Articles on Grover’s upcoming German opera season

Listing of the Grover Opera Ensemble:

Mlle. Elvira Naddie, Prima Donna (Debut in America) OPERA debut. She made her American debut with Théâtre Français, 01/10/1866.

Mme. Johanna Rotter, Prima Donna

Mme. Bertha Johannsen, Prima Donna

Mlle. Katherine Holland, Prima Donna (from the Court-Opera House of Coblenz/Germany)

Mlle. Sophie Cziuba, Prima Donna, soubrette

Miss Rosa Cook, Prima Donna (from New York and American Opera House)

Mlle. Frida de Gebele, Prima Donna, contralto

Mlle. Flora Meyer, Seconda Donna

Madame Bertha Pleyel, Seconda Donna

Franz Himmer, first tenor (first performance after returning from Hannover/ Germany)

Theodor Habelman [sic], very popular lyrical tenor

Johann Arneid, first tenor robusto

Mario Duschnitz, first baritone (from the Royal Opera of Berlin/ Germany)

Anton Steinecke, first baritone VERIFY. Not Heinrich???

Joseph Hermann, the grandest bass of our time

Joseph Weinlich, first bass

Eduard Haimer, basso-buffo

     In addition the famous Wiesbaden Chorus, the most famous singers of Germany and the best singers of the opera chorus of the season of 1864 combined.

     Conductor is Lorenzo Fichtelberger of the Royal Opera Coblenz.

     The director also announces that he has purchased the famous “Wardrobe of Esmeralda with Jewels and trophies” which he will exhibit in Washington. The exhibition consists of all material of the famous “Esmeralda” including a special collection of selected concert costumes from Paris, Wiesbaden, Berlin and Vienna: almost 3 tons of the most precious fabrics.

[Preliminary translation]

     “Grover’s German Opera has finished in Washington and has returned to New York to ‘rest on the laurels’. Grover is planning to pick up the season on April 16th. A lot of time will go by until then. Probably he will find ways and means to busy his artists appropriately.”

[Preliminary translation]

"Grover will start his opera season with his German ensemble on April 17^th here in New York. He is probably performing for two weeks, before he will go to Europe on May 2^nd to engage new singers for next year."

[Preliminary translation]

     “German Opera.—Mr. Grover returns to the charge this evening, and with a fair chance of carrying his point. The company is neither stronger nor better than last season, but the repertoire is interesting. In what fashion nine grand operas can be presented on eight evenings we are at a loss to imagine, but this is Mr. Grover’s affair, not ours. A matinée may probably bridge over the difficulty. The operas announced are in the highest degree interesting. They are to-night, ‘Faust;’ to-morrow, ‘William Tell,’ with Mr. William Formes as the hero; thereafter, the ‘Merry Wives of Windsor,’ ‘Les Huguenots,’ ‘Fidelio,’ ‘La Dame Blanche,’ ‘Fra Diavolo,’ the ‘Magic Flute,’ and the ‘Tannhauser.’ Every one must concede that this is a liberal programme. The prices adopted by Mr. Grover are the ordinary theatre rates, to which nobody can object. He has provided an unusually strong chorus and an orchestra of fifty players. The ensemble, it is safe to affirm, will be good. Grafulla’s Seventh regiment band has been secured for military fanfare and pageant of the fourth act of ‘Faust.’ For the rest Mr. Hermann is the Mephistopheles; Mr. Huminer [sic] the Faust, Mad. Rotter the Marguerite, Mlle. Dziuba the Siebel, and Mr. Steinecke the Valentin.”

Under heading “Academy of Music.”

[Preliminary translation]

     “Manager Grover, one of the most enterprising of our operatic managers, commences a season of German Opera at the Academy of Music on the 17th inst., with ‘Faust,’ which was produced in such gorgeous style by the same manager last season. Hermans appears in his great role of Mephistophiles, Himmer as Faust, and Mad. Rotter, a very pleasing singer, as Margueritte. ‘William Tell’ will be the next opera. Seven other operas are promised, among which are ‘La Dame Blanche,’ ‘Tannhauser,’ ‘Fra Diavolo,’ ‘Les Huguenots,’ and ‘Fidelio.’ The prices have been fixed at the same as those of our theatres. Manager Grover deserves success and we hope he will obtain it.”