Maretzek Italian Opera Company: Lucia di Lammermoor

Event Information

Venue(s):
Academy of Music

Manager / Director:
Max Maretzek

Price: 14/41

Event Type:
Opera

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
19 February 2016

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

25 Mar 1867, 8:00 PM

Performers and/or Works Performed

1)
aka Lucy of Lammermoor
Composer(s): Donizetti
Text Author: Cammarano
Participants:  Maretzek Italian Opera Company;  Fernando [bass-baritone] Bellini (role: Enrico Ashton);  Francesco Mazzoleni (role: Edgardo);  Euphrosyne Parepa (role: Lucia);  Oswald Bernardi;  A. [bass] Bacelli

Citations

1)
Announcement: New-York Daily Tribune, 21 March 1867.
2)
Advertisement: New-Yorker Staats-Zeitung und Herold, 21 March 1867.
3)
Announcement: New-Yorker Staats-Zeitung und Herold, 22 March 1867, 8.
4)
Advertisement: New-York Times, 23 March 1867.
5)
Announcement: New-Yorker Staats-Zeitung und Herold, 24 March 1867, 4.
6)
Announcement: New York Post, 25 March 1867.
7)
Announcement: New-York Times, 25 March 1867, 5.
8)
Announcement: New-Yorker Staats-Zeitung und Herold, 25 March 1867, 8.
9)
Review: New York Post, 26 March 1867.

“Amusements. Italian Opera. Successful in the part of Leonora, more impressively successful as Norma, Madame Parepa-Rosa last night achieved a third triumph as Lucia, quite as decided and unmistakable as in either of the other two characters. Indeed, so far as regards her acting, the last character was a much more decisive trial of her powers, which she passed through nobly. We do not think that any of her admirers would have predicted a display of so much power and versatility as she exhibited in the second and third acts of ‘Lucia.’

The famous cavatina was, of course, that in which Madame Rosa’s wonderful sweetness and purity of voice were most strikingly exemplified, but it was not her fault that these qualities were overshadowed in the duo with Edgardo and in the sextet of the second act. The music of the part of Lucia abounds in difficulties, but these only served to afford Madame Rosa an opportunity for the display of her unequalled power of execution.

Signor Bellini as Ashton was unusually florid in his style of acting, but the animation he put in this part was not unwelcome, and could hardly be criticized even on artistic grounds, while his full, clear tones have rarely been heard to better advantage. Signor Bernardi in the second act won a decided and deserved tribute of applause.”

10)
Review: New-York Times, 26 March 1867, 5.

