Kellogg English Opera: Martha

For Wallace’s Maritana. 

“There was a change of opera at the Academy of Music last night in consequence of the illness of Mr. Castle, and ‘Martha’ was produced instead of ‘Maritana.’ Flotow fits the capacity of this company much better than Verdi, and the audience found a plenty to amuse them in the light and pleasing strains and vivacious, not to say boisterous, by-play. The performance was not remarkable for refinement of any sort, but then it was not dull, and the public was not exacting. Mrs. Van Zandt was an untiring Lady Henrietta, singing with a fine volume of voice if not with as highly finished execution as we might have desired. Miss Beaumont made an agreeable Nancy, though her voice is a mezzo-soprano with hardly anything of the contralto quality. Mr. Maas was more fortunate in the character of Lionel than in that of Manrico. The Plunkett was Mr. Hamilton. There were many faults in the concerted music, and Mr. Predigam took no particular pains to keep his orchestra in time with the singers. It was surely small enough to be manageable.

We regret to learn that Mrs. Zelda Seguin has left the company, though her name still appears upon the bills. The loss of this charming artist—the only contralto now on the English stage in this country, and one of the sweetest of American singers—will not easily be repaired.”

“In consequence of the indisposition of Mr. Castle, who was to have sung Don Caesar in ‘Maritana,’ the perennial ‘Martha’ was last evening substituted for Wallace’s popular work. It is quite natural that an artist should take cold at this season of the year, but it is not indicative of good management that arrangements are not made to fill his place, and when, in spite of the existence of evening newspapers, the public is allowed to come to the very doors of the theatre before learning that the programme has been completely changed, the charge to which the director is amenable is graver still. This came to pass yesterday, and a great disappointment was the result. ‘Maritana’ is a genuine English opera, and, relatively, a fresh work; ‘Martha’ is far less adapted to an English company, and is, moreover, terribly threadbare. But for the fact that the night air did not invite an immediate homeward journey, we doubt if the audience would have been half as numerous as it was. The performance of ‘Martha,’ it is satisfactory to say, passed off smoothly and agreeably. The troupe is evenly balanced, and though none of its members have thus far excited any enthusiasm, the ensemble of their representations has been unusually good. On the occasion we write of, Mme. Jennie Van Zandt effected her first appearance this season, and was received with much cordiality. Mme. Van Zandt’s voice is as powerful as ever, and she uses it with a skill which some years ago enabled her to hold an honorable rank among songstresses abroad. Her personation of Lady Henrietta was vivacious, if it was not exactly elegant, and Mme. Van Zandt did ample justice to the music allotted to the character. ‘The Last Rose’ was naturally redemanded, and a good deal of applause was bestowed upon the lady from the outset to the close of the entertainment. Miss Beaumont, though not equal to Mrs. Seguin, who, it seems, has left the forces of Miss Kellogg, and has weakened them considerably by so doing, was a very acceptable Nancy. Mr. Maas, as Lionel, used his voice with discretion, (except in the second act, when, in the duet with the basso, he rashly attacked a high note without preparation,) and gave due charm to the melodious passages in which the concerted numbers, no less than the solos, in ‘Martha’ are particularly rich. Mr. Hamilton, a new-comer, was Plunkett, and won an encore in the drinking song. The chorus and orchestra, under M. Prédigam, we have to add, were quite proficient.”

“Owing to the sudden indisposition of Mr. Castle the opera of ‘Martha’ was substituted for ‘Maritana,’ and was rendered with much spirit. The opera loses none of its attractiveness by translation from its native Italian, especially as the plot is laid in England. Mrs. Van Zandt sang with wonted precision, and was ably supported by the rich, well-trained voice of Miss Beaumont. Mr. Maas has an unusually sympathetic voice but acts with less vivacity than is to be desired. The chorus sang correctly and with genuine earnestness that bears fair comparison with those recently heard on the same stage.”

