Grover German Opera: Guillaume Tell

     “In the grand ruetli scene, the members of the Singing Societies helvetia, wolfsschlucht and frohsinn have kindly volunteered, augmenting the chorus to 150 voices, the largest choral force that has appeared in any opera in this country.”

     “The beautiful opera of William Tell was performed at the Academy last evening, before a pretty large audience, with some changes in the cast, which did not impair the efficiency of the performance. The system of one dollar admission, with secured seat, works tolerably well, both for the people and the management. The great mass of the public cannot afford more than a dollar, but that amount they give readily, and the proportion of lovers of music in general society is very large, therefore the returns to the treasury must be satisfactory. The German Opera appeals more to the musical instinct of the people than to fashionable society; evening toilets are not demanded, and the artists are not so exorbitantly expensive in their demands for salaries; so, for these reasons, a dollar admission is reasonable, and would, in the end, we think, return more money to the management than higher prices.

     We have already spoken at length of the performance of ‘William Tell’ by the Germany Company, giving it the warm praise which it deserved. Last night the performance was fully up to the standard, and seemed to afford the keenest enjoyment to the large audience. As before, the choruses, the ensemble pieces and the overture, were points of especial and enthusiastic admiration.”

Brief. “the academy of music.

     The Academy of Music was last night pretty well filled, and ‘William Tell’ was given in a generally satisfactory manner, some changes having been made in the cast which were not at all detrimental to the effect of the performance.”