Maretzek Italian Opera: Linda di Chamounix

Cast. 

Full cast.

Lists Coletti.  “’Linda di Chamounix’ will be presented here this evening for the first time under Mr. Maretzek’s present direction.  Madame Medori, whose enormous success has become the talk of the town, appears as the heroine… The most interesting feature of the cast is Signor Minetti, Mr. Maretzek’s other tenor, who makes his début as Carlo.  This gentleman is said to possess an admirable voice, and of the soft, sympathetic kind, so much affected by our public.”

“This evening, Mme Medori addresses a genre completely different [and] Mr. Minetti makes his debut.  Mr. Minetti is a tenor de gracia who is said to be very remarkable.  Mlle Sulzer plays Pieretto; MM. Bellini and Biachi complete an excellent cast which promises a performance beyond comparison.”

     “Donizetti’s charming opera ‘Linda’ was rendered last night at the Academy of Music wth great success. Manager Maretzek, with a laudable intention of providing for all tastes, and with a view of giving proof of the versatility of his artists, produced the ‘Linda.’ We have had Verdi’s grand and passionate music admirably rendered by the Maretzek troupe. Bellini’s chef d’œuvre, ‘Norma,’ we have had sung by them as never before in New York, while Donizetti’s peculiarly sweet and melodious compositions are rendered by this troupe with as great success as any most devoted admirer of Donizetti could desire. We have not the space to give any details of last night’s performance, which was beyond all doubt a success.

            Madame Medori as Linda, must have surprised those who were still under the impression of her grand performance as Norma. She gave a convincing proof of her versatility, singing and acting the role of the village maiden in the most admirable manner. In the mad scene she was really most impressive. We lack for terms to express our admiration of this artiste’s capabilities as an actress, which, added to her fine and extremely powerful voice, render her performances eminently attractive.

            Signor Minetti (Carlo), who made his debut last night, was quite successful. He has a most pleasing voice; one which will gain upon the public as it is heard more. His romanza in the second act was encored amid great applause. It may fairly be said that Signor Minetti’s debut was a decided success.

            Mlle. Sulzer made a pleasing Pierotto. She sang and acted the role effectively.

            Bellini, as Antonio, the unhappy parent of Linda, sang and acted with his usual success. This artist has obtained a firm hold upon the public, who greet his efforts with continued applause.

            Of Signor Biachi we can but say that his ‘Prefetto’ was as powerful and pleasing a rendition as we had expected from this favorite arist.”

     “The rapidity and steadiness with which Mr. Maretzek steps from one success to another, is a good proof that his artists are of the class that can be depended on for all kinds of work. On Monday last, Mme. Medori achieved the greatest triumph of the season, wining for the opera of ‘Norma’ a new vitality. The performance was so excellent throughout, that it has been universally pronounced to be the best ever given in America—a statement which probably exceeds the requirements of truth, but indicates clearly the supreme excellence of the occasion that brought it forth. After a success in a part so vehement as the Druidess, it was a bold, and even hazardous venture for Mme. Medori to essay a rôle so completely different in all its requirements as Linda, in the opera of ‘Linda di Chamounix,’ produced here last night, yet it was completely successful. In the first act, to be sure, it is necessary to extend some of ‘the great charities of the imagination’ to the lady. Her appearance, always charming and lady-like, is scarcely petite or picturesque enough for the village maiden, who, on the stage at all events, is a very dainty creature, and in this City has been charmingly impersonated. In the second act all disadvantages of this kind had disappeared, and in every portion of the work, except the trivial scenes with the Marquis, there was no musical inability on the part of the lady. In the second act, indeed, the dramatic points were so grandly incorporated with the vocal ones that we doubt if its touching duo finale has ever been heard to greater advantage. Mme. Medori sang, indeed, with superb feeling and nicety. Dramatically the third act was, of course, the best and carried off the honors. Mlle. Sulzer was an excellent Pierrotto, and in the organ air of the first act won a merited round of applause. Signor Bellini as Antonio, and Signor Biachi as Prefetto, were alike good; the first-named artist especially so in the great scene of the second act. Mr. Maretzek’s new tenore di grazia, Signor Minatti, made his début as Carlo, and was very favorably received. He has a head voice of exceeding sweetness—rather cloying, indeed, from this cause—and phrases better than any singer we have had. He is evidently a fine artist. He succeeded in winning an encore for his romanza.”

“The attractions of the Opera continue undiminished. Last night again, an overflowing audience attended the representation of Linda. The distribution of characters was as follows: Linda, Madame Medora [sic]; Pierotto, Mlle. Sulzer; Carlo (his first appearance in America), Signor Minetti; Antonio, Signor Bellini, Prefetto, Signor Biachi; Marquis Boisifleury [sic], Signor Biachi; Madeline, Mme. Fischer; Intendente, Signor Rubio.

