordblom and Mr. Seguin were both satisfactory in minor parts.

“To Madame Parepa-Rosa the highest possible praise must be awarded. We all know that her vocalization is unexceptionable, and we were all well certain that she would do full justice to Mozart’s melodious music; but the public were scarcely prepared to find that she is now a most vivacious and pleasing comedy actress. Her improvement is this respect is really wonderful. She admirably caught and expressed the humor of the part, and was warmly applauded throughout.

“There can be no doubt that the Mozart revival last night was a gratifying success. The leading melodies received much applause, and the ingenuity in the construction of the concerted pieces attracted the attention of the numerous musicians present. As an interesting relic of the style of opera in vogue in the last century, ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ is well worth hearing; and we need not expect to hear it better sung again than it was last night. Its melodies are easy to comprehend and to enjoy, and the opera enjoys such a wide celebrity that even for this alone the amateur should make a point of listening to it.”

“The Parepa-Rosa English Opera Company took possession of the Academy last evening for a short season of English opera. A very fine audience met and greeted them warmly. The Academy was not only overflowing, but the auditors were of the musical class. The house looked as it does on the evenings of the Philharmonic concerts.

“Doubtless the merits of the opera performed had quite as much effect in filling the Academy as did those of the performers, for it is not often that one has an opportunity of hearing Mozart’s ‘Marriage of Figaro’ and the probabilities are that the occasion of its performance will grow less rather than more frequent, for the musical forms of this generation are fast drifting away from those of Mozart. Already he seems quaint and old-fashioned in certain ways, though his great arias, such as Voi che sapete, and Dove sono, and Deh vieni no tardar, in this opera have in them a simplicity and directness that it would seem can no more grow out of fashion than can the form of the [hay?] or the color of the rose. It is curious to think, as a connecting link between what seems the far off time of Mozart and our own day, that many of our citizens can distinctly remember the tall, lean figure of Da Ponte as he, not many years ago, took his daily walk in Broadway. It was he who wrote for the young Mozart in the last century, the Italian libretto of this opera.

“The composer, in writing it, adapted it to the singers he had about him. So it happens that the tenor part is a very inferior one, the principal male voices being baritone and bass. There are three female roles, each of considerable importance, one being a soprano and two mezzo-soprano parts. To each also is given one of Mozart’s most lovely arias, and it is difficult to say whether the Voi che Sapete sung by Mrs. Seguin, the Dove Sono that falls to Miss Rose Hersee’s share, or the Deh Vieni, Madame Rosa’s aria, is the more beautiful. It certainly speaks well for the strength, efficiency, and resources of this English opera company that it is able to cast a work of such magnitude, and to cast it so well. Besides the ladies whose names we have mentioned, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Hall, Mr. Lawrence, and Mr. Nordblom, all excellent singers, are in this distribution.

“The company has repeatedly given this opera at Boston, Philadelphia, and elsewhere, and it is thoroughly rehearsed and in perfect running order. This is much to say, for Mozart often has from five to seven of his characters on the stage at once, singing, in tempo vivace, the musical phrases that dovetail into each other in a way to keep every singer on the alert. Nothing is more difficult to render smoothly than these rapid, chattering scenes.

“It is scarcely necessary to go into the detail of the manner in which particular parts of the opera were rendered by the several actors. Suffice it to say that the performance was a very smooth and admirable one throughout. While there was no really bad singing, there was much that was unexceptionably good, notably of course that of Madame Parepa-Rosa. This lady sings so eminently well that praise of her seems almost idle. In Mozart she finds a most congenial composer, though for that matter she sings the music of every author alike well.

“Mr. Carl Rosa led with firmness and precision, sometimes perhaps with too much impetuosity. The tempo in which Mrs. Seguin took the Voi che sapete was not, we believe, in accordance with the traditions of the stage, or the custom of the most eminent concert singers. It was driven through at so rapid a pace, and in such strict time, as to lose its delicacy and sentiment, and to mar much of its divine beauty. But Mrs. Seguin sang it admirably in other respects.

“We heartily commend the performance as a whole to our readers.”

