Maretzek Italian Opera: Jone

Cast.

Cast.

Announcement of second performance

“Last night Petrella’s ‘Ione’ was produced for the second time to as large an audience as the Academy of Music could contain.  As on its first representation, the opera was splendidly rendered.  Mme. Medori, Mlle. Sulzer, Signors Mazzoleni, Bellini and Biachi were all in fine voice, and sang their roles admirably.  Want of space prevents our giving any further notice of this great opera.  We can but call attention to its wonderful success.”

“Academy of Music.—The second performance of ‘Ione,’ last evening, attracted a magnificent audience, and elicited an amount of approbation that justifies the use of the word furore.  After the second act, the artists were called out twice; after the third act, they were called out twice again, and Mr. Maretzek being demanded, had also to make his appearance.  The opera, in fact, is a tremendous success, and deservedly so, for it is one of the best that the modern muse of Italy has given to the stage.  The performance last evening was excellent in all respects.

            We are sorry to announce that Mr. Maretzek’s season will come to an end on Saturday of next week. Private affairs connected with the recent decease of Mad. Medori’s husband, render it absolutely necessary for the lady to repair at once to Belgium.”

“[A]nother brilliant spectacle, as the house was crowded, and the audience even more enthusiastic than on the first night of ‘Ione.’  The singers were called out after every act, and Mr. Maretzek was also obliged to acknowledge from the stage the plaudits of the most delighted auditors.”

“The success of Ione more than strengthened in the second performance; it grew and was visible with a characteristic of unanimity that it had not had at first  In familiarizing itself with this new music, the ear discovers  numerous and real beauties; pieces that passed almost imperceptibly the first night, were covered with applause. It must be said that the execution was really admirable, as to both singing and acting. In feeling the audience less cool, the artists have become more sure of themselves and gave themselves over completely. Mme Medori, Mlle Sulzer, Mazzoleni, Bellini, Biachi, they must all be named in the same rank to be accurate.

The call-backs could only follow one another; there were three consecutive ones at the end of the third act.

The scenery worked capitally, and thanks to some changes have merited new praise.”

 

“The new opera, Ione, affords excellent opportunity to Madame Medori for the marvelous gush of vocal sonority which is the source of her preëminence. Fine vocalists, in ordinary, are content to give their fullest tones occasionally, for the best of reasons: they would break down if they attempted more. But Madame Medori appears to be beyond the fixed and settled rules of schools and the letter of the law, and to be a fountain of resonance, and not a reservoir. Nothing seems to daunt or weary her in puissant declamation.

            Signor Mazzoleni has the same order of apparently inexhaustible vocal strength. He never reserves his forces for last moments, but jumps into medias res, and seems as fresh in the fourth act as in the first.

            Signor Biachi is one of the few living masculine bass voices that can undertake Rossini’s music with its multitudinous notes. Bass voice as he is—with all the essential drawbacks of the slow vibrations belonging to sonorous depths—he executes with the agility and certainty of a light feminine voice. As the race of such artists tends toward extinction, amateurs may do well to take advantage of his presence.

            The other artists distinguished themselves in the satisfaction of as brilliant audiences as ever were assembled within the walls of the Academy.”

“The name of Petrella, the composers [sic] of ‘Ione,’ is little or not at all known here. He is a man of more than fifty years of age, who has attained a certain celebrity in Italy as the composer of five or six tolerably successful operas. The book of this opera, written by Peruzzini, and partly founded on Bulwer’s novel ‘The last days of Pompeii’—with the plot of which all who read are well acquainted—is highly dramatic, while some of the verses are written with considerable poetic feeling. As to the music—it is certainly not all of the stereotyped Italian cut, but often original in melody (nevertheless, reminiscences abound), and some of the recitatives are truly expressive of the words and situation. The finales to the second and third acts are remarkably effective. The instrumentation is fine at rare intervals; and again, often below mediocrity. The opera is, throughout, of unequal merit; but its beauties counterbalance its defects; and, partly owing to its dramatic plot, the interest never flags. It strikes us as the work of a man, who, had his knowledge at all equaled his natural gifts, might have made a great composer. The reminiscences to be found in the work, go to support this conclusion. Was it not Lord Bacon who said, that the more a man knows, the more original he becomes (provided, of course, that the matter that makes the foundation of originality be already there)?

Mme. Medori sang superbly as Ione, and Mazzoleni sang and acted admirably the part of Glauco; his fine and distinct enunciation of the words being, as usual, one of the greatest charms of his singing; would we could say as much of Mlle. Sulzer; but her pronunciation is so vague and imperfect, that the whole tone-coloring of her voice becomes monotonous and tame, principally from this cause.  The opera was well put upon the stage; and, if we may trust to encores, recalls, applause, and three performances, has been extraordinarily successful.”

“The opening performances were very successful, both as regards the attendance and reception of the opera.”