Albites Italian Opera: Poliuto

Barely probable that a very fair troupe now playing in Havana will provide a spring season of Italian opera at the Academy of Music; arrangements pending.

Forthcoming: Italian opera, Academy of Music; artists from Havana: Villani, tenor.

Rumor of a contemplated brief opera season.

Letter from Havana describing the recent season of Italian opera and what New Yorkers may expect from the forthcoming season, Academy of Music.

Forthcoming, Academy of Music in April; performers chiefly from Havana. The greater New York has become, the worse its Italian opera.

Prospects for a short season of Italian opera, Academy of Music; Havana company.

Forthcoming, Italian opera, Academy of Music, May 1; Havana artists.

Roster and repertory.

Roster.

Includes repertory and singers to be featured.

Principal singers; repertory.

Principal singers, repertory.

“After eight months’ wandering in the desert, with an occasional Church Music Association or Philharmonic oasis, the musical public at length have found their Moses in Signor Albites; and last night the promised land was reached by the first real bona fide representation of Italian opera in this city. We cannot take into account that horrible affair at the Théatre Français, which proved a mirage to the hungry patrons of lyric art and left them more desolate than ever. Long before the curtain went up last evening the haut monde of the metropolis decorated parquet, dress circle and boxes, and the huge chandelier winked down on many a gay and winsome toilet, in which curls, braids, d’amonds, opera cloak and shiny silk were combined in the best style of the modiste. The irrepressible Albites glanced around the circles and boxes and his face grew more luminous and philanthropic as he encountered batteries of mother-of-pearl lorgnettes sweeping the different approaches to the sacred precincts of the Temple of Apollo, and all (nearly all) upheld by jeweled fingers and directed by sparkling ‘een’ of all the colors of the rainbow. It was truly a fine house, and powdered or diamond-dusted feminine heads, trailing robes, decolleté corsages, ivory fans, immaculate cravats, and, idiomatically speaking, ‘claw-hammer’ coats, were in the majority. The stockholders were there in strong force, and testified by their enthusiasm their firm resolve to continue in the good path on which they have entered and to uphold Italian opera in the future. Although Albites’ season was a favorable one and bore evidence of the intense desire on the part of the metropolitan public to give Italian opera, that is, the real, genuine article, every possible chance for resuscitation and permanent life. The opera ‘Poliuto’ is, we conceive, one of Donizetti’s best works. Strange to say it and ‘I Martiri,’ which are thought to constitute the same opera, differ in many respects in the libretto. This is particularly noticeable in the beginning of the second act. The duet between Pauline and Severus, a very long and elaborate affair, was omitted last night, and the act commenced with Poliuto’s scene and aria. The overture, which is very often left out, was given, and Signor Nicola presided, in his usual nervous, impetuous style, over an orchestra of fair proportions. The cast was the following [see above]. The entire success of the opera depends on the soprano and tenor, with a small allowance for the baritone. Kellogg eclipsed herself on this occasion. She has sung the rôle frequently before in this city, but never with such dramatic fire and spirit. Her voice is not of that large, resonant quality of tone which seems to have died out long ago with the Malibrans, Grisis, and Pastas, and which gave to our forefathers an idea of dramatic singing which we are doomed, as far as appearances now go, never to enjoy. But at the present day we have warblers of the nightingale order—Patti, Kellogg, Nilsson and Lucca—who present pyrotechnics of vocalism such as would make the gray-haired habitués of the opera twenty years ago stare. Miss Kellogg sang the music of Pauline with a fervor and earnestness and, above, all, correctness, which is characteristic of her, and on these qualities is her reputation surely founded. She possesses, in particular, one great excellence—that of utter reliability. No matter what she sings there cannot be a false intonation in it. We have heard other prime donne, with a host of European testimonials attached to their names, who can, in an opera produce sensational effects, but who, occasionally, lapse into the terrible fault of singing out of tune or taking breath between notes where the commonest tyro in the music must know it is inexcusable. This Miss Kellogg never does; for her ear is so perfect in music that no false notes can ever escape her lips. She sings an opera through in a manner that inspires the listener with perfect confidence, and, although she may not always electrify, she never fails to please the audience. In her first solo, ‘Di questa soave lagrima,’ one of Donizetti’s best melodies, a gem of tender sentiment in 12-8 time, she gave each beautiful passage all the expression of which she was capable, and in the allegro, Perche distorto, there was a rapturous tone and joyous spirit conveyed which drew from a rather cold audience an outburst of applause. Again, in the brilliant and inspiring Il suon dell arpa, in the last act, which is sung by the soprano and tenor, Kellogg seemed to be inspired, for she overshadowed the tenor and her voice rang out in trumpet tones. Her acting was also a triumph, and far superior to what one is accustomed to see on the operatic stage. The new tenor, Villani, had an arduous task before him. The only operas that Lefranc can sing reliably are ‘Poliuto,’ ‘William Tell’ and ‘Trovatore.’ In the first he is electrical in effect. Villani has a fine tenor voice, but it is hard to compare his singing of ‘Poliuto’ with his predecessors. His voice has seen long and arduous service on the operatic stage, and in every note the true artist is revealed. The upper register is the best, reminding one of Tamberlik and possessing some few phenomenal tones. The lower register partakes somewhat of the baritone quality and is sometimes marred by a huskiness that, perhaps, last night was the result of hoarseness. One of his best numbers, Sfolgorato divino raggio, in the second act, was ruined by the tempo which the leader of the orchestra, Signor Nicolao, adopted. Whatever may be the directions in the score, the very character of the melody and the words would suggest an andante instead of an allegro for this, the loveliest theme in the opera. Villani is a fine actor, and in other parts of the opera, he proved himself an artist of no mean abilities. The Severus was Signor Reyna, a baritone with an extraordinary kind of voice, partaking of the qualities of old metal, and often out of tune. Bacelli, as the high priest, acquitted  himself admirably. The management mounted the opera handsomely and gave it good scenery, a military band on the stage and a fine corps of supernumeraries.”