“Beaumarchais was the original inspirer of Mozart’s ‘Marriage of Figaro.’ The burlesque comedy of the former created one of the greatest sensations Paris had ever known. The triumph of the French satirist suggested to Mozart that, with an Italian libretto, he could make a fine opera and a profounder impression. Rarely, indeed, is such a thought followed by its practical realization, but in this case it certainly was so. The first New-York manager of Italian opera, Da Ponte, he who subsequently wrote the libretto of ‘Don Giovanni,’ wrote also that of ‘Figaro.’ It is recorded that the latter work was prepared in six weeks. Beaumarchais’ play, or a German version of it, had been forbidden in Vienna; but so many alterations were made in the context, that the Emperor consented to the production of the opera. It had, notwithstanding, prodigious success. The elements of popularity contained in its melodic wealth, the exquisite adjustment of its concerted pieces, the wonderful end of the second act, and other lovely pieces of writing, carried the public by storm. True, it was given but nine times during its first season in Vienna, such was the determined opposition to Mozart; but it was brought out soon after at Prague in splendid style, and ran the whole Winter, and afterward went like wildfire all over Europe.

“The Parepa-Rosa English Opera Company opened last night at the Academy of Music, choosing for their first performance this beautiful composition that heralded ‘Don Giovanni’ and laid a solid superstructure for Mozart’s fame. ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ was very creditably sung on the occasion to an excellent and gratified house, and in some respects the performance warranted the encomiums bestowed when this company have given it elsewhere. It is, however, idle to deny that at once to reach a high standard in this difficult opera, and to please in it a modern general audience is an exceedingly arduous task. Great as are the merits of the work, and delicious as are its melodies, the instrumentation inevitably sounds thin in a large theater, after the massive effects that a greatly increased number of instruments and the consequent new harmonic combinations, that later composers have been able to press into their service. The simplicity of the mise en scene and the old-fashioned conventionality of the plot, also contrast unfavorably to the general eye with what in opera it has been accustomed to witness. When is added to these drawbacks the fact that the Academy of Music is acoustically ill suited to comic opera, and that what might be highly impressive in a smaller house is here in danger of seeming cold and barren, it is evident that the chances against success last evening were apparently slender indeed. Notwithstanding all this, the opera passed off, as we have said, quite acceptably. Mr. Campbell has not the slightest idea how to act Figaro, and it were absurd to say that this is not a serious disadvantage; but his splendid and never failing voice is heard with so much satisfaction that even his dramatic deficiencies were frequently lost sight of. Mme. Parepa does her best to impart gaiety and vivacity to Susanna, but the part is one which, for various reasons, is unsuited to her, and in this case as before we are compelled to find in Mme. Parepa’s lovely voice and admirable executive powers consolation for deficiencies elsewhere. Mrs. Seguin is pretty and lively in Cherubino, and Miss Rose Hersee is quite charming in the Countess. Mr. Nordblom sings with emphasis and vigor in Basilio, and Mr. Edward Seguin is, as ever, a conscientious and thorough artist in Antonio. The other characters were evenly sustained without calling for any particular comment, and the chorus and orchestra were uncommonly good.

“That the performance of last night was not a great or unqualified success, is not to our mind altogether the fault of this excellent company, although we cannot pretend that the peculiar comic talent needful for such a result is included in it. Nor can we say the fault is Mozart’s, for Mozart was a magnificent genius. But his genius worked with fewer tools than the public ear is now in the habit of expecting, and demanded histrionic, as well as vocal, qualities that are now too rare. To understand him in ‘The Marriage of Figaro,’ as well as it is possible in our time to understand him, a small auditorium and artists of uncommon humor, unction and espirit are indispensable. It is from no disrespect to the excellent singers of the Parepa-Rosa company, or from any lack of appreciation of merits that we have found frequent occasion heretofore to commend, that we feel impelled to say that the conditions to such a consummation were not in this instance altogether fulfilled. We should not be justified in withholding this opinion; but we are equally bound to add that the performance was listened to with the greatest interest by a highly intelligent as well as numerous audience, that it was frequently warmly applauded, and that the repetition of several of the principal pieces was cordially demanded. So far as all this constitutes a success, the present representation of ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ is fairly entitled to the credit of it.”

