SIMONSEN'S OPERA COMPANY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XL, Issue 190, 2 August 1876, Page 2

SIMONSEN'S OPERA COMPANY.

This talented company received but a very cold welcome last night from the Nelson public, and we fear the miserable attendance both then and at tbe De Murska concerts will go far towards keeping away from us all the real artistes, and that Nelson will in future he abandoned to jugglers and mountebanks. The few who were present last night enjoyed a great treat, and were most demonstrative in the genuine applause with which they greeted some of the best executed songs and scenes. To hear " Lucrezia Borgia" carefully performed from beginning to end by an efficient company one would have thought a sufficient attraction to a music-loving people, and, more than this, the performance reached in some parts a very high degree of excellence. Madame Siraonsen has lost none of her old power, and sang and acted tbe difficult part of " Lucrezia" to perfection j in the great scene between herself and the Duke (Mr Richardson) and Gennaro (Signor Morley), and again in the finale she displayed the utmost dramatic force "and skill. Signor Morley, the tenor, is new to a Nelson audience. He is a good actor, and he is the fortunate possessor of a most beautifully soft aud cultivated voice, suited, rather to the drawing room perhaps than to the stage, where the loud chest notes of the " tenore robusto " are often more telling than the sweeter tones of the pure tenor. He sang, however, every' note of the trying music of " Gennaro ' with perfect skill, and far more effect than we at first thought it was • possible he could have given to so difficult a part. A warm reception was given to aa old favorite, Miss Lambert, who was in excellent voice, and sang and acted the contralto part of Oram with the greatest spirit, especially in the song of the piece II segreto per esser felice. The miaor parts of Eustighello, Gubetta, and others were carefully rendered, and the chorus was remarkably efficient, and evidently highly trained. The very important part of Duke Alfonso, the husband of Lucrezia, was entrusted to a gentleman who unfortunately had but little voice, and was very frequently out ot tune, which considerably marred what would otherwise bave been a really excellent performance. Itwas sufficiently annoy ing that his own part should be spoiled, but still worse when he ought to have been in harmony with Madame Siraonsen, and one was lost in wonder at the marvellous skill with which she picked up her own part after the wonderful cue 3 the Duke left her. Her intonation, indeed, was faultless throughout. In our opinion the instrumentation was as eujoyable as any part of the whole opera. "We venture to say that so delightful a performance as that ofthe band last night has never before been heard in Nelson, the accompaniments were simply perfect, and the whole as completely under the conductor's control as if the sound proceeded from the end of his baton. The performance closed with a very gracefully danced ballet, in which Fraulein Fanny and the Leopold family took part, the music by the orchestra being a real treat to listen to. For to-nighfc Fiotow's favorite opera " Martha" has been selected, and we trust for the credit of Nelson as a musical people, and for our own sakes both in the present and the future, that better houses will be seen then aud at the two following performaucest