Strakosch Italian Opera: La Sonnambula

Event Information

Venue(s):
Academy of Music

Manager / Director:
Maurice Strakosch
Max Strakosch

Conductor(s):
Max Maretzek

Price: $2; $3 and 4, reserved seat; $1 family circle; $.50 extra, reserved seat; $5 box or front row of balcony

Event Type:
Opera

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
3 March 2024

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

17 Nov 1871, 8:00 PM

Performers and/or Works Performed

1)
Sonnambula, La
aka Sleepwalker; Nachtwandlerin
Composer(s): Bellini
Text Author: Romani
Participants:  Strakosch Italian Opera Company;  Ruggiero Buongiorno (role: Count Rodolfo);  Marie Leon Duval (role: Amina);  Victor Capoul (role: Elvino)

Citations

1)
Announcement: New-York Times, 13 November 1871, 5.

Mignon was announced.

2)
Advertisement: New-York Times, 17 November 1871, 7.
3)
Review: New York Herald, 18 November 1871, 7.

“As a substitute for ‘Mignon,’ which was to have been produced last night, but which was postponed, owing to peculiar circumstance over which the management had no control, ‘La Sonnambula,’ the chef d’oeuvre of Bellini, was given with the following cast [see above]. Maretzek gave the same opera in years gone by with Bosio, Piccolomini, Sontag, Lagrange, Patti and Kellogg as the Amina, Salvi and Brignoli as Elvino, and Marini, Badiali, Morelli and Amodio as Count Rodolpho. Very many of the boxes and a fair proportion of the parquet were empty last night, owing to the absence of the star and life of the troupe, Mlle. Nilsson. Many of the subscribers went to the box office during the day, and, as we have been informed, insisted upon having their tickets and seats changed for an evening when Nilsson should appear. A stronger proof of the fact that the Swedish Nightingale is the life and soul of this company could not be given. During the performance twelve boxes (we counted them) were vacated by their occupants—for what reasons we cannot state. Capoul was the only star of the evening, and he, probably, on account of the severe work he has undergone, was completely hoarse, and it was an effort of no ordinary kind for him to support the entire weight of the opera on his shoulders during the performance. The greatest difficulty with M. Capoul was the disagreeable fact that the music of Bellini unfortunately deals in long phrases, and long musical phrases are very trying on a French voice. Verdi, Donizetti and Gounod, even Flotow, deal in short, emphatic phrases; but Bellini is like Cherubini in the Italian opera, he is fond of those long, difficult phrases that require a thoroughly trained Italian voice to interpret them. Therefore M. Capoul, great as has been his success in his previous rôles, failed to create the impression that might be expected. Mlle. Duval had the rare faculty even with the [illegible] diapason normal, of singing out of tune and butchering the music of Amina to the most unwarrantable extent. We have heard every Amina from Bosio down to Kellogg, and never did we hear or expect to hear such a tame Amina, and, musically speaking, such an unpleasant one, as Mlle. Duval. As for M. Buongiorno, he was the worst of Albites’ baritones last summer, and everybody knows they were bad enough. Last night he was simply intolerable. We have heard opera in Europe and America for twenty-two years and we cannot recollect a worse baritone than Signor Buongiorno. We trust that the management will announce him for the future as ‘Buonnotte,’ or, better still, as ‘Addio.’

The Lisa, one Mlle. Cooney, was one of those remarkable artists that appear occasionally in opera for the punishment of the audience, and the lady who undertook the part of the old nurse made quite an impression by her utter want of all knowledge of the rôle. The Alessio was conspicuously deficient in everything relating to Italian opera. For the chorus and orchestra we must accord a certain amount of praise. In fine, ‘La Sonnambula’ last night was an utter failure and unworthy of the name of grand Italian opera. So much for a troupe where there is but one prima donna, and aprés elle, le deluge.”

4)
Review: New York Post, 18 November 1871, 4.
“The representation of ‘Sonnambula’ last night at the Academy was, in its main features, highly satisfactory, and such as to greatly console the disappointed watchers who longed for the appearance of ‘Mignon.’ The music, we need hardly remind our readers, is singularly fresh, bright and melodious. Mlle. Duval wings it with great correctness and ease. Her clear and flexible soprano possesses a certain infantile freshness and, as it were, pleading tenderness, which is especially fitting to the pathetic music of the innocent and suffering Amina. Her execution of the more popular numbers, such as ‘Ah, non Giunge!’ and the like, won deserved applause.
 
Capoul did himself unusual justice. For force and clearness his voice really surprised us last evening, and put the indiscreet grumbling of his detractors completely to shame. To take one number from many, his ‘Perché non posso odiarti’ was admirable for clearness, truth and feeling. This delightful artist ripens day by day, and the American east winds—instead of injuring his voice or impeding his method—seem to do him good. Why can’t we keep him? We couldn’t do better.
 