“It is not often that a sequel can be successfully tacked to a comedy. When your characters are once comfortably married or murdered, it is generally better to let them alone and look for a new set. The vivacity of the drama is an evanescent spirit, passing off with the first decanting, like the sparkle of champagne, and most men can no more put it back into an appendix than they can restore foam to the [beer?] taps of last night’s banquet. Shakespeare did it with Falstaff, but Shakespeare is no law for other men; Dumas did it with his ‘Three Guardsmen,’ but the lives of those wonderful heroes were of that impossible and interminable kind which obey no rules of art or nature, and follow the principle of the Maine shipwrights, who used to build vessels by the mile and cut them off in [height?] to suit purchasers. Charles Dickens failed when he tried to revive the Old Curiosity Shop the humor of [two lines of illegible text] threw away the chapters of Master Humphrey’s Clock in disgust. Beaumarchais, however, who was a genius after a small fashion, not only succeeded in taking Figaro through two sprightly comedies, but made the second one more laughable and brilliant than the first. In ‘The Barber of Seville,’ the village factotum was a rattling, impudent, good-natured fellow, who served all the world better than he served himself; Almaviva, an ardent and audacious lover; Rosina, an innocent young lady with only the trickery and shrewdness for which a tyrannous guardian might have naturally given excuse. When he took up the same characters ten years afterwards, Figaro, amorous and somewhat [illegible], but with all his old ingenuity for intrigue, became the victim of the plots and blunders, Almaviva a jealous husband given to naughty ways and as much of a lover as ever—only in a different style, and Rosina a well-behaved countess who had learned how to punish her husband by a little innocent deception. Our old friends Bartolo and Basilio confront us unchanged. Time cannot alter such men; the music-master is as mean a rogue as in his younger days, the doctor as great a fool. For new characters we have the countess’s maid, Susanna, whom Figaro is to love and Almaviva to pursue, and the charming little page Cherubino, who fulfills all those nameless but important duties for which the laughing Page of the drama was specially created. The comedy of ‘The Marriage of Figaro,’ when Mozart took it up, was in the glory of its first enormous popularity. People trampled each other to death in their eagerness to witness the new production of the disgraced court favorite. Noble ladies contentedly sat an entire day in the theater to keep their places for the evening, and kings forbade the piece to be played in their dominions. It was forbidden in Vienna as well as in France, but Mozart obtained permission to produce it as an opera. The libretto was prepared by Da Ponte, the same who furnished afterwards the words for ‘Don Giovanni,’ and who died a professor in Columbia College, New York. As so often happened in the days of the composers, the opera became a subject of intrigue enough to overthrow a kingdom. The singers to whom it had been committed purposely ruined the best performances, but justice came at last, and the music had a triumph hardly less magnificent than the first triumph of the play. It has never lost its hold upon the heart of the people and the respect of musicians. There is no question as to its rank among operas except whether it shall have the first place or the second.

“The libretto was turned into English by Mr. J. Wrey Mould, in London, in 1848, and we believe his rendering is substantially the one used last night. We need not look for much of the spirit of Beaumarchais after two dilutions, nor indeed would it be fair to expect much grace, or wit, or poetry, or even sense, in a translation which must consult first of all the ruthless demands of music. If Mr. Mould, therefore, has not made the play exactly intelligible without a great deal of assistance from the actors, we must satisfy ourselves with praising him for sticking as close as he could to the text, and supplying words which can easily enough be sung. The story is substantially as follows [plot synopsis].

