Parepa-Rosa English Opera: Don Giovanni

Brief. “Madame Parepa Rosa has been investing part of her fortune in Chicago real estate.”

“The musical feature of the week will be the reappearance of the Parepa-Rosa English Opera Company at the Academy of Music. ‘Don Giovanni’ will be given on Friday and at the Saturday matinée, and ‘Oberon’ on Saturday night. The casts in both operas are exceedingly strong, and it will be the last opportunity this season to hear this company.”

Brief.

Don Giovanni and Oberon are “the chef d’œuvres of the lyric stage.”

“Two performances of two of the heaviest works of the operatic repertory were given at the Academy of Music, yesterday, by Mme. Parepa-Rosa and her associates. In the afternoon these artists sang ‘Don Giovanni’ and in the evening they interpreted ‘Oberon.’ To sing within twelve hours Donna Anna and Reiza is to accomplish a great feat. Its successful performance amply atoned for the defects of the representations in other respects. The rendering of ‘Oberon,’ which has already been written of here, was, be it said, far from unsatisfactory; but it can be declared with all indulgence that the only superb voice, the grand method and the rare intelligence of Mme. Rosa rescued from positive disapproval the entertainment of which ‘Don Giovanni’ was the subject. Mr. Nordblom, who was Don Octavio [sic] sang, it is true, the familiar romance with good taste, and Miss Hersee embodied Zerlina with an espièglerie that would not have been unworthy of notice on a smaller stage; but, with the exception of these two performers, Mme. Rosa, who was recalled several times during the representation, had very weak assistance. Mr. Lawrence as Don Giovanni was conspicuously inadequate to the part; so inelegant as a roué could not in a life-time supply name enough to fill a leaf from his Leporella’s [sic] note-book. And Mr. Campbell, who personated Leporello was as unequal to his task as Mr. Lawrence to his, and deficient in quality of voice and in humor.” Concludes with briefer review of Oberon performance.

“The last snatches of song which we were to hear from the Parepa-Rosa company were sung on Saturday. The snatches consisted of two entire operas, ‘Don Giovanni’ in the afternoon, and ‘Oberon’ in the evening. Of the former—new to us in English, and new to that company in any tongue—there is not much to be said. We do not like it in our native language, and the performance, except in the case of one of the artists, was spiritless and imperfect. That one was, of course, Madame Parepa-Rosa, who took the part of Donna Anna. The celebrated Non me [sic] dir, or Letter Aria, which she restored to the score, is seldom sung in this city. We last heard it done by La Grange about two years ago, but that excellent artists had no longer the voice for such a long and trying scena, and her attempt was not altogether successful. With Parepa it was a very different affair. The music poured from her throat like an inspired song, and rouse an apathetic and weary house to a cheering point of enthusiasm. [Lists cast.] The orchestra was smaller than usual, and tried to make up for deficiency of members by playing too loud—which had by no means the desired effect.”

“The brief opera season of Mme. Parepa Rosa consisted of ‘Martha’ on Friday night, of ‘Don Giovanni’ at the Saturday matinée, and of ‘Oberon’ on Saturday night. The ‘Don Giovanni’ performance, with the exception of Madame Rosa’s part of Donna Anna, was below mediocrity, the regular members of the company being quite unfitted to the parts they assumed.” Continues with review of Oberon performance.