Mulder-Fabbri German Opera: Le Prophète

“Last night, for the first time since Nilsson and Parepa warbled their farewell notes, the Academy was thrown open again for an operatic performance. The German opera troupe of Mr. Mulder, after recovering from the depressing results of an unsuccessful campaign at the Stadt Theater, have again entered the field, and this time under more hopeful auspices. A number of our leading German citizens had organized a subscription, and before beginning the new season the management was assured of at least a partial support.

“For the opening night, Meyerbeer’s ‘Prophete’—one of the grandest combinations of lyrical and dramatic possibilities which exist—was chosen. It had been twice performed by this troupe at the Stadt Theater, and, therefore, was presented with all the advantages of recent rehearsal. The house was well attended, the German element of the audience preponderating. There was plenty of cordial applause, approaching in the third and fourth acts to positive enthusiasm. There was much, indeed, to call forth commendation. Clara Pearl, as Fides, gave evidence of lyric talent for which only those who heard her at the wretched and dangerous house in the Bowery could have been prepared. The music is of that broad, massive style best adapted to her powerful, deep voice, while she proved fully equal to its dramatic exigencies. Her renderings of Ah mon fils and of the difficult music of the last act were her chief successes. Her acting in the magnificent fourth act was also dignified and appropriate. Madame Fabbri, as Bertha, added to the general merits of the performance, though the part does not afford scope for the best qualities. Herr Richard, the tenor, sang well and intelligently. A foolish bit of speculative ambition induced the management to claim for him, lately, the title of ‘first tenor of Germany,’ and to place him on a plane with Wachtel; and this assumption has militated against a proper appreciation of a really meritorious artist. The chorus at times seemed careless, and in the Coronation scene was once out of tune. Mr. Pedigram conducted the orchestra. The performance, as a whole, sadly lacked in that finish and completeness which marked the recent representations of Italian opera at the Academy, but there were many features of merit; and to hear Meyerbeer’s ‘Prophete’ under almost any circumstances is a real privilege.”

“’The Prophet,’ recited already by Mme. Fabbri, Miss Clara Perl, Herr Richard, and the remaining artists of the Mulder-Fabbri Company at the Stadt Theatre, was sung last evening at the Academy of Music, with a distribution of parts in no manner differing from that of the earlier rehearsal. Miss Perl’s impersonation of Fides was without doubt the most impressive performance of the night. The lady’s very fine voice, her quite unexpected breadth of style, and her dramatic power made the last two acts of the opera extremely effective. All Mme. Fabbri’s work bears the stamp of an accomplished artist, and her picture of Bertha was wholly satisfactory. Herr Richard is not heard to as great advantage in ‘The Prophet’ as in ‘The Jewess.’ Of the associates of these singers there is no occasion to speak. It should be mentioned, before closing this notice, that pains had been taken to invest Meyerbeer’s composition with an appropriate stage costume, and that the attempt was tolerably successful, and signally so in respect of the fourth act. The orchestra was under the direction of Mr. Auguste Predigam.”

“There was a good attendance last evening at the Academy of Music on the occasion of the performance of Meyerbeer’s ‘Prophete’ in German by the Mulder-Fabbri troupe. Miss Clara Perl sang the part of Fides, Madame Fabbri that of Bertha, and Mr. Wilhelm Richard that of John of Leyden. While the representation, as a whole, fell below the high mark of instrumental and vocal precision to which we have been accustomed of late in the Academy, it was yet full of good points, and many passages were characterized by great power. Miss Clara Perl displayed a breadth of style combined with a histrionic ability for which the New York public had not given her credit, and her really fine voice became wondrously sympathetic, and her manner especially impressive, in the renderinfg of Ah mon fils and the music of the coronation scene. Mr. Wilhelm Richard sang with spirit and correctness, now and then, as in the conclusion of the third act where he assumes the sword, producing a great effect. Madame Fabbri’s Bertha had the completeness of conscientious art, and she was all that could have been asked for in that rather unimportant character. The patience of the audience was sorely tried by the seemingly interminable ‘waits’ between the acts. The curtain was down thirty-one minutes after the conclusion of the third act, and though the preparation of the stage for the Coronation (which, by the way, was very good in scenic arrangement, properties and costume) demands some time, it should have been completed in half that interval. Many of the audience went to sleep and many others went home thinking the operatic company had forgotten all about ‘Der Prophete’ and the Anabaptists.”

“The Fabbri Opera Company made a rather dangerous experiment at the Academy of Music on Friday night, of inviting comparison between themselves and the great artists who preceded them on the same boards. If they expected to make the audience forget the triumphs of the Nilsson and Parepa Rosa troupes they must have been sanguine indeed, for few companies that could be organized under the most favorable circumstances would be likely easily to obliterate the impression which Nilsson, Parepa-Rosa, Santley and Wachtel made on the opera-going public. In addition to this, German opera struggles under the difficulties of a guttural language, which no talent or quality of voice on the part of the artist, can make the non-Teutonic ear entirely forget. Of course this consideration does not affect our German population, upon whom the Fabbri company must chiefly, if not wholly rely. The attendance on Friday at the Academy was fair. Owing to the wise selection of Meyerbeer’s great work, ‘Le Prophete,’ for presentation, German opera appeared at its best, and as the company possesses much talent and power the representation gave a good deal of satisfaction to the large Teutonic audience, who were by no means stinted in their evidence of appreciation.”