Grand English Opera Combination: Oberon

“We do not approve of a change of opera every night, as given by Mr. Hess’ troupe. It is not only too severe on the artists, but when we take into consideration what a wretched orchestra Mr. Behrens has under him, this constant change of opera cannot tend to give satisfaction. This was exemplified last night with Weber’s grand work. The magnificent instrumentation, in which is hung a chaplet of lovely melodies and stirring choruses, was literally butchered. Take, for instance, ‘The Mermaid’s Song,’ which Miss Fannie Goodwin sang so charmingly. The French horns made such havoc with the accompaniment that were the composer present we should have looked for some serious belligerent demonstrations. Mrs. Bernard’s well worn voice failed to give ‘Ocean, thou mighty monster,’ that broad, inspiring interpretation that Parepa-Rosa invested it with, and the part of Reiza lacked throughout the glorious voice of that artist. But Mrs. Bernard made considerable amends for the want of voice in her artistic conception of the rôle. Mrs. Seguin was charming, as before, in her original part, Fatima, and Castle did the best with his over-worked voice. Lawrence’s undecided method of singing renders every rôle he undertakes unsatisfactory, so that Sherasmin in his hands was by no means an agreeable character, musically speaking. Miss Fannie Goodwin, a mere novice on the stage, evinced last night in the rôle of Puck, talents of a very high order. She has a clear, pleasant, sympathetic and well cultivated voice, and with more experience in acting will be a bright star on the English opera stage. The Oberon (Mr. Chatterson) was exceedingly weak in voice, and might have been profitably left out, for all the good he did in the opera. The strongest element in the company, as we said on a previous occasion, is the chorus.”

“The English opera company took an ambitious flight last night in essaying the ‘Oberon’ of Carl Maria von Weber. Never before, however, has it been produced with so many general exellences [sic] of cast and singing, on the stage in this city. At the Academy of Music, last winter, the Parepa-Rosa troupe performed it several times. The excellences, however, on those occasions were exceptional, and principally sustained by Parepa herself, who, of course, in physical beauty of voice, if not in action and manner, reigned supreme. In the concert room at Steinway Hall the music has been given by the Church Music Association, under the direction of Dr. James Pech. On those occasions one of the finest orchestras and a chorus of some three hundred ladies and gentlemen, exceedingly well trained in all the delicacies of Weber’s gauzy inspirations, produced an effect in light and shade far outreaching any other recent effort of a similar kind.

“The book upon which the opera is founded is a difficult one to be set to music. If, however, variety and locomotion constitute a good libretto, ‘Oberon’ is the best ever written. There are kings, knights, princes, sheiks, Arabs, eunuchs, emirs, Saracens, Moors, soldiers, nobles, negroes, ladies of the harem, slaves, dancing girls, sultanas, pirates, fairies, spirits of the four elements, mermaids, genii, &c. Fairy land and romance land are interwoven in one incongruous mass. In the work we have the age of chivalry combined with heather mythology, and both made subservient to the wildest flights of imagination. Puck, Oberon and Titania, with the fairies, shake hands with Charlemagne and make salaams at the foot of the throne of Caliph Haroun el Raschid, the commander of the faithful. If anything can be more extraordinary than the variety of characters, it is the diversity of places. In the first scenes we have Oberon’s bower in fairy land. In the next we find Puck has translated Sir Huon from the banks of the Seine to those of the Tigris. Supernatural means are also invoked to send him through Baghdad to Ascalon. By the same process it is but a short flight to Tunis. Lastly a single leap from Tunis to France brings all to an end. All these persons appearing in quick rotation, and the constant changes of locality, create much entertainment. The plot hangs together only by a slender thread, and the natural feeling it inspires is astonishment. The poetry, by the way, is, however admirable; much better, indeed, than almost any other libretto with which we are acquainted.

“The story is undoubtedly extravagant, inconsistent, contradictory, and as unaccountable as that of ‘Zauberflote’ or ‘Matilda di Shabran,’ and yet Mozart was the composer of one and Rossini of the other. With regard to the music, we are inclined to believe that Weber composed the greater part of this work under circumstances by no means favorable to inspiration. We are told that he was unwell at the time he wrote, and his death occurred soon after the completion of the work. Whatever may be the abstract merits of ‘Oberon,’ it is undoubtedly inferior to ‘Der Freischutz,’ not merely as a work of imagination but of art. There is at the same time much beautiful, indeed magnificent, music in ‘Oberon.’

