Mulder-Fabbri German Opera: Juive

“Mr. Mulder, who last season gave a series of operatic performances with an imperfect company, lately visited Europe, and has now returned bearing his sheaves with him, in the shape of two new tenors and a new basso. They are all good artists, and proved their ability in Halevy’s ‘Jewess’ at the Stadt theatre last night. Herr Richard, the principal tenor, is a fine dramatic singer, who, at the same time, can act well. His voice shows excellent training, and his entire performance last night was satisfactory, save in the Passover scene, where he fails to make the telling effect achieved by Stigelli, who sang the part of Eleazor in this city some years ago. In the superb air of the fourth act he created a marked impression, thoroughly awakening the enthusiasm of a not over-crowded audience. Herr Eisenbach, the second tenor, has a most agreeable voice, though the male part of Leopold afforded him but little chance of showing it to advantage. Wiegand, the basso, is sure to win great popularity. He is a careful singer, with a deep voice, rather thin in quality, but unexceptionable in timbre. He was loudly applauded last night. 

Madame Fabbri and Madame Rosetti took the female parts in the opera most acceptably. The chorus was poor, and the orchestra at times too noisy in its accompaniments.”

“Professor Mulder, who has lately returned from Europe, introduced last night for the first time to the New York public three new artists, Herr Richard, tenore di forza; Herr Eisenbach, tenore di grazia; and Herr Wiegand, basso profundo. The opera was the chef d’oeuvre of the French school, ‘La Juive,’ by Halévy, given with the following cast [see above]. Richard achieved a success scarcely inferior to that of Wachtel with the German audience, and was repeatedly called before the curtain. In an artistic point of view, we think his success in some respects greater than that of his renowned predecessor in the same theatre. His voice is of the same powerful calibre, and only needs the ut de poitrine to bring down a house at all times. But this high C, when everything else is sacrificed to it, becomes an intolerable nuisance to a musical ear, and it was a genuine pleasure to listen to a thorough artist, with a fine, broad, dramatic voice, who sings every part of his rôle with like care and finish. As an actor Richard exhibited qualities last night which one would only expect from a Dawison or other star of the dramatic stage. He is still young, but thirty-three years of age, and has an enviable career before him if he will only avoid the rock on which many tenors have foundered, the ut de poitrine. Wiegand’s success was nearly as great as that of the tenor. He has a grand, broad and sympathetic bass voice, highly trained, and he uses it with effect. Without the magnetism of Formes and the deep organ-like tones of the celebrated German basso, Herr Wiegand produced a profound impression by his artistic management of a remarkably fine voice. Eisenbach was the weakest of the trio, and nervousness and hoarseness marred his voice to a great extent. Yet he gave indication of better things at a second and third hearing. Madame Fabbri’s Rebecca was characterized by all the care and finish of this accomplished artist, and Mlle. Rosetti was very good in the rôle of the Princess.”

“The repetition last night of Halévy’s opera, ‘La Juive,’ at this house by the Fabbri company was well attended by the German part of the community. It is somewhat difficult for a non-Teutonic ear to fully understand the cause of the enthusiasm which the audience from time to time displayed. With the remembrance of the Nilsson and Parepa-Rosa companies fresh in our minds, we can hardly be expected to feel very enthusiastic about the performance at the Stadt. There are two artists, however, who art gifted with good voices. Richard is a tenor of considerable power and Wiegand a respectable basso, but neither of them possess much histrionic ability. The chorus and the orchestra are almost as bad as they can be, so that the interest centers altogether in the efforts of the principal singers. The audience gave constant evidence of very enthusiastic appreciation, but their verdict would scarcely be approved outside the region of the Bowery.”