Parepa-Rosa English Opera: Un ballo in maschera

Worthy addition of Mr. Santley to the company.

Addition of baritone Santley to the company; principal novelties in the company's repertory.

Forthcoming season

Carl Rosa's arrival in town; arrangements for the coming season.

Company’s success in the provinces; repertory for the forthcoming week.

“The Academy of Music was crowded last evening from parquet to dome with the admirers (and their name is legion) of the renowned prima donna, Mme. Parepa-Rosa, and her magnificent troupe of English opera artists. ‘Standing room only’ was the rule, both in the parquet and the lobbies, and a high degree of enthusiasm was evinced by the audience. Aside from the interest created by the return of such an assemblage of favorites there was the additional attraction of the representation, for the first time in English here, of Verdi’s opera, ‘Un Ballo in Maschera.’

The cast was exceedingly strong, as may be seen from the following [see above]. Mme. Parepa-Rosa received such a success in the role of Amelia as can scarcely be said to have been eclipsed by any of her former triumphs. The grand aria of the third act was delivered by her with a dramatic majesty and intense feeling that brought down a torrent of applause. Mme. Van Zandt was the most charming page we have ever had at the Academy. In the grand ensemble in the second act her voice rang out clear and sweet as a bell. Mrs. Seguin invested the sorceress with a dramatic dignity and power such as are seldom found in this role. Mr. Cook was the best of the male representatives, and his Renato was a chef d’oeuvre of art in acting and singing. Hall and Ryse made the most of their small parts, and Castle acted well, but his detestable method of singing from the throat neutralized the effect of his vigorous acting. Carl Rosa conducted admirably, and the entire efficiency of the chorus and orchestra testified to his talents as a director of opera. The performance, considered in general, was worthy of very high praise.”

“For a wonder a season of English opera has begun here without the ‘Bohemian Girl’ serving as the opening work. On the contrary the Parepa troupe made their appeal to the public in one of Verdi’s most difficult compositions—the ‘Ballo in Maschera,’ an opera which calls for a large number of principal singers and can only be produced by a really efficient company. It found an able interpretation last night. Madame Rosa is an artist of such intelligence that she is fully capable of assuming any soprano part in the range of modern opera, and she gave to the music of Adelia [sic] all the finish and elegance it requires. Mrs. Van Zandt, as the Page, sung and acted most charmingly. Her clear, high soprano, clear and true in intonation, and exquisitely sweet and melodious in character, was heard with pleasure in every note. Among the male singers of the troupe we missed that splendid dash and eim characteristic of Italian vocalists, such as Mazzolini and Ferri and others who have appeared in this opera; but yet there was much to commend in the careful vocalization of Mr. Castle and the agreeable voice of Mr. Cook. The latter gentleman was heartily encored in his great air of the last act.

A noticeable feature of the performance was the certainty, precision and grace with which the concerted music was given. Never in this city has the admired quartet—know in the Italian version by the words of the opening phrase, E scherzo ed a follia—been better sung. Mr. Rosa gives to it quite a new reading, and the excellent band of vocalists co-operate most successfully in imparting a fresh interest to the familiar strains. It is in this number that Mrs. Van Zandt is heard to peculiar advantage. Her prolonged high C is an exquisite note.

At the finale of the opera there was an awkward omission of the short prayer by the chorus and the swan-song of the dying tenor. But this fact does not prevent a leading morning journal from speaking in eulogistic terms of the rendering of the omitted movement.”

“A good if not crowded house greeted the return of the Parepa-Rosa Opera Troupe, last night, to the Metropolis. The frightful condition of the streets doubtless kept many away as bad walking hurts English more than Italian opera, but the auditorium of the Academy gave abundant evidence, notwithstanding, of public interest in this troupe and of favorable recollection of its former successes. Perhaps some feeling of disappointment has been created by Mr. Santley’s not appearing at once with the beginning of the season, but this error, if it is one, was no fault of the management, since Mr. Santley, not expecting to sing in opera in this country, was forced to send to England for his wardrobe, after making his engagement with Mr. Rosa, and the necessary costumes could not be looked for in time for him to sing before next week. 

An English version of Verdi’s ‘Ballo’ was given on this occasion for the first time in New York. The Italian libretto is ridiculous enough and the English rendering brings out its beauties in exquisite relief. Of course every one knows the plot is partially that of history and of Auber’s opera and ends with the assassination of Gustavus III. Political exigencies made it needful when the ‘Ballo’ was first sung to avoid thus making away with a European Monarch, and hence Gustavus became the ‘Governor of Boston,’ and the scene was shifted across the Atlantic. The work was bunglingly done at its best, and the action might as well have been laid at Peoria or Sacramento City as at Boston. Sam and Tom are in fact much more like returned miners who have come to town after unsuccessfully prospecting a gold field than weird conspirators of the time of Miles Standish and King Philip, and the people with whom they mingle are as much like Fiji Islanders as New-England Puritans. Still, the music is nearly as melodious in the English dress as the Italian, and, as the audience of last night seemed resolved to be pleased, the first New-York hearing of the ‘Ballo,’ as adapted to the vernacular of its scene, was fairly successful.