“The music, however, is not equal, and both the ear and the judgment are left, in a great measure, unsatisfied at the end. Madame Caroline Richings-Bernard, notwithstanding, is entitled to the thanks of all musicians and connoisseurs of music for another opportunity of hearing ‘Oberon,’ and for doing all in her power to conduce to its success. The performance last night, if not great, was in every way creditable. The ensemble was decidedly good, and we shall, no doubt, be enabled to speak more highly after a few more representations of the work, which, we trust, the management have the intention of affording the public. Some of the artists were evidently too nervous to do themselves justice, and we may especially point to Mr. J. H. Chatterson, from whose somewhat pleasant voice—though at the present time questionable style—better things in the future may be expected. Madame Richings-Bernard, Mrs. Zelda Seguin and Mr. W. Castle carried off the honors of the evening. Mrs. Zelda Seguin obtained a very deserved encore in the romanza of ‘Lonely Arab maid,’ which she gave with incomparable grace, expression and finish.

“Madame Bernard-Richings (as Rezia), though evidently laboring under some nervous excitement, sang extremely well, and with an intelligence and dramatic force, sometimes amounting to enthusiasm, both in the air, ‘Haste, gallant knight,’ and in the grand scena, ’Ocean, though mighty monster;’ and if at certain points her execution was not so clear or neat as could be desired, she gave indications of a mind and intelligence perfectly able to cope with the subtle and philosophic requirements of the composer. The song, ‘O ‘tis a glorious sight to see,’ sung by Mr. Wm. Castle (Sir Huon), was substituted for the original ‘From boyhood trained to battle field.’ It is the bellicose scena written expressly for Mr. Braham, and which we cannot help thinking is much overrated. We can hardly fancy Weber composing a regular bravura for the great English tenor. The original song, ‘From boyhood trained,’ was assigned last night to Mr. Chatterson (Oberon), in place of Sir Huon, by merely an alteration of the words from the first to the second person singular. The character of Oberon is thus rendered of more musical importance without loss to that of Sir Huon.

“The part of Sherasmin was capitally acted and sung by Mr. Alberto Laurence, who by his energy and the beauty of his voice, secured for himself several rounds of applause and the encore of a song composed by Mr. Howard Glover, interpolated, we must say, unnecessarily, into the second act of the opera. The part of Puck is important, but involves but little vocal display. That little, however, Miss Fannie Goodwin gave with care and with an agreeable freshness of voice. Time and study will, no doubt, give her ease and confidence in her evidently new life. It will suffice to state that although the scenery was not always susceptible to ‘fairy touch,’ the dresses were remarkable good, and the grouping of the fairies tolerably well managed. Mr. Behrens, the conductor, is entitled to a word of praise for the adroit manner in which he overcame the many difficulties of accompaniment, arising from the smallness and inefficiency of the band and horns; both of which, however, occasionally acquitted themselves with satisfaction in most of the things attempted.

“In conclusion, we may add that the production of a different work each night may, in the unthinking public estimation, carry with it a vulgar charm of novelty, but the real interests of the pro-dramatic art will never be properly secured until sufficient study has been passed through to enable one and all arrive, by repeated performance, at complete excellence.”

“The English Opera Company has fully met the public approbation. They bring out the works of their repertory rapidly, but not carelessly. Last evening Von Weber’s ‘Oberon’ drew a very full house. It is a pity that the lovely music of this romantic work is allied to a plot that helps it so little. In musical literature it is kindred to Shakespeare’s ‘Tempest’ in the literature of poetry. It must be appreciated through the aid of the imagination. For stage purposes the plot is a drawback; but the work is replete with delicate beauty of thought and expression.”

“’Oberon’ was performed at Niblo’s last evening, and it attracted a large audience. Many of the incidents of the performance were pleasant. But Weber’s last composition is one of the most unpopular of works, in spite of the perfection of its overture, of the grandeur of the aria in the third act, of the ethereal beauty of the fairy music, and of the suavity of the single melody, woven into the whole score, and forming the text of the symphonic movement in the part directly following the soprano’s address to the Ocean. There is little tunefulness in the numerous pieces of which ‘Oberon’ is composed, and the severe beauty of the passages referred to is quite above the appreciation of the casual frequenter of the semi-musical entertainments. This was proven, last year, when the opera was sung at the Academy of Music, and when the noble voice of Mme. Parepa-Rosa gave full value to the Titanic phrases of the grand air. Cumulative evidence of its unfitness for rendering before any but a special audience was supplied last night. The organ of Mrs. Richings-Bernard, it is true, is not equal to the demand of the test air, but, in other respects, the representation was satisfying. Mr. Castle, who was Sir Huon, Mr. Lawrence, who personated Sherasmin, Mrs. Seguin, who sang Fatima, and Miss Goodwin, who played Puck, all did their duty conscientiously, and Sherasmin’s song in the fourth act, Fatima’s air, ‘Oh! Araby!’ and the trio, ‘And must I then dissemble,’ were among the pieces whereof repetition was unanimously exacted. The chorus was in good condition, and the orchestra somewhat more heedful than usual of the need of shading, though by no means as habituated to their task as we would like.”

“All of the operas were charmingly rendered, with the exception of ‘Oberon,’ which seemed to tax the abilities of the artists too severely.”