Strakosch Italian Opera: Il Trovatore

“The fine performance of ‘Il Trovatore,’ in which Mme. Nilsson, Miss Cary, and Signori Campanini and Del Puente were concerned about a week ago, was repeated at the Academy of Music last evening. Both Valentine, in ‘Gli Ugonotti,’ and Leonora, in ‘Il Trovatore,’ are comparatively new rôles for Mme. Nilsson, and hence each successive performance gains in elaborateness. Leonora was essayed before Valentine, and while we admit that Mme. Nilsson’s earliest portrayals of the character did not altogether satisfy us, we can now honestly declare that, in our judgment, her work leaves absolutely nothing to be desired. With so gifted and earnest a Manrico as Signor Campanini, the highly dramatic scenes in ‘Il Trovatore,’ last night, could not fail to be uncommonly impressive. The ‘Miserere’ had to be done twice, and there was, as usual, much applause throughout the entertainment, Miss Cary as Azucena and Signor Del Puente as Di Luna, being rewarded for their labors in due proportion to their importance.”

“Verdi’s well worn work can scarcely be spoken of in this city as represented with such a magnificent cast as that furnished by Mr. Strakosch. Last night Mme. Christine Nilsson was the Leonora, and all the beautiful and dramatic numbers that fall to the representative of this rôle received ample justice at her hands. We have already spoken abundantly about the performance of this opera by the Strakosch company, and there is little to add to our previous remarks. The Leonora of Mme. Nilsson is a grand, emotional representation, full of startling effects, and yet homogeneous in its exact adherence to the exigencies of the rôle. From the opening aria, ‘Tacea la notte,’ to the last expiring breath of the martyr of love, when the life of the unhappy Leonora goes out, as a tribute of affection towards her chivalric lover, the impersonation of Nilsson was full of poetic beauty and lyric splendor. The Manrico of Campanini was characterized by a wealth of vocal energy, tempered by true art, and in the trumpet-like outburst of lyric passion, ‘Di quella pira,’ he was recalled several times. Miss Cary has made a special study of the very difficult rôle of Azucena, and she acted and sung it last night as only could be expected of a thorough artist. Del Puente was an admirable Count Di Luna, and gave entire satisfaction. Where Verdi is in question his favorite pupil, Signor Muzio, the best chef d’orchestre that the Academy of Music has ever seen, is sure to put forward his best exertions. This was palpable last night, for chorus and orchestra were unusually good.”

 “…This artist [Campanini] achieved a genuine success on Wednesday in ‘Il Trovatore,’ though his voice has not yet become wholly acclimatized. On the same evening Del Puente made quite a sensation as Di Luna. Never before, since his sojourn in New York, has this promising young baritone sung with so much effect. He was encored in ‘Il Balen,’ and sang superbly in the great duet with the baritone in the last act. Madame Nilsson, though apparently in good voice, saw fit to omit her aria preceding the ‘Miserere’ scene, but otherwise no possible fault could be found with her rendering of the part of Leonora, into which she infuses a sentiment and vitality surpassed in none other of her many personations. As to Miss Cary’s Azucena, it is simply perfection.”