“In consequence of the illness of Mr. William Castle, , the opera ‘Maritana’ was not performed last evening at the Academy of Music by the Kellogg English Opera company. At the last moment Flotow’s ‘Martha’ was substituted, which was unfortunate; for, though it is an English opera as far as the scene is concerned, it was originally written in Italian, and, therefore, as a national production, did not create so much interest as the highly successful work of Wallace would have done. ‘Maritana’ having been composed in English, has suffered nothing from the hands of a translator or adaptor, like the ‘Trovatore’ of Monday evening, or ‘Martha’ of last night; and both these operas having been recently performed by the Strakosch company, comparisons were necessarily provoked which would probably be better avoided, as far as the language is concerned, and also the respective merits of the representations.

It seems unnecessary to point out that the English language appears naturally unfitted to make trivial subject-matter attractive. In Italian and French, elegant ‘nothings’ may be said in a variety of styles with ease and a good grace, though in German and English they would find no corresponding expression. In these beer-drinking nations a solid substratum of idea and earnest intention is required, however light and fanciful the superstructure may apparently be.

The song of Plunkett at the commencement of the fourth act in praise of beer, with its good-humored joviality, seems to point to this peculiarity. It certainly befits an Englishman more than an Italian.

Mrs. Van Zandt appeared as Lady Henrietta, and sang very fairly through the opera. She makes good shakes, and they are always in tune, the notes being well defined.

Miss Annie Beaumont undertook the part of Nancy, Mr. Maas that of Lionel and Mr. Hamilton, Plunkett.

The chorus in the Statute-Fair scene at Richmond Park, was taken too slowly at the words ‘I can brew, sir,’ &c, which detracted from its vivacity, but the acting was piquant and animated, and the voices were in tune, for which luxury we have learned to be thankful.

Mrs. Van Zandt made a curious variation of the accepted form of the melody ‘The Last Rose of Summer’ which did not appear to increase its beauty.

If variations from the accepted form are allowed, it might be well to give the air in its original form on the Celtic scale of five notes, and thus exhibit its characteristics, which are as strongly marked as those of the well-known melody, ‘Ye banks and braes,’ and others which may be correctly played on the black keys of a piano-forte.”

“At a late hour last night the opera of ‘Martha’ was substituted for that of ‘Maritana,’ the illness of the tenor, Mr. Castle, being assigned as the cause of this change in programme. Whether this substitution had anything to do with the beggarly array of empty benches which greeted the eye on entering the Academy we cannot say; but the fact remains that the house was empty and cold, a fact to be regretted, both for the artists and for the public, for the opera was neatly and gracefully played. Mrs. Van Zandt, arrayed in various costumes, according to the exigencies of her rôle—passing from the home attire of the blasé lady of fashion to the short petticoats and coquettish cloak of the farm maiden, and so back again through a short period of the haughty huntress to the high born dame once more—acquitted herself through all these changes with the ease of a well drilled actress. As a singer Mrs. Van Zandt’s proficiency has been already recognized. Her voice is clear without being shrill, and her intonation generally true. Her cadenzas and trills, if not always finished, are not labored, and a correct taste inspires her phrasing. Miss Beaumont, who played the Nancy to Lady Henrietta, having cast aside the traditional hideousness, physical and moral, which obscures the features and character of Azucena in ‘Il Trovatore,’ has blossomed out into an engaging and youthful blonde. If her voice were a contralto instead of a mezzo soprano, she would be better adapted to the rôles assigned her, but, as it is, she copes with them faithfully and honestly. Her voice is not wanting in power, nor in agreeability, although it frequently lacks flexibility. Mr. Maas performed the part of Lionel with very fair success, and Mr. Hamilton supported him in the rôle of Plunkett. The concerted pieces were generally smooth in their execution, and the audience, once accustomed to the change of programme, gave themselves up to the enjoyment and applause of ‘Martha’ in the most accommodating temper imaginable. Mrs. Van Zandt’s ‘Last Rose of Summer’ met with the usual applause, and Lionel’s grand aria, which a diligent study of the libretto more than our familiarity with the English tongue induces us to believe opens witht the statement that ‘She appeared clothed in light,’ was sung with a gentle and tasteful fervor.”