New-Yorker Stadt-Theater Opera: Il Trovatore

“We certainly never expected to get a [illegible] from so trite an opera as the ‘Trovatore,’ but Wachtel vitalized the old music with new life and made the threadbare melodies as interesting as they were in their first freshness. Taken all in all, we do not remember any Manrico of equal excellence.”

“Now that this celebrated German tenor has appeared five times in opera in this city, the audience last night being overwhelming in proportions, we can pronounce a decisive verdict on his voice, school and acting. First, as regards his voice we can safely say that it is a wonderful organ, nature and art having joined hands in making it such. Mr. Wachtel has evidently taken pains in improving it to the utmost, and not only the quality of tone, but the delivery of the same is all but perfect. He has this voice under complete control, and can deliver it with any degree of expression. As an eminent critic once remarked, ‘the delivery of the voice is a fundamental part of vocal music, and very few know how to manage their voices so as to produce the most agreeable sounds.’ In attaining this point, then, Mr. Wachtel has achieved a great triumph, especially as nature has been so prodigal of her favors in his regard. But after the proper management of the voice come very essential qualities of an artist—school and an intelligent conception of a rôle. In these particulars Mr. Wachtel fails to satisfy the critical ear. A phrase is any regular and symmetrical course of notes which commence and complete the intended expression. It must be as distinctly expressed as a single sentence in declamation. Mr. Wachtel does not phrase well; in fact, in his rendition he gives the same effect as if a writer or speaker were to ignore the use of punctuation. [illegible line] of an operatic rôle. Again, his desire to display the brilliant points in his voice (and they are many), draws his attention away from the rôle, even in the most absorbing situations, and thereby does an injustice to the composer. Both the composer and the artist should be en rapport to the extent that there should be no undue prominence in one or the other. Mr. Wachtel, unhappily, makes us forget the composer and continuity of idea inseparable to the proper delineation of a scene in occasional guerilia [sic] excursions into the regions of sensationalism. His acting is deserving of the highest praise. Gifted with a fine stage presence every detail of his acting is characterized by that grace and ease, which is generally conceded to French actors alone. The feeling which he inspires is that of mingled admiration and pity—admiration for those brilliant qualities which he undoubtedly possesses and pity for the absence of a good, thorough musical education. School is more desirable in opera than even a phenomenal voice. Mr. Wachtel has appeared as yet only in two rôles, and as his enthusiastic admirers claim for him the highest place among the Arnolds and Raouls of the present generation, we shall look for his appearance in ‘Guillaume Tell’ and ‘Les Huguenots’ with a great deal of interest.”