Strakosch Italian Opera: Lucia di Lammermoor

“Despite the wet and disagreeable weather last night the [illeg.] large and brilliant audience at the Academy to hear Nilsson and Capoul in ‘Lucia.’ The opera appears to be a favorite one with the prima donna, and on this occasion she own the applause which usually attends her personation of the gentle Bride of Lammermoor. The made scene, in which her sotto voce singing is something indescribably delicious, as her greatest triumph of the evening; the interpreted cadenza with flute accompaniment awakening the usual enthusiasm.

Capoul’s tenor was an interesting personation, sentimental, at times exaggerated, but possessing many excellent points. He won favor in the Chi mi frena and the Fra poco, and was liberally applauded. It is indeed a signal proof of the excellence of Mr. Strakosch’s company that it possesses two tenors capable of satisfactorily rendering the music of the Master of Ravenswood.

The immense vitality of Donizetti’s genius was shown by the vast audience which his well-worn opera attracted to the Academy last night. The evening was to some degree a posthumous triumph for the gifted melodist who has shed such lustre [sic] on the history of modern Italian music. Age cannot wither nor custom stale the infinite variety of the genius to which we owe ‘Lucia,’ ‘Lucrezia,’ ‘Favorita,’ ‘Poliuto,’ and so many other exquisite operas.”

“The performance of ‘Lucia’ last night at the Academy drew a very large audience and called forth some rather unusual demonstrations of enthusiasm. Mme. Nilsson, M. Capoul, and Sig. Del Puente assumed the leading rôles. The prima donna was in excellent voice and spirits, and the tenor seemed to burn with even more than his customary passion. His love scenes were heightened by a little extra fury, and an added twinge of agony wrenched him in the ‘Chi mi frena’ and the ‘Tu che a Dio spiegasti.’ When the artists were called and twice recalled before the curtain after the finale of the Second Act, Mme. Nilsson took particular pains to signify that an important share in the excellent effect of that number should be credited to M. Capoul,—which was no more than just. Of the Mad Scene we do not know that we need say more than we have said many times already. As Mme. Nilsson plays it, it is one of the most picturesque performances anywhere to be seen now-a-days on the operatic stage, and the celebrated cadenza with the flute obbligato was executed to a charm.”

“The recital of ‘Lucia’ at the Academy of Music last evening attracted in spite of the storm a large and brilliant audience. Mme. Nilsson’s personation of the bride of Lammermoor is too well known to need description; but as M. Capoul essayed the part of Edgardo, the representation cannot be dismissed wholly without notice. M. Capoul’s efforts do. Not, however, call for a lengthened critique. The gentleman always acts with exceeding warmth, and his singing, last night, was characterized by less affectation than is usually noticeable in his vocal performances: but it was if anything more apparent in ‘Lucia’ than in the other works he has engaged in that his voice is unequal to the exigencies of the Italian répertoire. It is only fair to mention, however, that in the duet in the first act, and in the air in the last, M. Capoul’s impassioned delivery and tasteful phrasing gave him a just claim to the hearty applause which followed these incidents of the evening. The sextet was less effective than usual.”

“Notwithstanding the frightful state of the weather yesterday, the last night of the Christmas season of the Strakosch opera company attracted a large audience to the Academy of Music. The opera was ‘Lucia,’ in which Mme. Nilsson made her début over two years ago in opera in this city, and in which she has never had a superior on the American boards. She was in excellent voice last evening, and the bright morceaux of Donizetti’s favorite opera fell from her lips with more attractiveness than ever. The mad scene will be for many years a monument of the fame of Mme. Nilsson in the memories of the New York public. M. Victor Capoul appeared for the first time in the rôle of the Master of Ravenswood and achieved such a success as few would expect in such trying music. M. Capoul is no laggard lover in the declaration of his passion or his jealousy. The great scene which commences with the immortal sestet and ends with the denunciation and renunciation of Lucia by the unbidden guest, the Master of Ravenswood, was interpreted by M. Capoul with intensity and effect. In the last scene he infused fire into the arias, ‘Fra poco a me’ and ‘Tu, che a Dio spiegasti,’ and few Edgardos have been greeted with heartier applause. The Ashton of Del Puente and the Raymond of Scolara have been already described in these columns. The chorus and orchestra under Signor Muzio were without a flaw.”