Strakosch Italian Opera: Lucia di Lammermoor

“We have to chronicle a rare piece of courage and generosity, as well as a rare success achieved, at the Academy of Music last evening. Madame Nilsson was taken suddenly ill in the course of the day (with an affection not touching the voice at all), but hoped to overcome it so far before evening as to be able to sing. At five o’clock, however, her physicians decided that it would be extremely imprudent for her to appear upon the stage. What, then, was to be done? Must the theatre be closed for the night? Fortunately[,] Mr. Strakosch’s company has more than one first lady, and Signora Torriani, who had not yet appeared before an American audience, was thought of as the proper person to fill the gap. At the request of Madame Nilsson, late as it was, and without a rehearsal, she most kindly consented to take the part of Lucia, which she did most acceptably and skilfully, and with a degree of courage and verve that the large and fashionable audience most enthusiastically appreciated. Her performance, which many supposed would result in a great disappointment, proved on the contrary a surprise and a delight.

 

Signora Torriani is not, of course, a Nilsson, but she is a most pleasing and well-instructed singer, with a pure, sweet voice, an excellent method, and dramatic power of a very high order. During the beautiful duet of the first act with Edgardo, which was most exquisitely sung, it became apparent that the debutante had not undertaken more than she was equal to, and the interest of the audience, a little suspicious and critical at the outset, warmed towards her; but it was not until the second act that her fine expression seemed to break through all reserve, and, aided by the splendid vocalization of Campanini, to compel the most earnest and vociferous plaudits. In the sestette with which the act closes, the triumph of both the great artists was complete. Signora Torriani was recognised [sic] as one of the most graceful and fascinating singers that have recently appealed to our musical susceptibilities.

 

Of Campanini it is only necessary to say that he more than sustained the high reputation of his previous performances. Everybody was charmed by the evenness, the delicacy and beauty of his impersonation of a part which every tenor attempts, but none more successfully than he. The orchestra, as conducted by Muzio, was in rare perfection, and the choruses infinitely better than usual.

 

A considerable number of persons, finding that Nilsson was not going to sing, went away; but the house was still very crowded, and though, of course, the Swedish Siren was missed, those who remained felt that they had taken the wiser course. Never before was the opera, one of the most delightful of all, sung with a more enjoyable completeness, or by artists in the leading characters of superior abilities. Mr. Strakosch is to be congratulated on the fertility and wealth of his operatic resources.

 

During the evening we learned of a most becoming act of grateful recognition on the part of Nilsson towards her substitute. She caused a costly and beautiful bouquet, emblematic of love and peace, to be sent to Torriani with an affectionate note of thanks for her considerate and timely assistance.”

“Last night Lucia di Lammermoor was produced at this house. Notwithstanding the execrable weather, there was a large and fashionable audience, although a good many turned away from the doors when they found that Madame Nilsson would not be able to sing. A doctor’s certificate was posted to the effect that the prima donna was suffering from temporary indisposition, and the managers also announced that tickets for that performance would be exchanged, or the money returned. Many who had come chiefly for the purpose of hearing Mme. Nilsson accepted this arrangement, and returned home. They made a great mistake.

 

The performance, was, in all respects, an excellent one, and fully repaid the confidence in the management which the audience displayed.

 

The substitute for Mme. Nilsson was Mdlle. Torriani. On the occasion we write of she made her debut in the United States, and considering that she had to fill a very arduous part at a very short notice, she may fairly be congratulated on having gained a brilliant success. We believe that she had no idea of being called upon to do duty as Lucia until 5 o’clock in the afternoon. Without rehearsals, and without anything to help her, it would not have been surprising if she had failed to create a decided impression in her favor. But she not only filled the part acceptably—she did much more, by singing her music in a way which left little room to regret the absence of Mme. Nilsson. Her voice is very sweet and pure, and she possesses dramatic talent of no mean order. She fairly carried the house with her, and was generously rewarded with applause for the efforts she made to discharge her difficult task. She made many friends last night, and doubtless has other and greater successes in store for her.

 

Signor Campanini was the Edgardo, and, although he was suffering slightly from hoarseness, he sung [sic] with brilliancy and effect. It was a mistake on the part of the audience to encore the long and trying sestette in the second act, for a tenor voice is not exactly a machine, and the repetition of so hard a piece left Signor Campanini rather impaired for the famous maledetto scena. Audiences should have a little mercy on vocalists, especially in such weather as we were favored with last night. Signor Campanini fully confirmed the success he had gained on hist first appearance, and sung the beautiful airs in the last act with great tenderness and expression. His style is the purest Italian now to be found on the operatic stage, and the applause which he received last night proved that he has already become an established favorite with the public.

 

The orchestra and chorus were very good, and the chief performers were summoned before the curtain at the close of each act.”

“We do not choose to consider the placards which met the eye of those who approached the Academy of Music last night as a satire upon the veracity of impresarii. These placards announced that Mme. Nilsson, in consequence of a temporary illness, would be unable to appear and that Mlle. Torriani had kindly consented to assume Lucia, the rôle which Mme. Nilsson was to have sung. There was Dr. Fordyce Barker’s certificate for the fact of the illness, and all that the worst natured among us could do was either to take our seats as philosophically as possible or to go with equal philosophy home. We repeat that we do not choose to consider these placards a satire upon the faith of impresarii in general or of M. Strakosch in particular. It is more pleasant, and, in our opinion, more sensible to regard them as the prudent vouchers conceded to public incredulity. But to the point. No one had as yet heard of Mlle. Torriani, save as a member of M. Strakosch’s troupe. Considerable expectation had been formed of her, however, and it began to be questioned why she was kept so long out of hearing. After a triumphant début of sopranos, tenors, barytones, and basses, nobody doubted Mr. Strakosch’s resources. Last night public curiosity was satisfied, though in a very unexpected way, and Mlle. Torriani made one of the most successful first appearances that have been accomplished here in Italian opera for many years. We do not profess this morning to enter into anything like an elaborate description of the quality of her organ or of the varied and important qualifications she evinced. Other themes take precedence for the moment, and all that we have room to say now is that Mlle. Torriani, making her début under circumstances calculated to dampen the ardor of any audience, achieved an extraordinary and deserved success. She is a young and handsome blonde, possessed of a pure, high, soprano voice, rich sweet, ringing and under perfect command. Her physique is almost too robust to make it possible for her to become the perfect embodiment of the average ideal with respect to the hapless bride of Lammermoor. But this want of perfect physical assimilation was lost sight of, to a great extent, in the last act, where her very exquisite rendition of the final scene, ending with ‘Spargi di qualche pianto,’ drew forth rapturous plaudits and a recall that gave a thrilling ratification to all the previous applause. We must reserve details until the rôle is repeated, or until Mlle. Torriani appears in something equally worthy of her powers.

 

Campanini, as Edgardo, accentuated his success as Gennaro. Del Puento, as Enrico, that obtained by him in Germont. The reappearance of Mme. Nilsson is set down positively for to-morrow night.”