Vestvali Italian Opera: Il trovatore

Announces 1st performance for Monday, June 1, 1863.  “Supported by eminent artists from the Academy of Music.”

Announces opera for Monday.  “Supported by eminent artists from the ACADEMY OF MUSIC.”

“The performances of the Vestvali ‘English Opera Troupe’ are drawing rapidly to a close. ‘Orpheus’ will be withdrawn after the present week, and the English Opera Company, being deficient in a few voices—for instance, a soprano, a tenor, a baritone and a bass—will glide elegantly into choice Tuscan. In other words, Italian Opera will take the place of English Opera. ‘Romeo’ and ‘Lucrezia Borgia’ are, probably, the works that will occupy the last week of Mlle. Vestvali’s engagement. We are anxious to see what the management will say of these performances. Of Orpheus, it has been reiterated day after day ‘that the entire press of America and Europe’ have pronounced it to be ‘the greatest vocal and dramatic impersonation ever witnessed on the lyric stage and classified as vieing [sic] with those of Rachel and Malibran,’ a statement which for our part we utterly repudiate. It is by no means the greatest impersonation we have ever witnessed, and in no respect has recalled the great and sacred memories of the artists thus irreverently named. This we can say without any depreciation of a meritorious and ambitious artist. But what is left to be said of Romeo and of Orsini if so much has been bestowed on Orpheus? How ridiculous does even a deserving singer become in this sickening glare of puffery.”

“In consequence of the necessary rehearsals, the first performance of Italian Opera will not take place until Tuesday, June 2.”

“The Vestvali Opera Company will to-morrow night sing in Italian ‘Il Trovatore.’”

Cast, prices, time.

Cast, time, prices, etc.

Amusements This Evening.

“Vestvali’s Second and Most Positively Last Appearance as Azucena in Il Trovatore.”

“The experiment of producing Italian opera so soon after the close of the Maretzek season is a hazardous one, but, as far as Mlle. Vestvali is concerned, was an entire success.  She sang and acted the role of the Gipsy admirably.  Her acting was immensely dramatic, while she sang the music grandly, producing a great sensation upon the audience.  She was warmly applauded.

Mlle. Cariloi (Leonra) certainly was heard to greater advantage last evening than at the Academy of Music, the house being so much smaller.  Her voice—a somewhat veiled soprano—is rather pleasant, and as a whole her performance was acceptable.

Of the other artists we can say but little, and must confess that the whole attraction of the opera, as given last evening, centered in Mlle. Vestvali, who, though the best Azucena we have heard—combining, as she does, great dramatic force with her fine contralto—cannot bear off, so little aided, the maestro’s great opera.  We would, however, advise all who wish a rare musical treat to see her in the role of Azucena.”

     “Notwithstanding ‘the desire of the public to hear Mlle. Vestvali in some of her celebrated rôles,’ the season at the Winter Garden, after a sorry experiment, has come to an abrupt end. It was based simply and purely upon pretence [sic], and therefore merits the fate that has been awarded to it. Without a single male artist, without a second or third rate prima donna, without in fact anything that constitutes a company, it would have been strange, indeed, if a different result had been attained. A limited knowledge of English seems to have been the only art capital of the concern, but this was hardly a sufficient of an attraction to justify double prices. It was a mistake to call the concern an English opera; every one knew that it was nothing of the kind; it was a mistake, also, after bestowing on it the name of Italian opera, to commence with ‘Il Trovatore,’ a work which does not depend on the contralto voice, and which in every respect has been given so well and so often at the Academy, that a hasty performance elsewhere, without the attraction of grand artists, was not likely to excite the community. And this is just the point; the public does not want hasty performances of opera anywhere, and least of all, in a theatrical establishment. It would have been a disgrace to any but a provincial community if Mlle. Vestvali’s miserable attempt had succeeded. Better a thousand times no opera, than have it cause such needy experiments. Still, we are sorry that the lady has been the victim of a mistaken idea. She is an excellent and graceful actress, and a singer who generally succeeds in pleasing the public. After a long absence, she was justified in expecting a hearty and genial reception. On some future occasion she will, we are sure, attain it; but we warn her again against any new experiment in management. On Friday next Mlle. Vestvali will take her benefit. We trust there will be an opportunity of hearing the lady to better advantage in the Fall. Her proper place is at the Academy of Music. Adventures elsewhere invariably come to grief.”

“The week commenced at the Winter Garden with ‘Il Trovatore,’ which was fairly given to a small attendance. On the 3d the house was closed, owing to the ‘illness of Henry Vestvali.’”

“Some of the papers are giving out that Vestvali’s opera season at the Winter Garden was ‘interrupted by the illness of her brother.’  This may do well enough to tell to the marines or Horace Greeley’s nine hundred thousand fighting men, but it won’t do for old stagers, you know.  The fact is, Vestvali got floored by being a little too greedy; she ought to have been satisfied with the regular theatre prices, instead of which she struck for higher wages, doubling the usual rates of admission, and in less than two weeks, the whole thing went by the board.  The lady’s brother must be still quite ill, for we do not hear that she is making any preparations to renew her season of opera.”

“We are glad to find that somebody is to profit by the late operatic failure of Vestvali, at the Winter Garden.  The lady squelched her speculation by doubling the prices.  Mr. Mollenhauer, who has the house for this week, to bring out his opera of ‘The Corsican Bride,’ very properly gives notice that ‘the regular theatre prices will be retained.’”

“Vestvali’s Anglo-Italian opera season . . . proved a disastrous failure.”