Grau Italian Opera: La traviata
Event Information
Venue(s):
Academy of Music
Manager / Director:
Jacob Grau
Conductor(s):
Emanuele Muzio
Event Type:
Opera
Record Information
Status:
Published
Last Updated:
22 July 2012
Performance Date(s) and Time(s)
09 Jan 1863, EveningProgram Details
Il Trovatore was originally scheduled but was postponed because Lorini was ill.
Performers and/or Works Performed
Citations
Long ad for Il Trovatore, with Grau’s apology for the “Temporary Discontinuance of the Season.” Cast: Lorini (Leonora), Morensi (Azucena), Maccaferri (Manrico), Amodio (Count di Luna), Barili (Fernando).
Letter from Lorini to Grau explaining her illness. “On account of the illness of Madame Lorini, ‘La Traviata’ will be given to-night at the Academy instead of ‘Trovatore.’”
“Signora Lorini, who was to have appeared as Leonora in the ‘Trovatore,’ [was] attacked by a severe sore throat. And we thus could not have the opera, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT MUSICAL TREAT, WITH Lorini’s fine voice and pure Italian method, Morensi’s delightful contralto and Maccaferri in his very best part. Manager Grau, from sheer chagrin, has fallen ill himself. The opera of ‘Traviata’ was substituted for ‘Trovatore.’ . . . Cordier sang commendably, while Maccaferri was a most satisfactory Alfredo.”
“The indisposition of Mme. Lorini, last evening, necessitated a change of opera. ‘La Traviata’ was played instead of ‘Il Trovatore.’ The performance being essentially the same as on Wednesday evening, we have nothing to say, except that Mme. Cordier’s performance fully justifies the applause it has obtained.”
“Cordier sang again, and with eminent success, in ‘Traviata.’ The next season will probably be opened in two weeks – as soon as Brignoli and Lorini shall have recovered. At present a hospital rather than an opera house is desired by the invalid troupe of Manager Grau.”
“The first week of Manager’s Grau’s second seasons has been shorn of its promised splendor by the illness of two favorite artists – Brignoli and Mme. Lorini. Through their indisposition it was impossible to give the operas ‘I Vepri Siciliani’ and the ‘Trovatore.’ . . .
We wish to commend heartily the performances of Signor Maccaferri during the past week. He came to the rescue as a forlorn hope, appeared in operas without rehearsals – in fact, sang at a moment’s notice, and sang well, but we deem this artist in a fair way to lose his voice if he keeps on straining after effect by such tremendous display of vocal power. He will break his voice in some of those loud attempts, which are less pleasing than his lower notes, if only from the effort which is so visible.”
"The management didn’t want to risk a similar adventure Wednesday and expose to view the Vêpres Siciliennes transformed into a musical massacre; they substituted the Traviata for it. The inspiration couldn’t have been any happier. If the audience was disappointed in the piece they had come to see, in exchange they found a charming surprise in the interpretation of the role of Violetta by Mlle Cordier. Our young compatriot had only been brought forth until then as the still poorly-understood personage of Dinorah and in a single performance of the Puritains. She came up, for the first time, with a creation familiar to the mass of the public, and in which she could withstand the test of comparison, the sole positive thing in the eyes of most people. This would be a stumbling-block perhaps for a talent of less good quality; Mlle Cordier found a triumph there, the most complete and most decisive of the season, without contradiction. Her success couldn’t increase among those who judge and appreciate [her]; but it received the anointing of popularity that evening. She showed herself completely to those who, only knowing her halfway up to then, believed they knew her [to her] last word. She demonstrated what a real artist can do—give a new face even to a role surcharged with memories and traditions. That’s in effect the tour de force that she knew how to accomplish, thanks to her deep artistic instinct. At the same time that she sang with exquisite feeling and irreproachable style, she infused such nuances of brio, of distinction and of touching charm into her acting that interest and sympathetic allurement found themselves doubled.
Amodio had his legitimate part in this success, which confirmed itself in being renewed Friday, and will be repeated more than once during the rest of the season.
While Italian opera sees itself thus constrained by illness to stop its victorious run, German opera also suspends its own; but that’s to go to Philadelphia to pick it up [there]. Here, we are fallen again into full musical poverty."
“Lorini was taken sick, very unexpectedly, very unavoidably, and ‘Traviata’ was repeated with the cast of Wednesday evening. The latest from the bulletin of the Academy reports
Signor Brignoli – sick;
Mme. Lorini – ditto;
Wm. I. Grau – ditto,
with no fear, however, of an epidemic. Enough convalescent men left to give ‘Poliuto’ and a portion of ‘Trovatore’ at a matinée on Saturday, and thus the Season is suspended for a while. It will be resumed probably on Monday the 19th, and we doubt not Mr. Grau will fulfill all the promises made at the commencement of the season. Miss Kellogg is actively preparing for the production of Verdi’s ‘Giovauna d’ Arco’ and it is also rumored that she will sing in the role and opera of ‘Dinorah,’ the music of which she has been diligently studying under the instruction of Signor Muzio. To those who have heard Mlle. Cordier in this part, it will be an event of considerable interest to hear Miss Kellogg.”