Parepa-Rosa English Opera: Fra Diavolo

“The second season of the Parepa-Rosa troupe closed on Saturday night in the same brilliant manner as that which characterized the first season, in October. The Academy of Music was crowded by at least as many people on this occasion as on that memorable night when Parepa and Wachtel sang in ‘Il Trovatore.’ Orchestra, parquet, dress circle, boxes, and even the abode of the gods above, were crowded to suffocation, and before evening came it became impossible to purchase a seat. The cause of this unwonted spectacle in Lent was the announcement of the close of the most brilliant season of English opera ever given in New York, and the appearance of Mr. Santley as Fra Diavolo. The celebrated baritone achieved another success surpassing that which attended his impersonation of Zampa. He exceeded even the high expectations formed of him, and in singing and acting displayed talents such as are very rare with artists nowadays. First as to his voice. We have spoken before of its quality. There is not a weak point in all its registers, if we can use such a distinctive expression in relation to an organ so perfectly even and homogeneous in its compass, from the lowest to the highest note. Every note is clear, rounded, distinct and bell-like in its sweetness of tone, and has that penetrating quality which only such a perfect organ can give. The high culture of this voice and an artistic appreciation of the role make the singing of Mr. Santley a rare treat, and leaves nothing to be desired. Yet, for the masses, his great art is not likely to be appreciated at its full value at a first hearing, for he never indulges in aught savoring of sensation or aiming at unauthorized effects. Those who go with the expectation of hearing Santley as a sensational singer will find themselves very much disappointed. In concerted music he is careful not to disturb the harmony which should exist between him and the other artists by an undue exercise of his boundless resources, and in solos he makes his voice subservient to the sentiment and the situation. As was necessary for a baritone voice singing the role of Fra Diavolo there were numberous transpositions in the score, the most notable one being the serenade in the second act—‘Young Agnes’—which was lowered from A to G flat. The well known scena which opens the third act was delivered with an effect and brilliancy that brought down the house. As an actor Mr. Santley set all doubts on that score at rest on Saturday night. Ease, gracefulness, with a moderate degree of fire, were the characteristics of the impersonation. It is a pity such a consummate artist should not be heard in some of his other great roles, but it is probable that Mr. Rosa intends to reserve him for the Italian Opera season in April, when he will appear conjointly with Wachtel, Parepa and Phillips. The rest of the cast was as follows [see above]. Mrs. Van Zandt was in excellent voice, and Mr. and Mrs. Seguin made the roles of the English tourist and his wife droll and charming. Campbell and Hall are the two best bandits that have appeared in this opera at the Academy for many years.

[Final paragraph begins with a listing of the season’s operas presented] This is a proud record for an operatic troupe after a second engagement in this city during the same season. When it is considered that English opera can hardly be said to exist in England, and that former ventures here have been only successful when attempted on a very small scale, this triumph which culminated on Saturday appears marvelous. The only cause to be assigned for it is the admirable management that secured such an assemblage of recognized artists as even the most fastidious public could not ignore. With an ensemble of the strongest kind there was no difficulty in arranging the programmes so as to combine novelty with variety.”

“The season of English opera closed most triumphantly on Saturday night with a performance of ‘Fra Diavolo,’ in which Mr. Santley sung with all his customary grace and facility of execution. The part has hitherto been sung here by tenors only; but Mr. Santley’s voice approximates so closely to the tenor quality that with an occasional transposition the music is quite within his range. He was warmly applauded by as crowded an audience as was ever gathered in the Academy.

The brief season which has just closed was by all odds the best attempt at English opera which has been given in this city, and it has received a patronage as liberal as that extended to good Italian opera troupes. There has been a constant variety of attractions [lists the repertory]. Few opera companies can boast of a greater repertoire than this, which, however, by no means exhausts the acquirements of the Rosa troupe. That his accomplished band of vocalists can also learn unfamiliar operas very quickly is evidenced by the fact that ‘Zampa’ was produced in good style after only two weeks’ study.

