Brignoli Italian Opera: Martha

“Miss Clara Perl, the celebrated contralto, whose career in Vienna has been of the most flattering kind, will make her début in Italian opera under the auspices of the Brignoli troupe at the Academy on the 17th. ‘Martha’ has been selected for the occasion.”

At conclusion of review for Il Trovatore performance the previous night. “‘Marta’ will be produced this evening, with Miss Isabella McCulloch and Miss Clara Perl as Marta and Nancy. Miss McCulloch is a young American artist of rare natural ability, one who has raised herself to the highest rank in lyric drama within the past few years, and Miss Perl is a contralto, from the Imperial Opera, Vienna, one of the best artists that we have had lately from Europe. A genuine treat may be expected. It is a mistake to think that Italian opera is not appreciated in this city. When it is mutilated and butchered, as it has hitherto been, by incompetent management the public justly refuse to patronize it; but when it is brought out in the magnificent style that the Brignoli company showed last evening it can be made a brilliant and lasting success.”

Cast list with roles.

“A young American prima donna and a young Viennese contralto were interesting features in the opera last night. They selected Flotow’s sparkling work, ‘Martha,’ for their first appearance, and their success was unqualified from beginning to end. The soprano, Miss Isabella McCulloch, is the daughter of a Catalonian painter, and until the war swept away the bulk of the fortune of the family she was the belle of the first circles of South Carolina. After the war she came to the metropolis and devoted herself to the study of the lyric drama under the able tuition of Signor Torriani. She made her début at Wallack’s at a Saturday matinee, after a couple of years’ study, and gave promise from the start of becoming one of the brightest constellations in the American operatic firmament. She was afterwards a member of the De la Grange company, and her progress in her profession as unusually rapid and sustained. After a [illeg.] operatic visit to her sunny clime, where she was welcomed with enthusiasm, she joined Brignoli in his Californian, Southern and Western tour, and since December last has undergone an amount of work which few prime donne would care to encounter. Everywhere she met with the most flattering testimonials to the appreciation of the public, and her title as representative American artist was cheerfully and enthusiastically accorded to her. Her reception last evening was of a like nature, and her rendering of the charming title rôle was fully up to the high standard of merit claimed for her. Naïve, graceful, unaffected, with a voice of rare sweetness and sympathetic tone, she fairly won her way into the good opinion of the audience and received for her exquisite singing of ‘The Last Rose of Summer’ a hearty encore. The contralto, Miss Clara Perl, has the best voice of that kind at present on the American stage. In richness, flexibility and power she reminded us of Viardot Garcia [illeg., seems to be a few more names]. In the second act she introduced a characteristic Austrian song written by Mr. Westein [?], a pianist of this city. Her voice has the desirable quality of perfect evenness of tone in all its registers, and her appearance and acting shows the experience of the stage of the Imperial Opera, Vienna. She sang the rôle of Nancy in German, but did not give the words with the same harsh emphasis that marred her singing at her first appearance in concert here. German is a very disagreeable language for music, unless its guttural sounds are softened down, and Miss Perl succeeded in this respect admirably. The Lionel of Brignoli is too well known to need extended comment. He sings the passionate aria M’Appart as no other tenor can sing it, and his wonderful command of the mezzo voce gives a finish and effect to all his lyric essays. In the celebrated duet with Plunkett in the first act he was also very successful, although the hoarseness of the basso (Susini) marred much of the effect of all the concerted music, and this duet in particular. The sparkling spinning-wheel quartet and the lovely mezza notte which follows at the end of the scene was given with marked effect. The chorus and orchestra, under the direction of Signor Giorza, were all that could be desired, and the opera was very handsomely placed on the stage. [Announces upcoming performances by Brignoli company.] The success of Miss McCulloch last evening, and, indeed, her unexampled career on the stage, should be an encouragement to all American artists. We have in this city alone a host of talent which might be utilized [?] for the lyric drama, and it is unnecessary to look to Europe solely for operatic material while we have here fresh, young voices, artistic instincts and natural talent of the highest order. This field is comparatively undeveloped, and there is in it a mine of wealth for a competent, enterprising and experienced impresario. It is worth the trial.”

