Combination Italian Opera: il Trovatore

“Verdi’s celebrated opera, ‘Il Trovatore,’ was produced for the last time by the combination company at the Academy of Music. The best proof of the widespread interest felt by the public in this favorite and well worn opera was to be found in the immense audience that filled all parts of the auditorium. The performance, on the whole, was satisfactory, but Parepa-Rosa, whose rôle is so important, was not in good voice. Her higher notes, especially, were strident, and on several occasions during the night she sang out of tune. We have before pointed out the want of tenderness and sympathy in her rendering of the part of Leonardo, and in this particular we can perceive no improvement. It is to be regretted that Miss Phillips’ voice is wanting in clearness and flexitiliby, for she evidently has the right idea as to the use of it. Her impersonation of Azucena last night was full of power, displaying dramatic talent of a high order. We regret we cannot say so much for her singing, although she gives evidence of close study and careful culture. It is not always possible to overcome natural difficulties, and the huskiness which mars the best efforts of this artiste is evidently the result of some malformation of the throat, which cannot be remedied. Her rendering of the Canzone, ‘Stride la Vampa,’ was emphatic and effective. In the delivery of recitative ‘Condotta ell’erd in ceppi’ she displayed much dramatic power, while the duettino, ‘Li la stanchezza in apprime, oh figlio,’ was given with sweetness and sympathetic feeling.

We were glad to notice that much of the unevenness of which we complained on a former occasion in Wachtel’s singing was suppressed last night. There was an almost total absence of sensational effort, and when attempted in the song ‘Di quella pira l’orendo fuoco’ he was not so successful in the upper notes as usual. But en revanche his rendering of the cantaville ‘Amor sublime amor’ was full of sweetness and sympathy, the middle notes especially being full and well rounded. There was a complete absence of the constantly recurring defect of uneveness of singing in the rendering of this song. In the concerted piece, ‘E deggio e posso crederlo eo,’ at the end of the second act, Wachtel sang out of time. Santley has made the rôle of the Count di Luna so much his own and achieved so marked a success in it that it is only necessary to say that he was quite equal to himself. His rendering of the aria ‘Il balen del suo soriso’ raised the audience to a considerable pitch of excitement, and procured for the artiste the honor of a recall. The same tenderful sweetness combined with perfect clearness, and the purity in the notes as they weeled forth characterized his vocalization as on former occasions. In the cantabile ‘Ora per ne fatale; he discovered force and passion which contrasted strongly with the sweetness of the ‘Il balen,’ which preceded it. The female chorus was poor and then, especially in the chorus of nuns—‘Ah, si l’error ingonibra.’ The anvil chorus was satisfactorily given, but the soldier’s chorus at the opening of the third act was no good.”

For Les Huguenots matinee on Saturday.

Decision to repeat Il Trovatore at Saturday matinee, by popular demand.

“The selection of ‘Il Trovatore’ for presentation on yesterday was fully justified by the crowded audience that assembled to listen to its familiar strains. Its popularity is, no doubt, greatly assisted by the peculiar fitness of the artists of the combination company. The performance yesterday was marked by unusual brilliancy, and exhibited a decided improvement on those previously given. The cast was the same as on former occasions, [see above]. Madame Parepa-Rosa was in excellent voice and displayed to the fullest extent her florid vocalization. Her rendering of the cavatina, ‘Tacea la Notte Placida,’ was thoroughly artistic, though the addition of a little more feeling would have been an improvement. But the aria, ‘Amor Sull’ali Rosee,’ was sung with great sweetness and brilliancy. In the duet and trio in the last act she seemed to exhaust the resources of vocalization, exhibiting astonishing flexibility in her higher notes. The role of Azucena is well suited to the character of Miss Phillipps’ voice, while affording her full scope for her declamatory powers. Her rendering of the song ‘Stride la Vampa’ was not very satisfactory, but the ‘Condotto ell era’ was sung with much expression and force. Wachtel finds in Manrico a rôle congenial to his manner of singing, and appears in it to excellent advantage. Yesterday his execution was not only brilliant, but remarkably assured. It ws not marred by any unhealthy straining after effect. In the song, ‘Di quella pira l’orrendo luoco,’ he found sufficient opportunity for a legitimate display of his full power, and he seemed to have concentrated all his energy for this effort. The wonderful clearness and purity of the high notes are something phenomenal, and in addition this artist throws an amount of passion that electrifies the audience into his [four illegible words]. His success yesterday was so great that the audience, not content with exacting an encore, brought Wachtel several times before the curtain, tendering him a perfect ovation. It was a high honor, but certainly the way in which he sang during the performance fully justified it. We would make an exception in the case of the romance, ‘Deserto sulla terra,’ which showed no signs of improvement. Santley was as charming and artistic as ever. All through the opera he sang with care and polish, but his great success was the rendering of the ‘Il balen del suo, sorriso,’ for which he received a rapturous encore. Hall sang very creditably the cavatina, ‘Di due figli.’ The ‘Miserere’ chorus was rather poor, and the soldiers’ chorus was marred by being sung too quickly; but these trifling shortcomings passed almost unnoticed, in view of the general excellence of the performance as a whole. The frequent presentation of this opera has trained the assistants to act together, and thus, as a result, we have a more perfect rendering than has been secured in any other instance by this company.”