Strakosch Italian Opera: Faust

“Powerful Chorus of 60. Grand Orchestra of 50. Full Military Band, Fanfarre [sic], &c., &c.”

“‘Faust’ will be sung at the Academy of Music, this evening. With the traits of the performance we shall deal at length to-morrow; we may mention at present, however, that a hearing of the opera at the Brooklyn Academy, last night, offered assurance that the New-York recital of Gounod’s favorite work will be exceptionally fine.” Reviews Brooklyn performance.

Long review of Nilsson’s performance in Faust on 10/02/73 in Brooklyn. The performance also featured the season debut of Signor Maurel.

“In the successful representation of ‘Faust’ at the Academy of Music last night, Madame Nilsson renewed her triumphs of previous seasons in this opera. Her personation was graceful and dramatic, and she made frequent use of the chest tones which, of late, have added to the richness of her voice. Capoul sang admirably, always appearing to his best advantage in this opera. Nannetti is a Mephistopheles of the average conventional type, and though singing creditably, awakened no enthusiasm. The new baritone, Maurel, was a marked success. He sang in the second act a noble aria written for Santley and by him introduced into ‘Faust.’ Maurel’s voice is smooth and tender, and he sings like an artist. Miss Cary’s Siebel is always acceptable.”

“The large and fashionable audience that tenanted the Academy of Music, last evening, enjoyed a very fine performance of ‘Faust.’ Well as ‘Il Trovatore’ wears—and it must be noted that Verdi’s still-attractive opera is much older than Gounod’s—we doubt if the future does not prove that the exquisite workmanship of the French setting of Goethe’s poem has given it a strong hold on public favor than that of its single competitor in this country. Certain it is, meanwhile, that to announce ‘Faust’ is to make sure of very weighty receipts, and certain it is, too, that so highly satisfactory a representation as last night’s will admit of frequent repetition of the announcement. The Brooklyn recital of the opera, briefly adverted to in this place yesterday, awoke expectations which were not disappointed. Little information, it is true, was needed as to the charm and impressiveness of Mme. Nilsson’s personation of Margarita, and the qualities of Faust, as portrayed by M. Capoul, were also familiar; the rendering witnessed Thursday, however, promised a capital ensemble, and of this promise it was proper that a record should be made and its fulfillment acknowledged. After the many notices written of Mme. Nilsson’s achievements in Gounod’s work the theme is not very suggestive. Mme. Nilsson’s Margarita is rather the blue blood maiden limned by Ary Scheffer than the rough-handed Gretchen of the German poet, but it is a picture exquisite in its lines, and most delicate and harmonious in its coloring. Mme. Nilsson’s acting is at present more refined, if anything, than during her first year’s stay, and this refinement pervades her whole portrayal of Margarita. But it does not exclude the contrasts planned by the librettists and the composer, and to these the skill of the comedienne gives as much effectiveness as even a public of less culture than her efforts summon can wish. Margarita’s share in the first and second acts of ‘Faust’ is limited; in the second, her actual participation in the business of the drama commences, and it continues until the close. The stages of the action at which, last evening, Margarita’s representative elicited most applause were the same to which the dilettante has always looked forward, but never with more confidence as to their significance than when Mme. Nilsson is the heroine. The short love passage, when Faust offers Margarita his arm, was listened to with becoming attention; the pretty revery-scene, when the girl’s thoughts wander from her task at the wheel to the image of the courteous cavalier; the bright jewel-song, in which childish glee and virginal coquettishness are, ’twixt the music and the delivery, so happily expressed; the delicious love duet, in which no artist depicts so truthfully as Mme. Nilsson the birth and growth of the passion to which she is to succumb; the fine scene in the church; the touching incident of Valentino’s death, and the culminating duo were as many opportunities for using with consummate art a voice fresh and powerful, and for making clear the details of a symmetrical and elaborate performance. M. Capoul, as hitherto, was Faust, and a very graceful and impassioned personage. M. Capoul, as we have often said, is a most intelligent and earnest actor, and none of his efforts, and much less his effort in ‘Faust,’ can with justice be disregarded. Twice during the representation his exertions commanded very hearty encouragement; he was a worthy partner of Mme. Nilsson in the duet in the second act, and he sang with much fervor and great eloquence of phrasing the ‘Salve, Dimora.’ Mephisto was sung by Signor Nannetti, whose successful début occurred on Wednesday. Signor Nannetti’s fine voice was as appreciable in ‘Faust’ as in ‘Lucrezia Borgia,’ but the gentleman, by illustrating the proverb that Satan is not so black as he is painted, showed a Mephisto who could, without suspicion, walk the earth in company with Faust, and we fancy that the contortions of the accepted character were regretted. M. Maurel’s Valentino afforded as much pleasure in New-York as in Brooklyn. Mr. Strakosch in securing him secured an artist pur sung. His rich and resonant tones, his faultless delivery of recitative and cantabile, his mastery of the histrionic art, and his handsome face and form designate him as a prize indeed. Valentino, in the hands of a mediocre performer, is a very insignificant individual. M. Maurel’s Valentino, by means of the ‘Dio possente,’ the trio prefatory of the duel, and the death scene is unquestionably the most striking male character in ‘Faust.’ Miss Annie Louise Cary was Siebel; she avoided with much difficulty repeating ‘Le parlate d’amor.’ Chorus and orchestra were unexceptionable.”