A ce mot tout s'anime

Les Huguenots, Act II_ A ce mot tout s'anime
Recording made by Lionel Mapleson
"LES HUGUENOTS" WELL SUNG

Meyerbeer's Popular Work Repeated at the Metropolitan Opera House

Meyerbeer's popular opera, " Les Huguenots," was given at the Metropolitan Opera House last night. In spite of the fact that this is the most discouraging part of the year for amusements, there was a fairly large audience. Those who were present apparently enjoyed the performance extremely, for their applause was frequent and hearty and, at times, had the ring of genuine enthusiasm. The evening's work was well deserving of applause, for the ensemble was excellent, and there were familiar individual merits of a high order: Mme. Melba was made the object of a special demonstration of delight at the end of her florid aria in her [first] scene as Marguerite de Valois. Indeed, she merited it, for she was in fine voice and sang with ravishing beauty of tone and consummate skill. There is a reposeful simplicity about Mme. Melba's cantilena, and there is a freedom from cheap trickery in her fiorituri which singers of less prominence would do well to copy. There are many things to praise in Mme. Melba's singing, but nothing is more praiseworthy than the purity of her style.
Review of W. J. Henderson in The New York Times