“Pleasant memories of past days were revived at the Academy of Music last night by the sight of a house well filled with a genuine operatic audience. The lobbies were crowded with musical and literary notabilities, and the orchestra and chorus showed a number of faces familiar to our opera-goers.

“The opera was ‘Poliuto.’ It was put upon the stage with more care than is customary at the Academy. The procession in the first act was well managed, and the employment of a band on the stage gave the music of the scene with the effects which the composer contemplated. There were two good solo performers in the cast, the others not rising above, or in some instances up to, mediocrity.

“Miss Kellogg as Paulina gave an admirable and touching personation of the pagan maiden who becomes converted to Christianity through the influence of the lover-martyr. In the duet of the last act she warmed up and sang with great fervor. The part is one in which Miss Kellogg has often been heard here, and always with acceptation.

“The new tenor Villani, as a stranger, attracted the most critical attention. The verdict, after the second act, was in his favor. He has a dignified, earnest style of acting, and sings with breadth and grandeur. His method is excellent. He never resorts to the falsetto, and his chest tones are rich and melodious. He makes none of those tours de force which excite sudden and generally unthinking enthusiasm; yet in some of the leading points of the opera—notably in the aria Sfolgoro divino raggio which has been so charmingly sung by Brignoli and Lefranc, he was quite ineffective. On the other hand he sang superbly in the passionate phrase in the concerted piece of the second act, where he gave the words of the creed Credo in Deo omnipotente instead of the less exalted words Lasciami in pace, to be found in the ordinary version of the opera. The original reading was prohibited at Naples, where the opera was first produced, and the substitution which has generally been followed was then made. Villani restores the original design of the composer, and in so doing adds greatly to the impressiveness of one of the finest musical phrases in the repertoire of Italian opera.

“After the second act Kellogg and Villani were called before the curtain; and the duet of the last act was enthusiastically encored. The brief spring season of opera has thus opened auspiciously.”

“Signor Albites has begun his season well. Evidently the long absence of this charming form of musical art has quickened the interest in it, for the Academy of Music was completely filled last evening. Doubtless the element of attraction was the new tenor, Signor Giuseppe Villani. The opera was Donizetti’s ‘Poliuto.’ The music is so fluent and pleasant, and his dramatic qualities so good, that it is a very taking opera. Miss Kellogg was the prima donna, and sang the music with her usual refinement, delicacy, precision, and grace. As for the tenor, he is an undoubted acquisition. He fulfills in all respects the reputation that has preceded him. His voice is clear, vibrant, and true, his style broad and noble, his method excellent, and his qualities as an actor superior. In person and in the character of his singing he is more like Lefranc than any other tenor that we can recall. His voice has not quite the resonance of that of Lefranc, nor the surprising force in the upper notes; but he is a better artist, and one apparently quite equal to all the demands of grand opera. His only noticeable fault (and in fact by many it is esteemed a grace rather than a defect) was a certain lack of firmness in his tones. Many singers sacrifice a pure tone for the purpose of getting that sympathetic effect of voice that comes from a vibrating one, and into this error of method, as we regard it, Signor Villani seems to have been led. Nevertheless, he is an admirable singer, and one who will be listened to with the greatest pleasure. [Mention of forthcoming performances].

“Signor Albites has a good company of artists, and evidently intends to do everything in his power to give opera well, and he will, we sincerely trust, receive the generous support of the public.”

