Trovatore

“. . . Of the singers, most are already known to the public. Madame Rosa Csillag has not yet been heard in her proper sphere—the operatic stage. We were last week, however, fortunate enough to hear at a social gathering in a private house her interpretation of the role of Leonora in ‘Trovatore,’ and this served to convince those present that Csillag is one of the finest of living dramatic prima donnas. Of her entire success as an artiste we have not the slightest doubt. The pecuniary success of the coming enterprise will depend on the system of management adopted. Old, hackneyed operas will only serve to introduce the artists. Novelties must be offered to secure the continued attention of the public.”

“The enterprise undertaken by an association of Italian artists, under the direction of Mr. De Vivo, to give a short season of Italian opera at this establishment received good encouragement last night in the shape of a good house and fashionable withal. The initial work was the everlasting ‘Trovatore’ with Mme. Rose Czillag, Mme. Gazzaniga, Le Franc and Reyna in the cast. The three last mentioned artists are too well known to the New York public in connection with this opera to need beyond a passing notice here. The new feature was the Hungarian prima donna, who appeared as Leonora. Her voice is not a pure soprano, but unites with a mezzo soprano quality, a command of expression, sympathetic earnestness and dramatic power such as belong only to a great artist. At the same time this voice has long since passed its meridian, and shows signs of weakness at times when such signs are not desirable. Mme. Czillag’s long experience on the operatic stage gives her an ease, dignity and power of acting which are always a source of pleasure to an auditor. Her success last evening, although we can only term it succes d’estime, leads us to anticipate a still more emphatic one in another rôle. Poor Leonora is now pretty well worn out on the operatic stage, and no prima donna can depend upon that rôle to create a furore.”

“The opening of the experimental season of Italian opera at the Fourteenth-st. Theater was witnessed last night by a pretty large and gayly-dressed audience in which the musical and dramatic professions seemed to be largely represented, and to many of those present the performance gave unabounded satisfaction. The cast was peculiar in one respect, namely, that the four principal artists—Czillag, Gazzaniga, Le Franc, and Reyna—all sang more or less out of tune; but at least one of the quartet is a popular favorite to whom we are ready to pardon many things in consideration of powers and accomplishments that we all respect. Mr. Le Franc has made Manrico one of his best parts, and no other comment upon his performance is necessary, after we have said that he introduced the high C into his Di quella pira with the usual [illegible] effect, that he repeated it upon demand, and that in the third act he was somewhat uncertain in consequence of that over-exertion. Still the business that tired his voice was broken at intervals all through the evening by those fine outbursts for which he has become so famous. The greater part of the applause and all the enthusiasm fell to him. The interest of the critics, however, was directed to to Madame Czillag, who was confidently expected to reverse on the stage the unfavorable impression she had created in the concert room. ‘Trovatore’ is an opera not very well adapted to test her abilities as a vocalist, for almost any almost any soprano with a voice can produce a good effect in it; that it helps the dramatic method for which she has a repute. Dramatically she is certainly very [illegible]. Her style is broad and powerful, and she has an excellent conception of the more passionate portions of the music. She sang also much better than she did at the Philharmonic Concert. For all that we cannot record for her a distinct success. Her voice is badly worn, her intonations are often false, she has lost power over the higher notes, and acquired the habit of [illegible] for effect to certain coarse and [illegible] in the lower register, which, however, [illegible] in phrases of an intense declamatory [illegible], are inaudible and unpleasant as she uses [illegible]. Before the end of the evening there was a marked decrease in her power, and for the [illegible] high notes she became entirely [illegible]. The orchestra, under the boisterous Signor Nicolao, was [illegible] bad, and threatened on at least [illegible] to bring everything to ‘[illegible] ruin.’ The chorus won no laurels, and the scenery was arranged [illegible] manner characteristic of an [illegible].”

“It is very pleasant to hear again the vocal and ever-beautiful Italian tongue, even it if is in so worn and trite an opera as the ‘Trovatore.’ There are some admirable artists in the present combination, prominent among them being Lefranc, Reyna, and Mesdames Czillag and Gazzaniga. The ‘Trovatore’ was excellently given on Wednesday evening, and will be repeated to-night in the matinee tomorrow. The artists engaged deserve encouragement in their independent venture.”

“The second night of the opera season at this house was not so well attended as on the first performance. The opera was the same, ‘Trovatore.’ Mme. Czillag, the Leonora, sang better than on the occasion of her debût, but not even the fire and earnestness of her acting can hide the fact that her voice is worn to an extent detrimental to a satisfactory rendering of such a rôle. A mezzo soprano voice cannot in its wave be forced up to the high pitch of a soprano, especially in Verdi’s music, without losing much of its power and clearness. We never heard Le Franc’s magnificent voice to better advantage. It is a remarkable organ, this voice. Nature has endowed it with a brilliancy, clear, round tone and sympathetic quality, which we rarely hear on the stage nowadays; but it is a treacherous voice, and deceives its possessor and the public at the most unexpected time. Last night Le Franc was in magnificent voice, and we have not heard for a long time such a superb rendition of the rôle of Manrico. Still we question the policy of the management placing on the bills, ‘Signor Le Franc will on this occasion introduce his celebrated high C.” It is too much like the time in a circus bill, ‘Mr. Wienaminsky will introduce the celebrated trick pony.’ Mme. Gazzaniga is a fine Acuzena, second only to Adelaide Phillips in this country, and Signor Reina is a blatant voiced De Luna. The chorus was of the usual execrable standard, and Signor Nicolai had considerable work with his orchestra.”

“The second performance of ‘Trovatore’ at the French Theatre, last night, was another brilliant success for Lefranc, who, with the high C and the general vigor of his singing aroused his audience to an unusual pitch of enthusiasm. Madame Czillag gave an unusually dramatic rendering of the music of Leonora, and Madame Gazzaniga proved to be an excellent Azucena. Of the other features of the opera there is little to be said in the way of praise.”

“‘Il Trovatore’ was repeated at the Fourteenth-street Theatre last evening, in presence of an audience quite as enthusiastic as that which witnessed the first performance of that opera by Signors Lefranc and Reyna and Mmes. Czillag and Gazzaniga, on Wednesday. All the artists were in good voice, and the spirit which characterized the earlier representation animated them once more. Recalls at the close of the second and third acts, and after the singing of the ‘Miserere,’ and a stormy demand for a repetition of ‘Di quella pira,’ in which Signor Lefranc twice attained to the high C with the accustomed result, were the points of the entertainment worth notice as indicating its impressiveness.”

“A season of Italian opera was inaugurated at the Fourteenth Street Theatre, on Jan. 4th, by an association of artistes, under the direction of M. de Vivo, when Mme. Rose Csillag, a European prima donna, made her American debut, as Leonora, in ‘Il Trovatore.’ The success of this, to us, new candidate for operatic honors was not very marked. She is a careful singer and experienced actress, but has passed the rubicon of whatever fame she may have attained in her profession and her voice lacks force and clearness, as her acting lacks the enthusiastic vein of youthful genius. Madame Gazzaniga as Azucena was very good, and the Manrico of Sig. Lefranc was excellent, frequent applause greeting his efforts. Sig. Reyna was also very good as the Count de Luna. The same opera was sung on the 6th, and ‘Un Ballo in Maschera’ is to be produced this week. One thing we would suggest to managers , viz., that if claquers are an absolute necessity of operatic performances they should attend rehearsal, and learn when to applaud, so that they may not mar some of the finest musical passages by their ill-timed and meaningless noise, as they did on Wednesday evening.”