Amusements. Academy of Music—Italian Opera. ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’ was given at the Academy last evening. As Lucia Mme. Rosa made her fifth appearance in opera and her third success as an actress. ‘Lucia,’ in spite of its name, has generally been looked upon as the tenor’s opera, and tenors, as a class, must be a more ungrateful set of men than we take them to be, if they ever forget the eminent service Donizetti has rendered them in creating such a part as Edgardo. If a tenor is worth anything he ought to prove it when he appears as Edgardo—‘or ever after hold his peace.’ Indeed, twelve or fifteen years or so ago it was considered a matter of course that every new tenor should come out as Edgardo, for not only is it one of the most effective roles ever written, but, considering its effectiveness, it is one of the least fatiguing, and the music besides, like all of Donizetti’s music, is thoroughly singable. In fact, Egardo [sic] comes on in every act; he has what is familiarly called ‘good business’ all the time he is on the stage; and he has one scene entirely to himself. Judge of his prominence, though, by this summary of his duty in the opera: In the first act an oath and a farewell; in the second a return and curse; in the third a lament and a suicide. But amid all this the Lucia, if she be a good Lucia—may make her own way. Just as Mme. Rosa did last night. As an actress who had a very wide range of emotion to express—maidenly fear, fear of the spirit world. Fear of man—hope, doubt, despair and a sort of madness in which all moods mingle. Now, while it is difficult to think of any one of Mme. Rosa’s physical amplitude as afraid of anything mortal, nevertheless her counterfeit of the emotion was thoroughly expressive, and we need only say that throughout the part she justified the highest praise that has hitherto been bestowed on her skill. The peculiar freedom with which her rich voice sweeps through the most difficult passages, at the same time that her entire attention appears to be given to the dramatic expression of the thought, is the rare charm of her performance. Her execution of Lucia’s cavatina is a marvelous display of vocalization. Her singing and acting are very touching in the duet, but in the finale to the second act Mme. Rosa’s performance is admirably pathetic. The tenor’s curse is known to be one of the great points in this scene; but Mme. Rosa is the Lucia, the great point is the manner in which the heart-broken girl receives the curse. In the mad scene, the first expression of her madness is in the recitation beginning ‘Il dolce suona,’ which as Mme. Rosa delivered it, was a curious diplay of rare power in dramatic expression. The mood shifts with every line, and every half-line, and the dramatic illustration was throughout excellent. There occurs in it Lucia’s fancy that she hears her nuptial hymn, and Mme. Rosa seized upon the words expressing this, that she might put into them a rapture of tenderness, which brought the lost life and the lost happiness of the sad girl into startling contrast with her death and despair. Of course, Sig. Mazzoleni was the Edgardo of the evening. No other tenor in Mr. Maretzek’s triple troupe could have given such feeling as he to the beautiful music which Donizetti has lavished on the part. Signor Mazzoleni missed none of his opportunities. He plighted his faith and swore ‘Sulla Tomba’ that he would never cease to love his Lucia, and bids adieu to her in a becoming and impressive style; and he came back even better than he went away, and pronounced his imprecation with so much vigor that he was called upon to repeat it. This he very ungallantly consented to do, although he knew that he would soon have an opportunity of distinguishing himself again; in that—the celebrated suicidal scene—he worked the mine of passionate phrases there to be found to its depths. The part of Ashton was acted with superabundant energy, but was admirably sung by Signor Bellini. The priest in ‘Lucia’ is, in his way, as great a bore as the monk in ‘Favorita;’ but Signor Bucelli [sic] does what he can with the character.”

11)
Review: New York Sun, 26 March 1867, 4.

“Amusements. Madame Parepa Rosa as ‘Lucia.’ Lucia di Lammermoor may be looked upon by posterity (that is if posterity troubles itself about the matter at all) as a fair sample of the sort of Italian Opera which was popular in the musical world about the middle of the 19th century. It is a work, however, which was the favorite rather more during the 15 years before 1850 than the 15 years after. In that period there was scarcely an operatic debutant of either sex who did not select the roles of Edgardo or Lucia for their ordeal,—just as on the dramatic stage the characters of Claude Melnotte and Pauline were the favorites with ambitious amateurs. The causes for this favoritism are not difficult to fathom. Both pieces are wholly taken up of that universal passion, Love; and the characters of the hero of the noblest type, and, suffering, each calls into play that unresisting sympathy and pity which such suggestive motives always call into active life. Latterly, however, the Lady of Lyons has been shelved in the theatre, for long familiarity has brought it into some contempt—just as Lucia has been retired from the operatic boards for about the same reason. Could the role of the love lorn heroine however always find so appreciative a representative as Madame Parepa Rosa, Donizetti’s beautiful opera (of which the legend tells us he wrote both words and music) would never wear its welcome out by too frequent coming. The success of the reproduction of the work last evening, at the Academy, was entirely complete. The favor which the performance excited extended to all, and embraced everybody, from the impassioned heroine and the ardent Edgardo of Sig. Mazzoleni (who was never more judicious, perhaps, and sang as thoughtfully in his death scene as in his healthiest moments), and the dramatically severe but vocally pleasing Sig. Bellini who was the cruel elder brother of the opera, to the variously emotional chorus. But Madame Rosa’s representation was the crown of all. It may have been difficult for some of Madame Rosa’s admirers to see in her the ideal Lucy Ashton—nevertheless in the delicate sentiment and tender feeling which she threw into her singing and acting, the passion-tost [sic] girl breathed and suffered—if ever she did—on the operatic stage. In Lucia’s mad scene Madame Parepa’s acting reached the acme of mimic illustration, and in her delivery of the lines—

‘N’all’ira suo terrible calperis, oh Dio! L’ann[?]llo, Me Melodica!”

(O! Heavens, he tramples that ring

Under his foot,

He curses me)

She flashed into every heart the reason of her madness. The effect of this scene was tremendous. Of course Madame Rosa will have to repeat the performance.”