THE ENGLISH OPERA COMPANY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 93, 6 February 1875, Page 8

THE ENGLISH OPERA COMPANY.

The presentation of Verdi's grand composition " II Trovatore, secured an excellent attendance at the Princess Theatre on Tuesday evening, and to say that it was an unqualified success in every sense of the term would scarcely be doing justice to the performance. There are few operas with the music of which the public are more conversant, but it is also one which is a most trying test to the combined strength of a company, the burden having to be borne by all the characters introduced. Bearing that fact in mind, then, the audience were agreeably surprised at the possession of talent by members of the troupe far in excess of what they had been accredited with. In the trying character of Leonora, it is needless to say Miss May's conception of the part was faultless, and in the prison scene, the terrible anguish caused by the tolling of the death knell and the chanting of the " Miserere " was most natural and touchingly effective. As Manrico Mr. Hallam was never seen to better advantage, the plaintive music being giving with pathos and feeling, to which his very excellent representation of the character gave an additional charm. As the Count di Luna Mr. Templeton was quite at home, and it is a further proof of the manifest injustice of casting him for characters beyond his range. His rendering of " The Tempest of the Heart," was rapturously applauded, and on repeating it, to our mind he excelled his first essay. Miss Florence Howe, as the Gipsy Azucena, quite took the audience by surprise, as from the very trying nature of the character, both as to the acting and music, an impression was prevalent, that she would be found scarcely equal to the occasion, but the fallacy of the conjecture, was most unmistakeably admitted by the enthusiastic applause accorded to her during the evening. All the minor characters were played with equal care and attention, and the manner in which every minute particular which would add to the scenic effect had been attended to, proved that the management spares no pains to give a truthful and effective representation of the operas pro* duced. Taken as a whole "H Trovatore " has been the most .successful piece put forward by the company, and that the public can appreciate it at its worth, the loud and frequent enthusiastic expressions of satisfaction would give ample proof. On Wednesday night Balfe's "Bohemian G-irl" was reproduced, with Mr. Rainford — who was received with a perfect ovation on his appearance — as Count Arnheim.