Strakosch Italian Opera: Mignon

“Ambroise Thomas’s admired opera of ‘Mignon’ was revived at the Academy of Music last night before a large and brilliant audience. This work is always a decided favorite with the ladies of New York, who never tire of seeing Madame Nilsson in the part of the gentle heroine. The performance of Monday evening was in all respects satisfactory, but, in view of the frequent representation of the opera here by the same singers, calls for no special comment.”

“At the Academy of Music last night there was a splendid audience to hear Nilsson in ‘Mignon.’ She studied this opera under the composer’s own directions, and was the first to impersonate the heroine in the Italian version arranged by Thomas for Drury Lane. Mignon is perhaps the most delicate and truly poetical of all her rôles, and is one in which nearly all the best characteristics of her voice, her action, and her style of singing, have a remarkable opportunity for display. It will always, therefore, be one of her most popular parts, though the music is not strong enough to take a firm hold upon listeners of any class, either cultivated or uncultivated. The other characters, last night, were allotted to the same artists who represented them during the Winter [see roster above]. To the celebrated scene of the fire—surely the gentlest conflagration that ever roared—a bit of realism was added last night which we do not remember to have observed before; the attendants upon the company in the garden, carried paper lanterns made out of American flags,--a tribute to the Stars and Stripes which we trust the public will appreciate.”

“’Mignon’ was sung at the Academy of Music last evening, in presence of a large and brilliant assemblage. The performance did not differ materially from that which has been often written of in this place. The song descriptive of the unknown land in which Mignon’s early days have passed, was, as usual, loudly applauded; the Styrienne, which impresses alike by its strange melody and by the coquettish acting of the songstress, was redemanded, but not done anew, and Guglielmo’s pretty romance in the last act was encored. Mme. Nilsson, as hitherto, was Mignon…[see above for roster]. Mlle. Torriani, we are bound to say, recited the polonaise with very little regard to accuracy of intonation; and in her repetition of a few bars of the same number in the final scene she was even more disagreeably out of tune than during the previous act. It is to be regretted that so painstaking an artist should, by forcing her voice, injure the effect of otherwise very creditable efforts.”

“Last night’s representation of Thomas’s pleasant opera was highly satisfactory to a very large and sympathetic audience, though with some of those drawbacks to which all things mortal—operas not excepted—are subject. Mme. Nilsson’s interpretation of Mignon is too well known to need comment. It showed last night no falling off in its familiar characteristics of wayward grace and tender melancholy, and the principal members found their wonted echo in the applause of the auditory. Capoul was in fine voice, and sang with all his usual spirit and feeling. Whatever else he may be or not be, he is always one of the most graceful lovers on the operatic stage.

Nanetti was impressive and good in the music of Lotario, and Miss Cary made a good deal by spirited by-play and good singing of the ungrateful little part of Federico. It is hard, however, to compliment Mlle. Torriani on her interpretation of Filina. The archness and vivacity which the character requires were not conspicuous in her acting, and her singing was frequently deficient in neatness, force, and brilliancy. The chorus sang with their usual happy indifference to nicety of expression, and displayed a philosophic calm during the conflagration which would gladden the heart of the Chief of the Fire Department.”

“Despite the trivial character of the music as applied to grand opera, ‘Mignon,’ by the force of a few taking melodies, and more especially by the poetic, naïve rendering of the rôle by Madame Christine Nilsson, seems to be a popular attraction at the Academy of Music. So it was last evening, for a very brilliant audience attended the second performance of the Swedish Nightingale. Although Goethe’s ‘Wilhelm Meister’ supplies the names of the principal characters and the leading incidents, yet the librettists, M. M. Carré and Barbier, have done their work commendably, and have given a very interesting series of scenes. The treatment by them is graceful and effective. Ary Scheffer has given Mme. Nilsson the cue for her Mignon. The child-heroine, as this artist limned her, is faithfully represented on the stage by Mme. Nilsson. The wayward, yet sentimental child, not such as Goethe created, but such as Ary Scheffer painted, lives and breathes in Nilsson from her first appearance among the gypsies to the scene of the finale in her ancestral home. The librettists have done their work in this opera in a more satisfactory style than librettists generally do, but the composer M. Ambroise Thomas, has entirely failed to grasp the emotional points of the subject. Since its first production in Paris at the Opéra Comique, eight years ago, when the Mignon was Mlle. Galli-Marié, nothing but the genius of Mme. Nilsson has even sustained the very existence of the work. There is no depth to the music. M. Thomas never reaches beneath the surface. The music is fragmentary and often Offenbachish. Exceptions there are, it is true, but they are far between. ‘Kennst du das Land’ and ‘The Swallows’ are the only tolerable musical numbers in the title rôle, and they were admirably given by Mme. Nilsson last evening. Affection, tenderness, impulse and waywardness, those striking qualities of such an impersonation, united to the clear, Italian-like atmosphere that seems to encompass her beautiful voice, brought out the lyric portrait of Mignon in the strongest relief. We have so repeatedly reviewed the Guglielmo of M. Capoul, the Federico of Miss Cary and the Lotario of Signor Nannetti, that we deem it unnecessary to add to our former remarks. Filina is one of the best of Mlle. Torriani’s rôles.”

“The attendance at the Academy of Music yesterday was very large and brilliant, and the representation of ‘Mignon’ passed off with the wonted smoothness and effect. ‘Mignon’ does not wear quite so well as we expected; the cases of melody in the desert of harmony are few and far between, and the version of M. Thomas’ opera interpreted on the Italian stage is much heavier than the original opéra comique, in which crisp dialogue does duty for the dull recitatives. But Mme. Nilsson’s personation of Mignon is charmingly poetical, and so long as she fills the rôle the work will doubtless attract. Yesterday’s recital needs, of course, no comment.”

“…The performance of ‘Mignon’ was characterised by all that poetical beauty, naiveté, waywardness and intense dramatic fervor with which Mme. Nilsson endows it. The gems of the first act, the tender idyl, ‘Non conosci il bel Suoi,’ and the charming little duet of ‘The Swallows,’ the quaint, old-fashioned Styrienne of the second act, and the impressive scene of the return of Mignon to her home, were rendered by Mme. Nilsson with an effect such as she only gives. Capoul was in his best lover’s mood, and fairly shared with the prima donna the honors of the occasion. The music seems to be more congenial to him than any rôle of the Italian school. Miss Cary and Signor Nannetti sang the rôles of Federico and Lotario, and Mlle. Torriani that of Filina, as before. The omission of the grand scena for ‘Mignon,’ in the commencement of the third act, was much to be regretted.”