MDLLE. ILMA DE MURESKA.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 183, 29 September 1876, Page 12

MDLLE. ILMA DE MURESKA.

HOk Tuesday evening last Mdlle. lima de Murska, having returned from her triumphant tour in the North, re-appeared in Dunedin, and we regret to hear that it is for the last time she visits this town, Many yeaw will probably elapse before an opportunity is again afforded to the inhabitants of New Zealand of witnessing, in any form, the perfection of art such as they have experienced it in the vocalisation of this lady. It is seldom, indeed, that artistes of eminence are so endowed with a spirit of adventure as to travel thus far from the centrei of civilization, and we antipodeans may well congratulate ourselves that in the present instance a rare exception has been found to the general rule, and this in the person of one who ranks second to none living in the exercise of her charming profession. We have been singularly favoured. America was already a long-sattled and populous country when Jenny Lind accepted an engagement there ; but while New Zealand is still in its infancy, it has succeeded in attracting to its shores a songstress equally renowned. Who can say, however, what length of time may elapse before another such visitor may be welcomed amongst us ? And even should another come here at no diitant date, bearing also the reputation of having swayed the musical world of Europe, in all probability there would not again be found anything like the peculiar delicacy, refinement and purity that distinguish the voice and execution of Mdlle. lima de Murska. The programme issued for the first grand opera concert at the Queen's Theatre on Tuesday evening last, was one of unprecedented attraction, and it was carried out in a manner that we can hardly laud too highly. We have a horror of " gush" of any kind, but that sometimes found in newspapers is, above all things, abominable, and, therefore, we find ourselves in a strait, for it is extremely difficult to refrain from this obnoxious pxp>ession of feeling in attempting to describe the singing and acting of Mdlle. de Murska. We have already, in previous numbers of this journal, exhausted our powers of criticism in endeavoring to convey to our readers an idea of the surpassing •vocalisation of tha great prima donna, but we had hardly, before Tuesday evening last, had an opportunity of forming a just opinion of her qualifications as an actress. We expected that the rdle of Leonora would be ably filled by one qualified to render the music allotted to it faultlessly, and who would as well act the part in a graceful manner ; but we were quite unprepared to find an originality introduced into her representation of the character by Mdlle. de Murska, •which at once proved her to be endowed, not only with talent, but irith genius in the true sense of the word, and which we have no

hesitation in declaring, to entitle her to a rank upon the lyric stag* equal to that of any who hare ever appeared there — even tothat which Madame Grisi acquired by her representations of Norma and Lucrezia Borgia, parts in which her acting was superb. In the scene from " Crispino c la Comare," as compared with that from "II Trovatore," Mdlle. de Murska displayed her talents to be of wonderful versatility ; her acting throughout was most charming, and the music of the part she sustained gave her I ample opportunity for the exercise of the brilliant execution iht possesses, and prominently brought into play the marvellous flexibility of her voice. In this scene she was ably supported by Signor Susini,. who, as a buffo singer, is incomparable ; the drollery of his acting kept the house in a continual roar of laughter, and contributed in no small degree to the enthusiastic cheers that greeted him when, in company with the fair prima donna, he came before the curtain at th« ■ close of the concert. To Signor Rosnati, likewise, was allotted a leading portion of the proceedings of the evening. The Barcarole from Masaniello, Donizetti's Una Vergine, and the tenor part in a duet with; Signor Susini and in the Miserere scene fell to his share, and received splendid treatment from him. In particular, his rendering of th» much admired " AJi Che la Morte" was very fine, and elicited unbounded applause from the audience. Of the instrumentalists,. Maestro Strauss Ilia has too long been an established favorite with the public of Dunedin to require any lengthened comments from vi ou his performances. These were a selection of air 3 from "'ll Trovatore," arranged for the violin, and which the Maestro interpreted to his audience with his usual refinement and skill, and his own fantasia for the pianoforte, " Mollie Darling," a morceau of singular merit and beauty, for which, in responding to an encore, he substituted " ZTne Danse de Negre" which is not hi 3 composition, and is more remarkable for quaintness than beauty. Mr. Hadley, who acts as accompanist, is distinguished by a rare delicacy of touch, which combines with considerable powers of execution to render him a very charming performer. On the whole, theDe Murska company is certainly unique in the oolonier, and affords an opportunity not often to be found of hearing mutic in perfection.