“The company which undertook last night the presentation of this work as their introduction of the season, were thoroughly competent to interpret the lovely music in which Mozart has embalmed the story, and in many respects were quite equal to the dramatic requirements of the comedy. Figaro ought to be an actor of unctuous humor and enticing vivacity, and Mr. Campbell, who took the part, is not that, although he is a very delightful singer. Madame Rosa, however, as Susanna, acted with a degree of sprightliness, for which even those who have seen her do such things before were not prepared; and in the last act [illegible] fun was delightful. The scenes especially in which she was required to pass herself off as the petite Countess (Miss Rose Hersee), and to imitate that little lady’s gait, stature, and voice, caused many a peal of laughter. Miss Hersee’s role demands little in the way of acting except the piquancy which is her usual manner, and we need hardly say that she satisfied all the demands upon her powers. It is only in the third act that those demands are serious. In the first she does not appear at all; and in the second she is seen only in white muslin and native innocence. Perhaps the most attractive of all the characters is Cherubino. That fell to Mrs. Seguin. She invested it with all the [life?], grace, and intelligence which she invariably throws into her parts; and except for an occasional tendency to over-acting, which was not unnatural under the [strange?] circumstances of a first night, she was thoroughly admirable. Her assumed awkwardness in girl’s disguise was very well done indeed. Mr. Laurence filled the part of Almaviva in a good satisfying conventional manner, and Messrs. Nordblom and Hall as Basilio and Bartolo, Mr. Seguin as Antonio, a drunken gardener, and Mrs. Boudinot as Marcellina, did what little fell to their share in a manner more or less excellent—Mr. Nordblom and Mr. Seguin being the best. Let us add that the chorus was large and well dressed; that the opera was much better placed upon the stage than anything we have seen at the Academy of Music in a long while, and that some new and pretty scenery has been provided, the garden act in the last act [meeting?] especial commendation.

“We have left what to say of the music til the last because in noticing such a meritorious performance it is pleasant to close with words which must be altogether words of praise. ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ is music of that perennial kind which never grows wearisome, never fatigues the ear or the mind, and can stand a good deal of hard usage. But it had no hard usage last night. A company so well-balanced, so competent in all its parts, it is a rare good fortune to hear. All the numbers last night were well done; the finales of the second and third acts especially were correct and spirited, and the other concerted pieces, for which the work is so remarkable, showed the good results of long and careful rehearsals. In the solo parts the superiority of Madame Rosa’s company was still more conspicuous. Madame Rosa’s Deh vieni, non tardar (‘[Lovliest?] moment’) was a new revelation of that almost hackneyed air; her ‘Zephyr’ duet with the Countess was a most delicious performance; Miss Hersee’s aria Dove sono (‘Hope had never’), was given with great poetry and sweetness; Mrs. Seguin was incomparably fine in the Voi che sapete (‘Thought cannot reach thee’) and the Non so piu cosa (‘Where the Spring’), and Mr. Campbell sang his Non piu andrai (‘Then away’) with spirit and good taste. Mr. Carl Rosa led the orchestra, and brought out well the rare beauties of the instrumentation which form so considerable a part of the charm of this opera. Upon the whole we can safely pronounce the performance musically admirable, and dramatically something much better that we are used to. We hope it may be many times repeated; the oftener it is heard the better it will be liked. That can be said of almost any opera of Mozart’s but of none more truly than of this.”

“The second performance of Mozart’s quaint little opera last night again attracted a good audience to the Academy. The opera passed off fluently, and in the last act there was much applause. Rose Hersee found especial favor, and of course Parepa pleased in everything she did.”

