Aimée Opera bouffe: La Périchole

Event Information

Venue(s):
Olympic Theatre

Proprietor / Lessee:
Samuel Colville
James E. [manager, proprietor] Hayes

Manager / Director:
Samuel Colville
James E. [manager, proprietor] Hayes
Carlo A. Chizzola

Conductor(s):
Charles [conductor] Van Ghel

Price: $1; $.50-$1 extra reserved; $.50 family circle; $10, $15, $18 boxes

Event Type:
Opera

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
1 November 2024

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

04 Nov 1872, 8:00 PM

Performers and/or Works Performed

1)
aka Perichole
Composer(s): Offenbach
Text Author: Halévy, Meilhac
Participants:  Aimée Opera Bouffe Company;  Monsieur [baritone] Duchesne (role: Don Andres de Ribeira);  Marie Aimée (role: Perichole);  Albert [tenor] Julien (role: Le Comté de Panatellas);  [tenor] Juteau (role: Piquillo);  Mlle. [soprano] Vandame (role: Berginella);  Romeo Dionesi
2)
aka M'appari tutt’amor; My raptured gaze; Lionel’s air; Ah, so pure
Composer(s): Flotow
Participants:  Romeo Dionesi
3)
Composer(s): Robaudi
Participants:  Romeo Dionesi

Citations

1)
Advertisement: New-York Times, 03 November 1872, 7.

“The unrivalled prodigy of lyric art [Romeo Dionesi], the INFANT TENOR, but five and a half years old, who has created a great sensation in Europe and South America, will make his first appearance in New-York, Monday, Nov. 4. He will sing with orchestra accompaniment, between the acts, and in full costume.”

2)
Review: New York Herald, 05 November 1872, 6.

“Last night ‘La Périchole’ was revived to a moderate audience, with Mlle. Aimée in the title rôle. We have heretofore recorded our opinion of the present company’s rendition of this work and need only say that Mlle. Aimée, M. Juteau and M. Duchesne fairly divided the honors between them. We may remark that this opéra bouffe princess suffered slightly from some affection of the throat, as all the opera singers and horses in the city seem to, in a greater or lesser degree. It fortunately did not interfere either with her vocalization or her vivacity, and beyond an audible request made to somebody at the wings to buy her a box of jujubes, and a lack of her usual readiness in responding to encores the malaria, hippic, or lyric, does not appear to have seriously seized her. This is consoling in view of the fact that she appears this evening as Boulotte, in that wickedness called ‘Barbe-Bleue.’ 

But the baby prodigy—the prodigy of five and a half years old—the infant lyric artist, Romeo Dionesi. It is with feelings of awe and compassion that we approach him. He was an entr’acte. We suppose he was introduced as a substitute for the occasional occupation of gentlemen between the acts. It will always be questionable whether he went down as well; probably he did them more good. He was a pretty boy, with long, fair hair and self-possession. He was dressed as a duo-decimo edition of Lionel to sing ‘M’appari,’ from ‘Martha.’ The orchestra never seems so loud and boisterous as when it plays the prelude for an infant prodigy. The conductor knows this; he looks imploringly at the bass fiddle and spreads his arms out deprecatingly and floatingly, which means pianissimo to everybody. Then the prodigy strikes his attitude and the audience strain to catch the melodious squeak. Poor little fellow! Do as bravely as he can it is only a squeak; attitudinize as delicately as he may, it is pitiful to see as to hear. We scarcely think anybody with a heart would hiss an infant prodigy; it would be like breaking a butterfly on a wheel; and it requires as much assumed harshness as Sterne, when he refused the mendicant monk a single sou, to refrain from applauding. Yet we did not applaud. The dear little chap should be in the nursery, performing, as most children to, to a select audience of his little brothers and sisters, with the nursery maid in the reserved seats. If the infant prodigy’s parents or guardians, as the case may be, would only act on this hint the opéra bouffe public would be saved an agony of interest, with compassion as its chief feature.”

3)
Review: New York Clipper, 16 November 1872, 262.

“Although his [Dionesi’s] performances were not without merit, he did not give complete satisfaction, and although announced to appear on Wednesday and Friday evenings, he was withdrawn.”