“The second representation of the present series of Italian opera performances was given at the Academy of Music last evening. The opera of ‘Martha’ was sung, with signor Brignoli as Lionello, Signor Susini as Plunkett, Miss McCulloch as Lady Henrietta, and Miss Clara Perl as Nancy. The audience was quite numerous, though hardly as large as there was reason to expect. The recollections which cluster about Signor Brignoli’s impersonation of Lionello are too abundant and for the most part too pleasant to have produced any other opinion but one favorable to the anticipation of an overcrowded condition of the house. The general impression he made in the part years ago has not disappeared, and the special charm with which his sweet and tuneful voice invested the romance in the third act has not been dispelled, though vocal vigor and warmth, coupled with greater histrionic ability than Signor Brignoli exibits [sic], have since had frequent hearing. It is hardly flattery to say that after his protracted absence, and also after a term of years have rolled away, that the impression last night was proven to be as deep as ever, and the charm as potent. A slight hoarseness was apparent occasionally in Signor Brignoli’s singing, and was the more perceptible by a mental comparison with its perfection on the previous evening, but it was not too often observed, thanks to discreet management and to the qualities of Flotow’s music, which is not written, like Verdi’s with a view to augmenting the death-rate of singers’ voices. It were a waste of space, of course, to point out the salient features of the opera, with the intention either of acquainting the habitual reader with their number or proportions, or of instructing him as to the prominence given them. We shall be content with nothing that the duet for tenor and bass, by Signor Brignoli and Signor Susini, the ever-welcome opening quartet, the duo following, and embodying the undying ‘Rose of Summer,’ the delicious, if familiar cantabile air in the third act, whereof mention was made above, and the pleasing finale produced their wonted effect. Signor Susini was in better voice than usual, though it is evident still his resources are not always to be relied upon. Miss McCulloch’s voice has not been materially bettered in quality during her traveling experience, and its evenness was not so great as under more advantageous circumstances it probably is, but it is under better control, and used with an increased taste and experience, meriting, as does her improved presence, recognition and compliment. Miss Clara Perl has already been written of here, in connection with musical entertainments. She sang Nancy in the German tongue, with a fair degree of success in respect of expressed approval, but with a doubtful result, we think, as to the advisability of renewing the experiment. The few rich contralto notes Miss Perl’s organ expels are poor compensation, in all their richness and power, for a not over-accurate intonation and a tremulousness in the tone, which our memories prevent us from ascribing to the emotions of a first appearance. In the second act Miss Perl rendered an Austrian song, and between the third and fourth, she interpreted the aria, ‘Ah! Mein sohn,’ from Meyerbeer’s ‘Il Profeto [sic].’ The chorus, we have only to add, did its work with precision and force.”

“A substantial proof of Mr. Brignoli’s popularity was afforded last night by the excellent audience which assembled at the Academy to hear a performance of ‘Martha’ in which his Lionel was the only very promising feature. This used to be one of his very best parts, and we may say that it is so still, though he no longer interprets it with the delicacy and refinement which we used to admire, and in his effort to be energetic frequently degenerates into spasms. Occasionally in solo passages he sang with exquisite sweetness; but his duet with Plunkett in the first act was abominable, and he nearly ruined the quartette, Domri pur, in the second, by accelerating the time in the introduction and then by slurring over the remainder. Later in the evening he redeemed himself, and his performance on the whole, though we cannot call it satisfactory, was not a failure. Miss McCulloch was a hard Lady Henrietta; she is a plague to critics, for she sings at one moment with purity and sweetness, and then immediately gets out of tune, and keeps out with a persistency worthy of a better cause. The Plunkett of Signor Susini was perhaps the least objectionable part of the performance. It was not perfect; in the first set he spared himself too much; in the second his unfortunate hoarseness overtook him; but in the drinking song of the third he seemed to regain his ancient power and showed himself the true artist that he is. We need hardly say that he acted throughout with admirable spirit. In the part of Nancy Miss Clara Perl made her debut on the American stage. The stage displays her abilities to much greater advantage than the concert platform; but ‘Martha’ is not an opera which suits her style. She will excel we believe in heavy dramatic parts, wherein the strength of her voice and its richness in the lower register can be more full exhibited. The music of Nancy requires just those qualities of delicate vocalization, in which she is at present most deficient. During the second act she introduced an Austrian song, which was encored. We may safely call the debut successful, and the public will undoubtedly be glad to hear her in other operas.”

“The performance of ‘Martha’ at the Academy, last night, called up some very pleasing reminiscences. Lionel has long been one of Brignoli’s favorite parts, and he sings the M’apparé with as much grace and finish as ever. He was aided by Susini in the duet and in the concerted music; and the veteran basso, during the evening, sang so well that he largely shared the liberal applause.

“As Martha Miss McCulloch sang with sweetness and simplicity, and made a favorable impression. She is certainly improving both in vocal skill and in popularity. Miss Clara Perl took the part of Nancy, interpolating one or two arias, and showing to advantage her very full, rich voice, which, however, better fits her for the heavier than the lighter phases of the lyric drama. The performance of ‘Martha’ was altogether decidedly interesting, though, as Miss Perl sang in German and the others in Italian, it partook of the polyglot character which has been peculiar of late years to the operatic representations at our Academy of Music.”

“On the 17th ‘Martha’ was performed, with Miss McCollough [sic] as Martha, her first appearance this season in New York, and her rendering thereof was pleasing but not perfect; but Miss Clara Perl as Nancy, her first appearance in New York in opera, received a very hearty encore and floral tribute for her singing of ‘Last Rose of Summer,’ which was sweet indeed. In its entirety, ‘Martha’ was well performed, and deserved a larger attendance…The orchestra performances were good each evening.”