“There was not much room for improvement in the representation of Mozart’s exquisite work, the members of the company having as a rule done their best the first night; still, there has been some improvement as they have gone on; they have become more familiar with the acoustic properties of the house, and learned how much power of voice is required to fill the awful spaces of the Academy; the balance between the voices and the orchestra has been more [illegible] adjusted; the grouping of the tableau in the wedding scene has been made much more effective; and in the acting of some of the characters there has certainly been a change for the better. Mr. Campbell, unfortunately, was not born with a talent for fun, and a heavy Figaro acts as a drag upon the performance which no amount of vivacity on the part of the other artists can wholly counteract; but he sings so well that we can easily pardon his one defect, and find compensation for the stiffness of his acting in the ease and good taste with which he delivers the music. He has evidently suffered more or less from a cold ever since his return to New York; and though it has not affected the smoothness of his voice, it has obliged him to spare himself overmuch on the high notes and prevented the display of his real power. Mr. Laurence has met with a great deal of favor, and Mr. Nordblom has shown so much progress since he was here in the Autumn that we can safely predict for him a fine position as a tenor before many seasons have passed. Mr. Hall was no more born to be funny than Mr. Campbell, but [his?] zeal is undeniable. Mr. Seguin, with equal zeal, fortunately [illegible] discretion, and does well whatever he [illegible] to do. The charm of the opera, however, is in the three female characters (that is if Cherubino is a female character), and it is here that the real strength of the company lies. Upon these three Mozart lavished [illegible] divine gifts. To each he gave some of the loveliest arias—to Susanna the Deh vieni, to the Countess Dove sono, to Cherubino the Non so piu cosa and the Voi che sapete, to Susanna and the Countess together the ‘Zephyr’ or ‘Letter’ duet—to all a equal measure those little tender flowers of melody which twine about the framework of the opera, and spring up unexpectedly in the deserts of dialogue. It is a rare piece of good fortune to hear on the same evening three such beautiful parts so beautifully sung. It seems to us that Mozart displays the best qualities of Madame Rosa’s voice and [illegible] more perfectly than any other lyric composer, except perhaps Handel, of whom as a lyric composer this [illegible] of course has no experience. Power and purity of tone, breadth and dignity of phrasing, and that exquisite delicacy with which she touches the higher beauties of her art, all find in Mozart’s operas the fullest of scope. More than all, she seems to have a deep personal sympathy with the composer, who was not more remarkable for tenderness of feeling than for a sunny temper, which brightened almost every phrase he wrote. We have already spoken of the spirit which she threw into her acting. On the first night she seemed at times laboring with a sense of responsibility and an effort to rouse the sober Figaro; but since then the vivacity has been more spontaneous and the effect consequently merrier. The Cherubino of Mrs. Seguin has also improved; the slight tendency to exaggeration which we observed at first has been overcome, and the performance is in all respects a delightful one. Miss Hersee has but one fault; her voice is rather weak for the Academy of Music. It is heard well downstairs, but not in the boxes. Yet she charms the audience with the sweetness of her tones, the correctness and finish of her style, and her natural and graceful manner. Mr. Carl Rosa leads the orchestra with marked ability and [intelligence?]. So much of the elegance and sprightliness of the opera depends upon the instruments that we may [heartily?] congratulate ourselves upon having so good a conductor to bring out the gems of the score. As sung by the present company, the work is but [illegible] shortened. The principal omissions are an air for Marzellina, an air for Barbarina, and the sestette in the second act. Basilio’s song of the [illegible] is transferred from the third act to the first, where, as it has nothing to do with the story, it fits just as well and improves the distribution. These changes are all pardonable. Enthusiasts would no doubt prefer to hear the entire work exactly as Mozart wrote it; but New-York audiences hate to be kept later than 11 o’clock, and it is almost unheard of for any opera to be given entire in this city.” [additional paragraph addressing the opinion expressed in another paper that Mozart is too antiquated for the present generation]

“On Monday the Academy was opened by the Parepa-Rosa English Opera Troupe, and a careful performance of Mozart’s ‘Marriage of Figaro’ was given to begin the season. The singing deserved much praise, and had the acting been equally good the success of the occasion would have been less equivocal than in fact it was. The opera was, however, repeated three nights to good houses.”

“The controversy in the newspapers in regard to the merits and shortcomings of Mozart’s ‘Marriage of Figaro’ has, at least, had the result of attracting public attention to the work. At the matinee on Saturday, Mozart’s music was honored by a crowded and pleased audience.”

