Maretzek Italian Opera: La Favorite

“Madame Lucca appeared at the Grand Opera House last night as the Leonora of Donizetti’s ‘La Favorita,’—a part which she has made somewhat famous, less by any conspicuous merit in the performance as a whole than by her forcible and passionate deliver of two or three highly dramatic scenes. When she sang this opera last season at the Academy of Music she displayed, as we thought, some noble qualities as a singer which were much less apparent in her other rôles. There was a smooth, refined, and gracious style in the delivery of certain cantabile passages, such as the ‘O mio Fernando,’ which we missed in her but too often. Now however there is a change, not at all for the better. The sentiment of the music is sacrificed to the exhibition of the prima donna’s great natural gift. There is a tremendous outburst of voice, glorious indeed, and richer, rounder, more powerful, more superb in every way this season than ever; but it is grandeur of voice united with a base and crude art. Madame Lucca may be excused perhaps for over anxiety to furnish a commodity in which the Grand Opera House company seems to be deficient; but she does injustice to her own abilities, and sacrifices too much for the applause of the ignorant.

 

The Fernando was Sig. Vizzani, the most we can say of whom is that he was generally inoffensive; and the Alfonso was Sig. Mari, who was not inoffensive by any means. M. Jamet was an impressive Baldessare, his careful art contrasting strongly with the rough methods of some of his associates, and Miss Ferretti deserves credit for her pleasing manner and correct singing in the small part of Inez. Of the disorders of the chorus and orchestra, and the general shiftlessness and raggedness of the representation, we cannot speak too strongly. It was still more apparent last night than it had been during the earlier part of the week, that Mr. Maretzek produces his operas without reasonable preparation.”

“In Donizetti’s ‘La Favorita’ Lucca has met with one of her most signal successes, and at the Academy of Music last season the announcement of this opera was always sure to attract marked attention. It seemed to have a similar effect at the Grand Opera House last night, for the attendance was large and quite enthusiastic. Lucca sang with the full wealth of her splendid voice, and in the ‘O mio Fernando’ and the entire last act completely won the sympathies of her listeners. Vizzani made a success in the last act, but otherwise was lacking in spirit. Jamet was cordially received and sang well.

 

The moon at this house, of which we have already had occasion to speak, indulged last night in vagaries quite without precedent in lunar annals. In the middle of Balthasar’s air in the fourth act, this unaccountable orb, after a few feeble flickerings, died out entirely, leaving a dark brown disk on the starry firmament; yet, marvellous [sic] to relate, the silvery light which was supposed to emanate from the eccentric satellite still continued to flood the stage. After a protracted season of total eclipse, and when the spectators had become quite reconciled to the new order of things, the unhappy moon experienced fresh vicissitudes, and after various preliminary glimmerings and twinklings it again burst forth into its pristine splendor, and, rewarded with approving smiles, shone on serenely until the curtain fell.”

“Mme. Lucca achieved an extraordinary feat at the Grand Opera House last night, carrying the opera of ‘La Favorita’ on her shoulders alone and bringing it to a successful close. The rôle of Leonora is eminently suited to her peculiar lyric talents, and in the more passionate scenes the spasmodic outbursts of her glorious voice were electric in effect. She was in the best spirits for such a rôle, and nothing could be more thrilling than the effect she produced in the scenes with Fernando. When in the first act she took up the melody in which her lover addresses her in the pleading accents, ‘Deh! vanne, deh! parti,’ there was mingled love and affright in the agitated tones. The bitter feelings that actuated her heart in the reproach addressed to King Alfonso in the aria, ‘In questo suol,’ were expressed with indignation and sorrow in every tone. The anathema hurled against her by the representative of the Church gave Mme. Lucca an opportunity to display her emotional acting, which she used to advantage. In the fine, expressive aria, ‘O! mio Fernando,’ she gained the principal triumph of the evening. The wealth of tone and expression which she poured forth in this aria thrilled the house, and in the succeeding cabaletta, ‘Scritto e in ciel,’ she completed a positive triumph. In the finale of the third act, when Fernando first learns the disgrace inflicted upon him by his marriage with the mistress of the King, and repudiates her, the voice and acting of Lucca again enthralled the heart and ear. Over chorus and orchestra its full, rich tones, quivering with passionate expression, rose in the ensemble, ‘Se il ver,’ and filled the entire building with a flood of melody. But in the death scene she attained a still high success. The pleading appeal to her husband, her piteous cry for pardon and her great joy in being once more reconciled to him, was delivered with a power and effect even beyond what the habitues of the Academy felt last season. Throughout the success of time, Lucca was one of the most emphatic kind.

 

The next one in order of merit was M. Jamet, who essayed the comparatively small rôle of Balthassar, but made so much of it that he deserves to be placed after the prima donna. Signor Vizzani, although his voice was unexceptionable, did not infuse the requisite amount of fire into the rôle of Fernando, with the exception of the ‘Spirito Gentil,’ which was given with due effect. The great drawback to the success of the opera was Signor Mari, who appeared as King Alfonso. It is unnecessary to enter into detail regarding this barytone’s efforts last night, as it would be impossible to point to a single instance in which they were even tolerable. As the rôle of the King occupies a very important part in the opera, the failure of the barytone [sic] was all the more perceptible. Sparapani sang it with success last season, and it is to be regretted that he was not retained for it this fall.

 

‘La Favorita’ ranks very high among Donizetti’s works, and, when given with a complete ensemble, it cannot fail to please an audience. It is singular how this composer seems to have, so far, monopolized the season in both the Italian opera companies. He is, undoubtedly, very dramatic, and gives artists ample opportunities for display. But there are many other composers more acceptable to the ear of a musician. However, Donizetti afforded Mme. Lucca last evening a wide field for the exercise of her remarkable vocal and histrionic talents, and her triumph is all the greater on account of the poverty of the surroundings. The chorus did well, the minor characters in the cast badly, and the orchestra indulged in unwarrantable vagaries.”

In the “Musical Gossip” column. “Inquisitive people, who like to know what is none of their business, will be interested in learning that Lucca is twenty-eight years old.

 

Maretzek, at the recent performance of ‘Favorita,’ omitted the overture to the opera—one of the best overtures ever written by Donizetti.”