The late season has brought into prominence the charming voice and graceful style of Mrs. Van Zandt, and the constantly increasing vocal resources of Mrs. Seguin, who, moreover, is proving herself to be an excellent actress. Mr. Castle and Mr. Karl have both been acceptable as tenors. Mr. Campbell’s rich basso has been always listened to with pleasure, and Mr. Cook has joined to a pleasant voice unusual histrionic ability. In addition to these principals—at the head of whom, of course, stands Madame Rosa herself—the secondary parts have been unusually acceptable, while the chorus has been among the best ever heard here. In every respect, the Rosa troupe has entirely equaled public expectation, while in affording Mr. Santley an opportunity to appear on the lyric stage it has added lustre to a season which has been more than usually successful, and—for English opera—unprecedentedly brilliant.

When Madame Rosa returns to New York it will be to sing in Italian opera with Wachtel and Santley; but we trust that she will not wholly abandon the field of English opera, in which many music-lovers find more delight than in works interpreted in foreign tongues.”

“The two weeks’ sojourn of the Parepa-Rosa English Opera Troupe at the Academy of Music terminated with Saturday evening’s performance, at which ‘Fra Diavolo’ was the opera, and Mr. Charles Santley the attraction. For the third time since Monday, Mr. Santley drew an immense audience. His personation of Fra Diavolo afforded great pleasure, and repeated evidences of the delight produced by his singing, and of the impression made by his easy and refined acting, were not wanting. We think that the familiarity of the assemblage with Auber’s music contributed largely to the increased charm of the last representation in which Mr. Santley took part. In ‘Zampa’ the gentleman showed an intense earnestness and force for which there is no room in the character of the bandit chief as Scribe limned it, and for the absence of which a picturesque, though conventional, lightness and elegance would atone. Without mistaking Mr. Santley’s undemonstrativeness for awkwardness, or his repose for unintelligence as to the requirements of the role he fills, it is none the less positive that his picture of Fra Diavolo is rather commonplace. It may be held that it is a great deal more natural than that to which we have been accustomed, but realism is not to be sought in opera-comique, and amid circumstances like those which the librettist has supplied to Auber, the attire and the manner of an English gentleman have a very strange air. Neither in his dealings with Zerlina, when he adds a chapter to the story she tells of the feats of the lawless chieftain, nor in his love-passages with Lady Allcash, nor in his handling of his ruffianly companions, nor in the grand scene at the opening of the third act—which is a small drama in itself—did Mr. Santley suggest to us, we will not say the leader of banditti we have been used to, but a being at all approaching the musician’s ideal. At times, we are bound to say, the public expressed by its applause an opinion differing from that which we entertain, and the aria last mentioned, by the reasonable variety of its delivery, elicited a token of unequivocal approval. Most of the plaudits, however, were intended for Mr. Santley’s singing. This we have too frequently written of to feel now compelled to speak of it at length. It is, in brief, perfection. With the interpretation resulting from the skilled use of a magnificent voice, and an unceasing display of science and good taste in the reading of the notes, it was only to be anticipated that all the well-known numbers of the opera would be redemanded. Satisfaction almost as frequent was afforded by the efforts of Mme. Van Zandt, who is not a very sympathetic Zerlina, but who showed herself a painstaking and correct vocalist; by those of Mrs. Zelda Seguin, who was almost too fascinating—save in point of dress—as Lady Allcash; by the drollery of Mr. Seguin as Lord Allcash, and by the comicalities of the two brigands, embodied respectively by Messrs. Campbell and Hall. We were not surprised at the mediocrity of the representative of Lorenzo, and no veteran among opera-goers could have shared the sentiment of astonishment apparent among many of the spectators of the personage’s achievements. The band, under Mr. Behrens, and the chorus, were full, and precise in their work. Mr. Santley and all the performers were called before the curtain at the end of the rehearsal, which, by its numerous excellences and its effect, brought a capital season to a fitting close.”