“and the attraction on Saturday was a matinee performance of ‘The Marriage of Figaro.’ Miss Hersee was unwell, and had to cut out both her solos, but otherwise the opera was well given, and the audience indulged in applause to an extent unusual at matinées.” [rest of the article a defense of the opera, despite criticism from other critics]

“Mozart’s comic opera, ‘The Marriage of Figaro,’ was produced at the Academy of Music by the Parepa Rosa English Opera Troupe on Monday, March 14th. This was the first English performance of this opera in the metropolis since 1839, in which year it was performed at the Old National Theatre in Leonard street, then under the control of the elder Wallack. The cast then embraced Mr. and Mrs. Seguin—the parents of Mr. Seguin of the Parepa Troupe—Miss Shirreff, then on a starring tour throughout the country; Mr. Wilson, the noted Scotch vocalist, and Mrs. Bailey—one of the Watson Family. The ‘Marriage of Figaro’ and ‘The Barber of Seville’ are two comedies written by Beaumarchais, a noted French dramatist. The former was written ten years after the latter, and obtained an immense popularity. For some reason or another, the comedy was suppressed, but Mozart obtained permission to dish it up as an operatic dessert, and though it did not suit the public palate at first they afterwards got to like it exceedingly, and now it is one of the favorite operas of the European musical public. The comedy was performed at Mitchell’s old Olympic Theatre in 1847, with Mary Taylor, Mrs. Timm and Walcot in the cast. In 1858, too, during the visit of Piccolomini, the ‘Marriage of Figaro’ was presented in Italian at the Academy, but, with these exceptions, this charming lyric composition has been unknown to the American musical public until presented to them by the Parepa company. On the night in question the Academy was crowded to excess with a very fashionable assemblage, standing room being at a premium. We noticed a larger number of the German population present than we have ever before seen at an English opera performance. This, we presume, was owing to the appearance of Parepa in German opera with the Arion Society, on which occasion she made such a decided hit in ‘Der Freischütz.’ Of the performance of ‘Figaro’ on this occasion we have to speak in the highest praise. The Parepa Troupe is undoubtedly a splendid company of English opera singers. In Parepa Rosa the troupe have an artist who, vocally, has few equals on this side of the Atlantic. For her no music has any difficulties, and as for her voice, it is one of those rare vocal organs we hear but once in an age. Miss Rose Hersee, the second soprano of the troupe, is a charming little English opera singer, possessing a light but sweet and well cultured voice, which she uses with great taste; combined with which is considerable dramatic talent, and a piquant style, peculiarly adapted to please an American audience. The fair contralto of the troupe, Mrs. Seguin, is one of the best of our many talented American vocalists, ranking nearly equal with Miss Kellogg in vocal power, and with Miss Phillips’ dramatic ability. As an actress we prefer her to Louise Kellogg. She has become a deserved favorite on the lyric stage, and will yet reach a higher mark if opportunity is afforded her. The tenors of the troupe are Castle and Nordblom, the former being a far better singer than many of the pretentious Italian tenors we have had foisted upon us. The latter is a promising German tenor, who has greatly improved since his debut in the troupe. The bouffe in the company is Seguin, and he is a good singer and an excellent actor. The baritones are Campbell, Lawrence and Hall, all three of whom are about equal in dramatic talent, but vocally Campbell is the only singer of the three. Lawrence and Hall possess tolerably good voices, but they are unsympathetic in tone. Lawrence is too English in style to suit American audiences. Carl Rosa is chef d’orchestre, and he has a fine corps of instrumentalists under him. The choral force of the troupe is not noteworthy for numbers or excellence, though above mediocrity. Undoubtedly the ‘Marriage of Figaro’ was presented at the Academy on this occasion in a style superior to any English opera performance we have ever had here. The cast embraced the full force of the troupe, and each character seemed to have its appropriate vocal representation, and dramatically the principal rôles were creditably sustained, notably so those assigned to Madame Rosa, Miss Hersee and Mrs. Seguin, the latter dividing the honors of the evening with the star of the troupe. The opera was handsomely mounted and costumed. The grace and sprightliness of Parepa, the piquant style of Mrs. Seguin, and the grace and spirit of Rose Hersee were noteworthy features of the performance. Campbell was too tame for Figaro and Lawrence lacked dignity as the Count. Nordblom, as the Music Master, however, was very good. The aria, ‘Thought Cannot Reach Thee,’ sung by Mrs. Seguin, elicited an enthusiastic encore, as did the latter duo between Madame Parepa and Miss Hersee, the latter being also encored in the aria ‘Hope Had Never More Brightly Fluttered.’ Indeed, the whole performance was truly a musical treat.”