            The opera passed off capitally. The music is not the best of the charming Donizetti, and more, therefore, devolved on the artists to make their effects than when every strophe sparkles with memorable melodies. We would particularly cite the lover’s duet in the first act, where there was the duplicate magnetism of a beautiful melody admirably sang by Madame Medori and the new tenor—Signor Minetti. This young artist—and he is very young—so distinguished himself subsequently in the Romanza, that he again gained what an artist most prizes—a general hearty encore. His success, therefore, was complete; adding one more distinction to the brilliancy of the present operatic season. Connoisseurs say that his Elvino, in La Sonnambula is admirable; and we shall have that in due course. The Prima Donna, Madame Medori, rendered the heroine’s song and action with her accustomed exuberant life and earnestness, and with the effect which has marked all her characterizations. The other artists were duly applauded.

            The opera is now fairly launched in the tide of success; and the season promises—maugre the war, the horrid war, to be the most brilliant known in years. The lascivious lute appears to harmonize well with the wrinkled front of grim-visaged war.

“The opera house last night was the scene of another highly attractive performance.  Donizetti’s ‘Linda di Chamounix’ was given in admirable style.  Medori adapting herself to the part of the peasant girl with greater facility than could have been expected from her recent successes in high tragic parts.  She was well supported by Sulzer, Bellini, Biachi, and Minetti the new tenor, who has a pleasing light voice, which he knows how to manage with skill and taste.”

“Linda was the occasion of a magnificent success for the Maretzek company, and a new triumph for Mme Medori in particular.”

         “The week has been one of the most brilliant prosperity for the Academy. The Man in the Moon suddenly visiting us, and going to the Academy now, would never suppose that we were engaged in a desperate civil war, where the stakes were Libety or Slavery, Union or Disunion. Least of all would he suppose that we are spending some two million dollars a day for the war; a sum greater than the total cost of the Federal Government for a year under the administration of Washington.

            During the week, in addition to all the fresh artists, Signor Minetti, the tenor, made his first bow. He is a ‘tenor of grace’—which is the technical distinction in Italian from the tenor of force. Each of course is engaged all the time in making love on the stage: but the man of grace carries his point by sugary ways and means, and the man of force by making the prima donna admire him for his warrior trumpet-like tones, and his determination not t be put-oft with any nonsense except death itself—which always takes place. Signor Minetti is young, ardent, and was much admired in the ‘Linda’ performance.

            Madame Medori is the great declamatory singer and always wins the suffrages of the house. Mr. Mazzoleni is terribly in earnest, and a most viogorous actor as well as singer.”

     "To take on Linda on the day after the Norma was a great boldness, perhaps also a little flirtation. A new success, heightened by the very violence of the contrast, justified the enterprise. In this role, so different from the other, Mme Medori exhibited herself as lively, graceful and charming; dramatic, that goes without saying. She has put her seal upon it, like everything she touches. She chiefly renedered the mad scene with an art that makes you forget its banality. Surely it would be difficult for her, as to vocal agility and purity of passagework, to sustain comparison with some other artist that we'veheard, but I don't think that she herself claims [illeg.] . . . from one time to the other great singers, outside of their usual genre, are some tours de force where it's enough for them to let the variety of their resources and the flexibility of their talent shine through.

     One has to recognize also that few artists have had the good fortune to see attention lavished upon them in New York like Mme Medori is today. Mazzoleni, Bellini, Biachi are three true and remarkable actors, whom she is always sure to find in harmony with her. Mlle Sulzer herself, without always being at the level of the rest of them, has some great qualities, some fortunate inspirations, and an irreproachable scenic perception. She was very much applauded, and rightfully so, in her two roles of Adalgisa and Pierotto. Mazzoleni is a purely Verdian tenor, who isn't always comfortable in music of the old repertory; he brings to it invincibly the intonations, phrasing and melodious champagne glass of his favorite maestro. He has only the more praise for drawing this forth as he has from the ungrateful role of Pollione. As for Bellini and Biachi, there's no restricting the praise due them.

     The Linda was the occasion of the last debut that remained to be made in the company; we heard M. Minetti, a tenor of elegance--and of deportment. This little jest escapes me in spite of myself at the memory of the miniature figure lacquered, stiff, looking like he just stepped out of a bandbox, with almost automatic motions, who came to sing his air in the first act. That is to say that, as an actor, M. Minetti needs to shake off the starched stiffness from which he didn't depart Wednesday and which was doubtless this morning the effect of his emotions in debuting [illeg.--perhaps "and is probably"] . . .the explanation for the singular timbre his voice had at times, sometimes guttural, sometimes nasal, rarely natural. In summary, nevertheless, he pleased as a singer, and appeared to possess some qualities appropriate to consolidate his success as we hear him more." 

Just a mention that it was performed.

“Minetti, one of Maretzek’s reserve tenors, made his debut. . . . He is a tenore di grazia of very good method, and was very acceptable.  The performance of Linda was very fine.  Medori, Sulzer, Bellini, Biachi, and Colletti were the principals of the cast and were eminently successful.  Bellini, as the aged Antonio, was very grand. . . . Medori made a very charming Linda, and it was a performance meritorious enough to deserve a repetition.”  Signed T.W.M.