Kellogg English Opera: The Bohemian Girl

“An immense audience witnessed the performance of ‘The Bohemian Girl’ at the Academy of Music yesterday afternoon, and there was plenty of applause, although the representation of Balfe’s well-worn but still popular opera was hardly as good as previous entertainments. Even Miss Kellogg was not at her best, for the spoken portions of ‘The Bohemian Girl’ give a disagreeable prominence to her gaucherie as an actress. Nor were the exertions of Messrs. Morgan and Arnold particularly satisfactory, mainly on account of the recollections of the ‘cast’ of the opera under the direction of Mme. Rosa. Mrs. Seguin, who personated the Gipsy Queen, was the single artist of the company who found in Balfe’s work an opportunity—but one of many—of distinguishing herself both as a vocalist and a comedienne.”

“The Kellogg English Opera Company gave a matinée performance at the Academy of Music yesterday of Balfe’s most popular work before an audience which filled the building from parquet to dome. We do not recollect ever having seen as many people congregated together at the Academy, except, perhaps, once or twice during the Parepa-Wachtel-Santley season. Hundreds were unable to obtain even tolerable standing room, and went away disappointed. ‘The Bohemian Girl’ is a never-failing source of attraction with the general public. Its melodies have long ago become sterling favorites in the concert room and the parlor, and are as familiar to the public ear as ‘Yankee doodle’ or Hail Columbia.’ The pretty little concerted pieces scattered through the work add much to its attractiveness, and the choruses are all written in a popular vein. A musician would be inclined to cavil at the ephemeral character of the instrumentation, which is very weak and commonplace. Miss Kellogg undertook the rôle of Arline, and invested it with an importance and charm that a less capable or less painstaking artist would have failed to give it. Her first song, ‘I Dreamt That I Dwelt in Marble Halls,’ was delivered with expression and feeling, and in the duet with Thaddeus which follows Miss Kellogg’s voice seemed to be admirably adapted to the music. In the concluding air of the opera, ‘Oh! What Full Delight,’ the prima donna was heartily applauded. Mrs. Seguin, as the Queen of the Gypsies, was the next feature of excellence in the opera. Whenever the music ranged beyond the compass of her voice (it was written for a soprano) she skillfully changed it without marring it in the slightest degree. For the grand air in the second act she substituted a beautiful melody from ‘The Puritan’s Daughter,’ and sung it with such a wealth of fervor and sentiment that a unanimous redemand was the consequence.

The illness of some of the artists of the company caused a change in the cast in the rôles of Thaddeus and Count Arnheim which was not for the better. Mr. Wilford Morgan in the former rôle failed to create a favorable impression in the two most important airs entrusted to him, ‘When Other Lips’ and ‘When the Fair Land of Poland.’ The music of Thaddeus is written very high and strains the voice considerably. The resemblance in voice and style between Mr. Morgan and Mr. Castle was very marked yesterday. In the concerted music he was more successful than in the solos, and his acting was graceful and effective, without being too demonstrative. Mr. Arnold, who essayed the rôle of the Count, has a very good barytone voice, but the crudeness of his style and the unauthorized manner in which he treats the English language are serious defects. ‘My choild, my choild!’ cannot be regarded as satisfactory pronunciation. Mr. Seguin’s Devilshoof is always an admirable piece of acting, but the necessary concomitant of voice was altogether wanting yesterday. Mr. Tilla, who possesses a tenor voice of a very peculiar and by no means agreeable quality of tone, was the Florestan of the occasion. The chorus and orchestra were irreproachable.”