Signor Buongiorno lumbered through the part of the Count in a playful but elephantine attempt to catch the key. Viewing the fact that he was with us but for a season, it is pleasant to greet him with the somewhat antithetic salutation, Buongiorno e buona notte! Orchestra and chorus were satisfactory, though the latter somewhat dragged occasionally on the conductor’s baton. But we are getting spoiled with good things. The most resentful members of the company, if wounded at our criticism, might find sweet revenge in the thought how very dismal we shall all be without them.”
5)
Review: New York Sun, 18 November 1871, 2.
“’Sonnambula,’ with its sweet pathetic music and dramatic plot, found excellent interpretation last evening at the hands of Mlle. Duval and M. Capoul. Mlle. Duval sings the music of Amina with creditable feeling and correctness. Her execution is facile and graceful, and the pure, elastic quality of her higher notes gave great effect to the passion and despair of the concerted music of the second act. Capoul was excellent. Though a little less correct in intonation than we have heard [illegible], his singing was instinct with a force and passion which he but hardly attained before. Elvino is [illegible] one of his best rôles.”
6)
Review: New-York Times, 18 November 1871, 4.
“Bellini’s sweetest opera had acceptable interpretation, last night, at the Academy. The grandeur of ‘Norma,’ the romance of ‘Il Pirata,’ the delicacy of ‘I Puritani,’ are equaled, nay, surpassed, in the ratio of excellence by the exquisite feeling of ‘La Sonnambula.’ Here is a pure domestic sentiment, wreathed in exquisite melody, overflowing with an earnestness that cannot be simulated, rich in the cadences and situations that speak right to the heart. There is no need to explain why people of all ranks and degrees are moved by ‘La Sonnambula.’ Those who are happy and unhappy enough to have imagination and sensibility, know why the opera appeals to them, and those who are deficient in either, experience, in hearing the work, that dim joy that possibly heralds development to come. The performance of last evening was signalized by the first appearance here of Mlle. Leon Duval as a pathetic heroine. Hitherto the lady has been heard in comic opera, or in the co-operative essay that, whether through convention or lack of scope, hardly admits of distinctive characterization. We are bound to say at once that Mlle. Duval’s voice and manner are insufficiently endowed with the sympathetic qualities to come up to our choicest conception of Amina. The lady sings and acts the part very well in a general way. She does not, however, arouse enthusiasm or touch the heart. Women, however, who can do this, by mere stress of will, are rare on the stage—or off it. And if we merely survey the reason of the thing, perhaps an Amina like that of Mlle. Duval is after all the truest. It is not too spiritual for the peasant girl that Amina is, not too subtle in thought or emotion, not too suggestive of an improbable experience. In this it differs from most Aminas, and, in differing, if less touching, may possibly be more real. Here, however, comes in the old question about the just use of idealization in the dramatic art, which time and space forbid us now to discuss. Mlle. Duval executed somewhat roughly at times last night, and indulged in some unacceptable variations from the score, but came up with vigor to the calls of the trying situations, was often applauded, and was called before the curtain twice to receive the congratulations of the house.
 
Signor Capoul threw himself into Elvino with much heart and thoroughness of appreciation. This tenor loves with greater fervor as he gains on the sympathy of his public, and his voice is proportionally a gainer as it becomes accustomed to the acoustic merits—and demerits—of the Academy. Perhaps more reserve at times, a more discrimating exhibition of the half-voice, a self-restraint at some intervals for the sake of greater abandon at others, would have produced greater effect. The impersonation was, nevertheless, much relished, and deservedly so. The Rodolfo of Signor Buongiorno was hardly as satisfactory as we could have wished. The gentleman has the air and the method of an artist, but hardly sings enough to please in New-York in a part which happens to have been singularly well rendered here. Chorus and orchestra were fair during most of the opera, but in two or three instances sadly at fault, as regards time and unanimity of attack.”
7)
Review: New-York Daily Tribune, 18 November 1871, 5.

“The postponement of ‘Mignon’ last night, and the consequent revival of ‘Sonnambula,’ gave Mlle. Leon Duval an opportunity to be heard under more favorable circumstances than have hitherto fallen to her lot in this city; and though we cannot say that her Amina is a very brilliant personation, it is at all events satisfactory in an emergency, and her vocalism is in some respects excellent. Her voice is not sweet, but she sings with earnestness, taste, and more than average skill, and shows a keen appreciation of the most effective passages in the score. Though she is not likely to rank here as a popular prima donna, she will approve herself a useful member of the company, M. Capoul, in the role of Elvino, shows his characteristic merits, but has less chance to develop them than in ‘Faust’ or ‘Martha.’ Signor Buongiorno was a very poor Count, and the minor parts were intrusted to persons who were not at all [illegible] for them. The representation as a whole did little credit to the management, and the fact that ‘Sonnambula’ was put forward only because ‘Mignon’ was not ready, can hardly be accepted as an excuse for its shortcomings.”