Parepa-Rosa English Opera: Lucrezia Borgia

Event Information

Venue(s):
Academy of Music

Proprietor / Lessee:
Carl Rosa

Conductor(s):
Carl Rosa

Price: $1; $1 extra reserved seat; $12 & $10 boxes; $.50 family circle

Event Type:
Opera

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
4 October 2023

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

13 Oct 1871, 8:00 PM

Performers and/or Works Performed

Lucrezia Borgia

aka Lucretia Borgia

Composer(s): Donizetti

Text Author: Romani

Participants: Parepa-Rosa English Opera Company; Zelda Harrison (role: Orsini); Euphrosyne Parepa (role: Lucrezia Borgia); Gustavus F. Hall; Thomas [tenor] Whiffin; Tom [tenor] Karl (role: Gennaro); Aynsley [bass] Cook (role: Duke Alphonso)

Citations

Advertisement: New-York Times, 10 October 1871, 7.

Announcement: New-York Times, 11 October 1871, 4.

Review: New-York Times, 14 October 1871, 1.

“No opera of Donizetti’s is at once more thoroughly homogeneous and more thoroughly romantic than that which sketches the darkest episode in the career of the wretched Duchess of Ferrara. In romance, indeed, the work is absolutely steeped. The roiling melodies are alive with vengeance and with love, with bacchanalian revelry and with strong despair. Each character is strongly individualized and as unmistakably positive. Most of them, unhappily, are bad characters. The single-minded and implacable Duke, the profligate Duchess, with her one virtue and her thousand crimes, and the amiable Rustighello are a heavy set-off against the tender but somewhat colorless Gennaro and the light-hearted but frivolous Maffio Orsini. The somber folds of the dramatic texture are relieved by as little virtue as gayety, and even the purest feeling portrayed in the fable is smirched with guilt. In fact, ‘Lucrezia Borgia’ is the emphatic antitype of a drama that should reveal

‘Fair passions, and bountiful pities,

And loves without stain.’

Yet the opera, with its breadth of treatment to aid its consistent, if lurid, romance, always pleases and sometimes enraptures. Who that has heard Grisi, and Mario, and Ronconi sing in it together, will deny this or say that the impression thus made can ever be forgotten? To such, it must be confessed, the performance of last night at the Academy might appear comparatively unimpressive. We can report, notwithstanding, that undisguised pleasure was given by it to an excellent house, and that the impersonation of the principal characters was generally approved.

It need hardly be recorded of Mme. Parepa-Rosa that she sings Lucrezia admirably. As a vocalist, whether we regard either quality or execution, the lady’s praises go now almost without saying. But, as an actress, the verdict must in conscience be somewhat different. Mme. Rosa lacks introspection, plasticity, intenseness and ideality for a part like this. For externals, there is a buxom benevolence, a cheery sweetness about Mme. Rosa totally opposed to our conception of the haughty, passionate intriguante, the mysterious, dreamy and guilty Duchess. It is impossible by any imaginative effort to realize such an identification. We admire Mme. Parepa-Rosa, as we hear her singing nice music very charmingly, and we recognize her beauty and talent in every way, but we do not recognize Lucrezia Borgia. Our moral state for this may be more gracious, but our artistic sense is less than satisfied. The same criticism applies to the prima donna’s companions. The opera was, as a whole, cleverly sung and poorly acted. Two of the principals were occasionally hoarse, but sang well notwithstanding. Mr. Tom Karl was mildly inoffensive in Gennaro, and went through the score with commendable sweetness and delicacy. We are well pleased with this tenor’s voice, which only lacks more of the sympathetic quality that is not entirely unattainable, to be, in its limits, very near perfection. Mrs. Seguin should be excepted from the histrionic structure conveyed above, in so far as she acted the Brindisi scene with much sprightliness, and ‘Un Segreto per esser felice,’ received inspiring treatment at her hands. Mr. Aynsley Cooke was highly sepulchral and menacing as Alphonso, but—always barring his capital acting in the poison scene—he was hardly anything else. The orchestra played exceedingly well last night, and the chorus was prompt, vigorous and accurate. Whatever its defects, if judged by a high standard of lyric art, the performance of ‘Lucrezia Borgia’ was quite an enjoyable one, and, for the philosophic mind, leaves pleasant memories. If we cannot have the perfection of both singing and acting in an operatic representation, it is at least a comfort to come very near that ideal consummation in the former. We need not concur here with Hesiod, and assume that the half is greater, or better, than the whole; but we may agree with people no less wise in assuming that the half is vastly better than nothing.”

Review: New York Herald, 15 October 1871, 10.

