Metropolitan Opera Archives

Last evening's performance of "Les Huguenots" was on the whole a decided improvement on the first representation of this opera at the Metropolitan, although there was still a lack of French animation in the movement, and some of the singing was open to criticism from a technical point of view. Modern singers are all specialists - they are either of the lyrico-florid or of the dramatic persuasion; and as Meyerbeer was an eclectic who jumbled together French, Italian, and German features, not only in the same opera, but in the same vocal part, it is seldom one's lot to hear a perfectly satisfactory performance of "Les Huguenots" - even in Paris. Fräulein Wilde, the debutante, was not altogether successful in the florid music of the opera; but in the fourth act she evinced such an amount of passion and vocal power in the duet with Schott, who sang superbly, that the house was roused to an enthusiasm which culminated in several recalls. The chorus had been carefully drilled and sang some of its numbers in a very effective manner; and the orchestra; as usual, covered itself with glory. The spectacular features are very striking, including the short tableau which constitutes the fifth act as given at this house, and which a portion of the audience always fails to see, owing to the excessive length of the opera. On Monday the superb performance of "Lohengrin," which may well be called epoch-making, will be repeated, and Wednesday will be the first performance of Meyerbeer's "Prophète," the brilliant scenic features of?which?will receive special attention.

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