“The farewell representation of the Parepa-Rosa Company, for the present engagement, which took place on Saturday evening, was notably complete and even in all its details, and afforded a pleasant earnest of the good things to be expected on the return of the troupe in April. It is certainly an artistic novelty to hear in the same season a famous tenor and perhaps the most distinguished baritone now on the stage, in one and the same role. Yet this surprise Mr. Santley gave his friends on Saturday, by impersonating the bandit captain in Auber’s ‘Fra Diavolo,’ in reality a tenor role, and lately filled with distinguished effect by Herr Wachtel. The apparent anomaly is simply explained by the fact that the music of the part is not exceptionally high, while Mr. Santley’s fine organ has a very extended upper register. A slight transposition of a few passages therefore puts the music here, as in ‘Zampa,’ fairly within his reach.

His singing was marked on this occasion, as probably in all his dramatic execution, by a certain tranquil and indolent perfection. The shading and detail were exquisitely definite, yet delicate, but the tone of the picture, as a painter would call it, was ‘kept low’ throughout. Undoubtedly a season of this style of music would lead appreciative taste to recognize its superiority in some regards to the sharp contrasts and spasmodic effort of the more conventional bravura school. Yet in some points Mr. Santley undoubtedly misses the effect he might legitimately gain by more of dramatic fire and intensity, even in mere musical execution, while in his action, simply as such, he inadequately represents the passionate impulse and haughty yet adventurous character of the fascinating outlaw. It is rarely given to any man save an Englishman, and to robber chieftains, we may suppose, least of all, to be stoically impassive, and at ease, in the most thrilling emergencies, as Mr. Santley makes this class of character.The fine air, ‘Proudly and wild my standard flies,’ breathing as it does the very spirit of the mountains of physical power and courage, and daring, unscrupulous adventure, was given with insufficient force and spirit which, however, were somewhat made up by the fire of the subsequent aria and scena. The serenade ‘Young Agnes’ beauteous flower’ was charmingly tender and quiet, as it should be.

Mrs. Van Zandt, as Zerlina, sang the familiar, ‘On Yonder Rock Reclining,’ with precision and clearness, and her execution of the interpolated air from Auber’s ‘Le Sermont’ was as good as anything we have heard from her this season. Mr. and Mrs. Seguin, as Lord and Lady All Cash, were bright and funny in the clever duo, ‘I don’t object,’ and very effective in the sparkling concerted music of the score. In his comic despair, in the second act, however, Mr. Seguin somewhat let’s [sic] down the tone of his part from the buffo to the buffoon. Mr. Campbell created a sensation by being, for the first time in our remembrance, palpably and refreshingly droll. His Beppo, with the Giacomo of Mr. Hall, showed genuine humor, and was relished by the audience accordingly. His admirable singing of the borrowed air, ‘Let all obey,’ showed the richness and strength of his voice and his breadth of execution in unusually clear light, and drew forth the most enthusiastic recall of the evening. It is needless to add that Mr. Santley, as well as the artists collectively, were warmly called for at the fall of the curtain.”

“The house was crowded to repletion, for even the gallery seats had to be reserved, so great was the demand, while every subscription box was occupied, an unusual circumstance for the Lenten season. Great curiosity was manifested to hear Santley in the tenor role of Fra Diavolo. Vocally, the performance was a decided success, Santley’s voice being heard to great advantage in the gems of the opera, for his register is high, and a slight transposition of some of the passages enabled him to accomplish all the arias with success. Dramatically, his rendering of the role was more conspicuous for its novelty than anything else. His conception of the dramatic requirements of the part differs from every one of his predecessors in a very novel and striking manner, especially in the aria ‘On Yonder Rock,’ which he sings to Zerlina while passively standing by her side with his hands in his pockets. When dressed as the brigand, he evinces more life and spirit, and in the finale evinces more animation, his death scene being the most effective. Mr. Campbell made quite a hit as Beppo, and in his rendering of the interpolated air, ‘Let All Obey,’ was encored.”