“The season of Italian opera, under Signor Albites, was begun last night at the Academy under cheering circumstances. It requires no little boldness, after the latest of Metropolitan experiences in this department of art, to attempt Italian opera in New-York at all. The prejudice attaching to past failures must necessarily, whether justly or no, be overcome in the first place before even a fashionable hearing can be assured; and to this the lateness of the season, and consequent weariness of the fashionable public, are to be added as unpropitious elements for such a managerial enterprise. We rejoice to say—and to be able to say it with entire candor—that there was in last night’s performance of ‘Il Poliuto’ so much conscientiousness and fidelity of management and detail, united with so much genuine artistic merit as not only to delight the audience, but to show that Signor Albites, whether he commands success or not, has done wonders to deserve it. The orchestra and chorus were full, good and efficient. The scenery, costumes and decorations were highly creditable, and the mise en scène, as compared with most of the recent attempts seen on the same boards, was altogether admirable.

“To come to the still more important matter of the principal singers, our report may be made at some points even more satisfactory. Of Signor Villani, as a stranger, it is meet first to speak. This gentleman, whose fame as a lyric artist of high rank has preceded him from Havana and elsewhere, possesses a tenor of much richness, volume and sympathetic qualities. Unlike most tenors on a first appearance, he was in good voice last night, and from the first recitative to the last stentorian bars, he sang with irreproachable clearness, power and energy. Signor Villani is one of the artists who warm to their work as they go on in it. The first impression produced by him was evidently somewhat disappointing. The quiet of his manner, and his uniform refusal to force his voice, even in passages at which our public has been used to expect such extra exertion, led to a fear that the new-comer was, after all, destined to produce but a succès d’estime. But Signor Villani gained more and more on the sympathy of his audience as he went on. Like a true artist, and, indeed, like all really first-rate performers, he rose to the occasion. The greater the demand upon his powers the more ability he showed to respond to them; and at the close what was merely tentative consideration swelled to positive enthusiasm. Miss Kellogg looked charmingly last night,--her figure seeming to change for the better each new time she appears,--and sang with exquisite delicacy, sweetness and feeling. It is gratifying to national pride, however unpromising as a sign of the progress of European art, that almost every soprano who comes to us across the Atlantic has the effect to make our own native songstress more highly appreciated. It is more gratifying still to add that this is a consequence not of disappointment with the foreign warblers alone, but of the steady and rapid strides that Miss Kellogg has taken in her art. Her Paulina last evening was a fair test and proof of this assertion. Each of the more arduous and critical passages were an improvement on what we have heard from this gifted young lady before. The thrilling duet that ends Donizetti’s work certainly obtained on this occasion magnificent justice. The curtain descended amid quite a tempest of applause, and Miss Kellogg and Signor Villani were compelled for the third time to appear and receive the congratulations of the audience. The opening of Signor Albites’ season can be recorded as a decided success.”

“The spring season of Italian opera under the auspices of Mr. Albites opened last night at the Academy of Music, and in some respects the omens for the three weeks to come were auspicious. Miss Kellogg was received with great cordiality, and she justified it by singing very sweetly and displaying in the appropriate places a great deal of the dramatic force by which she made her Paolina such a gratifying success last year. Some money seems to have been spent for new dresses, stage properties, and supernumeraries, and the tableaux in one or two scenes were much better than we are accustomed to. The opera—‘Il Poliuto’—is always agreeable to hear, provided it has a good soprano and a good tenor. About the soprano there could be no doubt. The tenor was the new singer, Villani, of whom the managers had prophesied great things, and in whose debut the principal interest of the evening centered. He is a careful and conscientious singer, who reminds us, in the quality of his voice as well as in his style, of Mr. Le Franc, though he does not betray either the worst defects or the distinguishing excellence of that most uneven artist. His voice is of fair compass and moderate strength, rarely sweet, never emotional, but colorless and somewhat veiled. On the other hand it is even and true. Like Le Franc, Mr. Villani sings from his head or the upper part of his throat, and no artist who produces his tones in this vicious manner can have them perfectly under his control, or make the most of his natural gifts. His sustained tones consequently were often unsteady, and in the passionate passages where a tenore di forza ought to be at his best, he was at times ineffective. The voice was never husky and flat, as Le Franc’s so often was; but then there were none of those inspiriting outbursts by which Le Franc used to redeem his many faults. In the first part of the opera Mr. Villani seemed to disappoint everybody. It was not until the end of the second act that he kindled anything like enthusiasm. The famous duet at the end of the third was heartily encored, but the credit of it belongs more to Miss Kellogg than Villani. The tenor sang his share with spirit and with excellent taste, but it was not by any means an extraordinary effort. To sum up, we may call the new tenor a valuable and trusty artist, who will be likely to grow in popularity as he becomes better known; but he is not a great star. The rest of the cast last night, including only Reyna (who was shockingly out of tune), Bacelli, Reichardt, Locatelli, and Massia, were entirely beneath criticism. Orchestra and chorus were both in want of rehearsal, and Sig. Nicolao conducted, as he usually does, with much superfluous noise.”

“The opera season at the Academy, under the management of Signor Albites, which commenced on Monday, was very successful, the Academy being crowded at each performance.”