Creation

“Steinway Hall was again crowded last night, despite the threatening weather, being the second appearance of Mlle. Nilsson in this city since her return from the West. The oratorio was the delightful ‘Creation’ of one of the most delightful composers that ever existed. Mlle. Nilsson was assisted by Miss Pauline Canissa, the favorite young prima donna; George Simpson, the regular tenor of oratorio; Whitney, the Boston basso; S. F. Warren, organist, and the Mendelssohn Union, under the direction of George Bristow. ‘With Verdure Clad’ and ‘On Mighty Pens’ were rendered by Mlle. Nilsson with that dramatic fire and expression which is so characteristic of her style of singing, and although at time her voice showed signs of weariness, and many cuts were made in the score, the performance was received with great favor by those present. Canissa had also been in a bed of sickness this winter, and this was her first appearance in public after that trial. Simpson and Whitney are well known in oratorio, and did not deviate from their usual standard of excellence. The chorus of the Mendelssohn Union did better under the experienced baton of Bristow than any one who knew them in the past could have hoped for. A repetition of ‘The Creation’ will doubtless prove an attraction to the metropolitan music lovers, and Mr. Strakosch may feel confident in having as large a house as that which greeted his incomparable warbler last evening.” 

“The performance of the ‘Creation’ at Steinway’s last night was listened to with respectful attention by a large audience. Most of them were attracted solely by Miss Nilsson, and on her rendering of the leading soprano arias their attention was concentrated. These arias were interpreted with good effect, but without creating any marked enthusiasm. ‘On mighty pens’ was perhaps the most notable success of the evening, the trills with which it abounds, and the general character of the music being well adapted to Nilsson’s voice. In ‘With verdure clad’ she sang sweetly, but made no special effect; and the same may be said of the bold, vigorous air, ‘Thy marvelous works.’ In fact we miss in Miss Nilsson the breadth of style which seems imperative for the thorough interpretation of oratorio music. To Miss Canissa Miss Nilsson committed the delightful soprano music of the last act (including the duet, ‘By Thee’), and it was creditably sung, although the young vocalist at times exerted her voice too much.

Mr. Simpson gave the tenor solo music of the oratorio in his usual style. Mr. Whitney’s noble voice appeared to the best advantage in the bass solos and duets. The choruses were well sung by the Mendelssohn Union, under the lead of Mr. Bristow, who took the time of several of the choruses—and notably of ‘The heavens are telling’—much quicker than the traditions of the oratorio would seem to justify. At the same time this promptness relieved the performance of much of the tedium which an ordinary performance of this oratorio undeniably involves.” 

“Miss Nilsson sang last evening in Haydn’s very beautiful oratorio, ‘The Creation.” The choruses were steadily and effectively rendered by the Mendelssohn Union. The instrumental support was orchestra and organ, the latter played by Mr. S. P. Warren. Mr. Simpson sang the tenor part, Mr. Whitney of Boston the bass, and Mlle. Canissa was the supplementary prima donna. The whole was under Mr. Bristow’s direction.

Bristow has this eminent quality as a conductor; he never gets excited or disturbed. If chorus and orchestra are going to wrack and ruin, he swings his baton after an easy, careless fashion of his own, as though everything were to the last degree serene. There are conductors whom we could name, who gesticulate at, shout to, and sing with their chorus, to try to keep it up to mark, but Bristow is wise enough to know that if his Society is not properly trained and prepared before it comes into the concert room on the night of the performance, all the shouting in the world, and all the frantic efforts of the most frantic conductors will not help matters in the least. Happily, the Mendelssohn Union fully justified his ease and confidence.

It is evident that the throat affection under which Miss Nilsson suffered at Cincinnati, or wherever it was on her Western trip, has not left her voice as firm and strong as it was before. In those parts therefore of the oratorio where vocal force was required, there was certainly a marked deficiency. But fortunately, the character of Haydn’s music in this oratorio as well as in most of his works is grace rather than force.

The ‘Creation’ is full of sweet and gentle pastoral passages. It is the music of nature----of the woods and of the birds. Such is the charming aria ‘With Verdure Clad,’ and that other great song, ‘On Mighty Pens,’ which, though it begins with the description of the majestic sweep of the eagle through the heavens, soon returns to earth to describe in plaintive measures the cooing dove and ‘the nightingale’s enchanting lays.’ It is in the expression of such music as this that Miss Nilsson is most felicitous. There is about her voice a certain quality of artlessness and simplicity and unaffectedness that is particularly telling in genius strains like those that Haydn has written all through this delightful work. Her grace and sweetness and purity of voice are certainly akin to the spirit of this oratorio.

