New-Yorker Stadt-Theater Opera Company: Les Huguenots

“The performance of Meyerbeer’s greatest work at the German opera house last night, although a habitué of the Academy might smile at it, gave abundant pleasure to the children of Fatherland present. The orchestra was very small in number, but the leader occasionally reinforced them with a piano, and the chorus displayed the requisite lung power and demonstrative style of singing so characteristic of German opera. Madame Lichtmay sung [sic] the music of Valentine well, albeit her voice showed at times the wear and tear of long operatic labor, and in the grand duo of the fourth act all the honors fell to her. Mlle. Canissa was quite at home in the florid music of Queen Margaret, and was the chief feature of the second act. The page had an excellent representative in Mlle. Heis [sic], who sung [sic] the aria in the first act so well that it was a matter of regret that the fine aria in the second act, written expressly for Mme. Alboni, was omitted on this occasion. Raoul had a very inefficient interpreter in Herr Plfuger [sic], whose disagreeable voice can never compensate for the mechanical correctness of his singing. Weinlich’s St. Bris was passable and Vierling’s Nevers was rendered a nullity by hoarseness. Herrmanns [sic] gave the lower notes of the music of Marcel with considerable effect, but the upper notes of his voice are of such an uncertain character that he can seldom keep within a tone of the orchestra. In regard to the general ensemble, the best that can be said of it is that there were no positive mistakes made and that the performance was smooth and pleasing to the audience. To judge of it from an Academy point of view would be unfair. It was admirably adapted to the theatre and the patrons of German opera.”

“Sacred concert. Les Huguenots…Full chorus and orchestra. Popular prices.”