The opening of the opera was certainly tame and uninteresting. Up to the popular numbers that wind up the second act, the general effect was unfavorable. The spirited concerted music and taking airs here written were well interpreted by Mrs. Van Zandt, who made an agreeable and effective Oscar, by Mr. Castle and their various subordinates; and after this the opera passed off to general acceptance. Mme. Parepa-Rosa was heartily received, and, as she warmed to her work, displayed her customary power over her audience. Mme. Rosa sang charmingly, especially toward the latter part of the evening, and, although she lacks imagination, (or the ability to suggest it) for the erring Adelia, her fine voice and supportive execution made up, as usual, for other deficiencies. Mr. Aynsley Cooke is totally inadequate for Renato, and we were sorry to see a painstaking artist placed in so false a position. Renato has been so capitally sung here by Bellini, Ferre and others that the comparison suggested was quite unfortunate. Mrs. Seguin was quite successful with the ungrateful Ulrica, a part which, however needful to the action, is, like Azucena, an almost unmitigated bore, and needs superlative singing and acting to carry it off. The chorus last night was generally good, and the orchestra, although apparently light in number, was well up to its task, under the competent rule of Mr. Rosa.”

“The second season of the Parepa-Rosa Opera Company opened last evening at the Academy with Verdi’s Ballo in Maschera. The audience, though not one of the packed assemblages we have seen at times this Winter, was numerous, attentive, and sympathetic. The display of toilets and fashionable glitter was of course far less notable than during the Nilsson season. Fashion has, by an odd freak, decreed that the Italian opera shall be attended in all the glories of full dress, its English counterpart in the mitigated splendor of demi toilet. It is not at all clear, however, that English opera is the loser by the whim, and the comparatively sober appearance of the auditory might easily be interpreted as a guarantee of more earnest attention and more sincere appreciation.

The ‘Ballo,’ as it is one of Verdi’s later works, can hardly be held to represent his best style or freshest inspiration. Though thickly strewn with clear and well-developed arias and scenas, the music lacks the color, symmetry, and ‘taking’ quality of some of his earlier operas. The score, however, is bright and interesting, the plot is good, and the dramatic movement of the piece vivacious and well sustained.

We had hardly expected to find the company so thoroughly up to their work. Those who have only heard them in lighter music had reason for surprise in finding how each of the principal artists, both in acting and singing, rose to the emergency, and developed a power of adaptation to the exigencies of the more dramatic style of composition, which was the more agreeable as it had been least expected.

Mr. Castle, though in reality better fitted for calmer and more purely sentimental music, did manfully as Riccardo. His execution of his first principle [sic] air ‘Di’tu se fedele’ was spirited and good, and the very sweet quality of his voice was most effective in the duo and scena ‘Ah crudele a mel rammemori.’ He was less happy in the few bars of the short scene before the ball where both music and expression were a little trying for his voice, than his last air, ‘Sin che tu m’ami.’

Madame Parepa, as Amelia, was in the highest degree impressive and satisfactory. Her noble voice, broad, clear, pleasing and firm but brilliant execution specially fit her for such parts as Lucrezia, and its counterpart in the present role. If forced to select from the fine passages in which she won her usual meed of hearty applause from the audience, we should perhaps take the tragic scena at the scaffold, ‘Ecco L’orrido Campo,’ and the following duo with Riccardo, ‘Deh Soccorri.’ The duo in the ball room scena, ‘T’amo si T’amo,’ was beautifully and pathetically given.

Mrs. Zelda Seguin gave really unhoped-for significance to her short role of Ulrica. In the broad and forcible expression and strong dramatic color which she threw into the character of the sorceress, it was hard to recognize the graceful and sparkling artist who has so often delighted us in the pleasant music of Nancy or the brilliant roulades of Orsina.

Mr. Aynsley Cooke acted and sang with dignity and correctness as Renato. His aria after the discovery of Aurelia’s infidelity, ‘O dolcezze perdute,’ was sung with very tender and truthful feeling, and was imperatively redemanded by the audience. The clear and incisive tones of Madame Vanzini’s [Van Zandt’s] fine contralto also gave excellent assistance in the concerted music of her role.

The orchestra were in general correct, but occasionally needed tempering, and the chorus, though well blended and accurate, once or twice showed symptoms of misunderstanding with the instruments as to time and accent. Taken altogether, however, the representation was notably smooth and even, the most symmetrical and thoroughly satisfactory rendering of the ‘Ballo’ that we can at present recall. The season opens most propitiously, and promises by its excellence to make us regret its brevity.”