The Mendelssohn Union sang, as we have suggested, with excellent precision. The society is strengthening its position in the general esteem by such good and praiseworthy work. Mr. Whitney and Mr. Simpson are both gentlemen whose good qualities are well known. The worst fault of both is a certain affected method of pronunciation. Mr. Whitney would almost lead one to suppose, from his singing methods of pronouncing his vowel tones, that he was a foreigner, and one too who had been in this country but a short time. This supposition would gain confirmation from his very singular dealing with such a simple word as sinuous, which he chooses to pronounce sigh nuous. It is a pity that Mr. Whitney’s really noble and manly singing should be marred by these easily corrected drawbacks.

At the close of the second part of the Oratorio, Miss Nilsson retired, and her place during the remainder of the evening was supplied by Mlle. Canissa. The position this lady occupied, coming into such direct contrast with so eminent an artist, was a sufficiently arduous and unthankful one, and certainly the critic may well afford to spare her the comparison that the occasion seems so clearly to invite.”

“’The Creation’ was sung at Steinway Hall last evening, in the presence of a very large assemblage. Miss Nilsson, Miss Canissa, Mr. George Simpson and Mr. M. W. Whitney the soloists, the choral work was done by the Mendelssohn Union, and the entertainment was conducted by Mr. George F. Bristow. A smooth and effective recital of Haydn’s admirable composition resulted from the united endeavors of these artists. Renderings of oratorio have not attained, in this country, to the dignity given them abroad by years of study and practice, and also by a traditional respect, on the part of audiences, for the masterpieces of the school; but some gratitude ought to be felt when an attempt to make ‘The Messiah’ or ‘The Creation’ subjects of performance is resolved upon here, and a little ought to be expressed when the effort is reasonably successful. Miss Nilsson is heard to far greater advantage in the interpretation of Haydn’s music than in that of Handel, and it can be said without flattery that her share of yesterday’s labors was in every way deserving of her reputation as an eminent lyric artist. The brief recitatives were delivered with exceeding intelligence, sentiment and variety of expression, and the well-known airs were superbly executed. ‘With Verdure Clad’ and ‘On Mighty Pens’ are the numbers in question, and the singing of the last named is to be especially referred to because of the sudden introduction of the high C into the first bars of the air—an innovation affording an instant’s estimate of the compass and power of her voice—and because of the facile delicacy of her recital of the florid passages following. Abundant evidences of appreciation marked the close of each of these important contributions to the concert, and a recognition of the good qualities of the singers co-operating with the lady was frequently proved. Mr. Simpson and Mr. Whitney are both identified with oratorio, and have become worthy representatives of it. Mr. Simpson’s even tenor is used with method and care, and the spirit in which he fills his part is that of a student and worshipper of the score. Mr. Whitney has a voice of vast range and force, both of which attributes were fully displayed last night. The rather ungrateful task of appearing almost at the end of the oratorio was assigned to Miss Canissa, who sang the concerted pieces with Mr. Whitney, nominally allotted by the composer to Adam and Eve, and who was welcomed to the concert-room after a long absence in consequence of illness. The meritorious character of the chorus business only needs reaffirmation, and the fact that the orchestra was in available condition demands no more detailed assurance.”

“The performance of Miss Nilsson last night in ‘The Creation’ confirmed us in the judgment we expressed after her miscellaneous concert of the night before; she has brought back from the West very much less voice than she took away with her, and though her winning presence is unchanged, her beauty undimmed, and her manner unaltered, a great deal of the undefinable charm of her singing has certainly disappeared. Sickness and fatigue have left traces which a long rest will be needed to remove. The rich and effective notes of her voice are at present confined within the compass of less than an octave of the middle register,--say from B on the staff to A above it—and she is incapable of executing any long aria without showing great weakness and even lassitude. In the interpretation of the oratorio she does not sensibly depart from the traditional standards, though she renders a few passages with a somewhat dramatic freedom of style. We must therefore, perforce, compare her performance with that of the best artists we have heard before, and judged by these examples, Miss Nilsson’s attempt cannot be called entirely successful. The work was given entire, Miss Nilsson taking all the soprano solos in the first and second parts—that is, all the music of Gabriel, (including ‘With Verdure Clad,’ and ‘On Mighty Pens’)—and Miss Canissa taking the solos for Eve in part third. Miss Canissa has naturally a good voice, but it is veiled by a bad tremolo, which was probably aggravated last night by nervousness. The bass solos were excellently sung by Mr. Whitney, and the tenor by Mr. Simpson. The former gentleman made one or two effective cadenzas in the course of the evening, ending with a good full sonorous D natural below the staff. He is obliged to strain a little after the high notes, but his lower tones are superb. Mr. Simpson was admirable in his one great aria, ‘In Native Worth.’ The chorus, consisting of about 200 members of the Mendelssohn Union, under Mr. Bristow, sang very finely. The shading was not perfect, but there was little or no fault to be found with the intonations, or the time, or the vigor of the attack, and they gave out a fine volume of tone. The Society has improved greatly under Mr. Bristow’s management.”

Confirmation that Mlle. Nilsson will not perform in opera this season.