“Many years have elapsed since an operatic performance was given in this city equal to that of Friday night in point of uniform excellence in the principals, unusual merit in the secondary parts, and thorough completeness in the chorus and orchestra. To speak of the last first we can assert, without fear of contradiction, that never before in the Academy of Music were the habitués of the opera, English, Italian or German, regaled with a chorus and orchestra so admirable in every detail, and so completely imbued with the spirit of everything they sang. To the conductor, Carl Rosa, and the chorus-master, Howard Glover, credit for this is due. The Lucrezia of Madam Parepa-Rosa ranks far above all her other operatic rôles, and the character is admirably suited to her imposing stage appearance, and fine, broad, dramatic school of singing. Her success was an unqualified one and should encourage her to repeat the opera. The most charming of American contraltos, Mrs. Zelda Seguin, made a most captivating Orsini, and the brindisi in her hands created a furor. Tom Karl’s clear, sympathetic and flexible voice gave a bright color to the rôle of Gennaro, and Aynsley Cook was the best Alfonso that the New York boards have seen for many years. Gustavus Hall and Whiffen also did well in their small parts. The costumes, scenery and appointments were in keeping with the general excellence of the performance, and Mme. Parepa-Rosa’s dress in the second act was regal in its magnificence. It is worthy of remembrance that the management of this company has more than fulfilled every promise made before the season opened, and has presented each opera with a fidelity to completeness in detail such as we have long advocated and scarcely hoped ever to see at the Academy. And this without calling upon any one but the general public for support, and taking the chance of the old régime, such as the directors laid down to all managers."

Review: New York Post, 16 October 1871, 2.

“The representation of ‘Lucrezia’ on Friday night at the Academy confirmed the hopes of those who desired to hear Madame Parepa in romantic opera instead of such lighter matters as the ‘Daughter of the Regiment.’ Her large and vigorous style in person, voice, action and singing give her especial advantages for such delineations as Lucrezia, and the passionate and dramatic nature of the music calls out for all the resources of her splendid organ and execution. Mrs. Zelda Seguin made a charming Orsini, and Mr. Tom Karl, though his sweet tenor is hardly of the proper calibre for Gennaro, was still very satisfactory in the later concerted music of the part.

Mr. Aynsley Cook acted better than he sang, as Alfonso, and the melodious revellers sang in a way to greatly console the audience when they were finally and comfortably poisoned.”

Review: New-York Daily Tribune, 16 October 1871, 4.

“The English Opera has been less affected by the reverse fortunes of the week than other kinds of entertainment, and except on Saturday evening, when [illegible] a fragmentary benefit performance for the Chicago sufferers, the Academy of Music has uniformly [illegible]. The production of ‘Lucretia Borgia’ on Friday [illegible] Rosa Company’s first essay in serious opera [illegible] and attracted more than ordinary interest. Mme. Parepa Rosa excels so easily in almost everything she undertakes, that we hesitate to call Lucretia [illegible] role, though we certainly never heard her [illegible] and never saw her look more magnificent than on that evening. The regal splendor of her [illegal] keeping with the dignity of her appearance, an entrance in the second act made as fine a stage [illegible] as one need wish to see. There is [illegible] opportunity in the music for the exhibition of [illegible] her best qualities; and she let none of them [illegible]. She produced, also, what is so important in tragic opera, but what so few artists think of, [illegible] musical climax, interpreting the work not as detached scenes and melodies, but as a dramatic [illegible] the sentiment rising from the tenderness as of the [illegible] cavatina to the awful passion of despair [illegible] curtain falls. The last scene was one of the most [illegible] exhibitions of vocalism which we have ever had [illegible] from her—worthy to be remembered with [illegible] perfido’ and ‘Ocean, thou mighty monster.’ Seguin, who seems to improve every season, [illegible] depth, culture, and self possession, and making [illegible] in the high walks of the lyric drama, was an excellent Orsini; and Mr. Tom Karl filled the [illegible] Gennaro to general acceptance. Ever since the [illegible] his debut he has apparently suffered a little from those colds which attack all new comers from [illegible], but on Friday it left him comparatively at [illegible] famous trio he sang capitally. Mr. Anysley Cook [illegible] the Duke admirably, though as a singer there [illegible] be said for him, his voice being husky and [illegible]. Against the deficiencies of the [illegible], we may set the perfection of the orchestra, strength and brilliancy of the chorus, and the [illegible] arrangement of the stage—features which we repeatedly had occasion to commend during [illegible] opera season, but which never seemed more [illegible] than on Friday evening. Managers ought to [illegible] Mr. Carl Rosa, being liberal, enterprising, [illegible] industrious, and a sound musician, is fast becoming the foremost impresario in the United States.”

Review: New York Sun, 18 October 1871, 2.

“Mme. Parepa-Rosa is in this opera at her best. Her noble manner admirably fits her for the rôle of the Duchess; and so far as personal beauty is concerned, and also as a tragic actress, she certainly never has appeared to better advantage than as Lucretia. No finer work ever proceeded from Donizetti’s pen. Every bar of the music is interesting, and the [illegible] has a purpose [illegible line] for the Italian lyric stage.

The English version used was one prepared for a former company by Mr. Jacob Wray Mould. Nothing is more difficult than to keep English recitative [from?] falling into the childish and absurd. This version is not only a model of discretion in avoiding [illegible], but it is evidently the work of a man who possesses the unusual gift of writing singable words. No person can write a libretto who is not half poet and half musician.

While Mme. Parepa-Rosa sustains the weight of the opera, Mr. Aynsley Cook’s Duke Alfonso is a fine and finished performance. Mr. Tom Karl also gives genuinely and artistically the beautiful music that falls to Gennaro, while Mrs. Seguin adds another to the memorable list of Maffio Orsinis than whom few better have preceded her.”

Announcement: New York Post, 19 October 1871, 2.

English translations used by the company by Jacob Wrey Mould.