Strakosch Italian Opera: Faust

“The performance of ‘Faust’ on Monday night [illegible] surpasses last previous performance of Mr. Strakosch’s season. Miss Nilsson [illegible] in the church scene tragic power [illegible] terrible, and [illegible] the other portions of the opera she was at least as admirable [illegible] that work. Her voice, too, was fuller, richer, and [illegible] even than usual. The other artists were [illegible] and all the spirit of the occasion, so that barring the customary diffiencies of the chorus, the performance passed off with remarkable smoothness. ‘Faust’ [illegible] great to any repetitions before the public grow tired of, but [illegible] shocking landscape which does duty or the Kermesse, for [illegible] and [illegible] suburbs of Seville, for the [illegible] and the Mississippi of those [illegible] Wachtel at the opera), be thrust into our face every night this Winter? Have the directors of the Academy of Music no money for a much-abused public?”

“A word about the Saturday matinees. These entertainments are attended by many persons from out of town, by ladies without convenient cavaliers, music-lovers blessed with a greater depth of appreciation than of purse, and many others who have artistically as well-grounded claims to consideration as the more showy audiences of the evening representations. It is a trifle chilling to such auditors that in the afternoon performances there should be a slight tone of carelessness, haste or undue economy of financial or vocal resource. Why, for instance, should the fine church scene in ‘Faust,’ one of the dramatic gems of the work, be cut out at the matinées? It is within our knowledge that sundry tasteful people, professors of music and others, whom to please is honor, had saved and calculated to give themselves an infrequent luxury in hearing Miss Nilsson last Saturday, and were seriously disappointed at missing an important part of their pleasure. Doubtless the management had valid reasons for this apparently unseasonable bit of economy, but their best friends will unite in begging them to use their best efforts to reconcile, on such occasions, all necessary exigencies with liberality and even-handed justice.”