Strakosch Italian Opera: Benefit of Italo Campanini

“Sig. Campanini’s benefit last night was one of the most notable events of the season. The audience was brilliant and enormously large; the artists were in splendid voice, and the applause was incessant and enthusiastic. The entertainment consisted of single acts of several operas, each presenting the young tenor in one of his best personations, with the assistance of almost all the strong company of which he is such a popular member. In one of these operas, ‘Rigoletto,’ we had not seen him before. The portion chose for representation was the last act, embracing the ‘La donna e mobile’ and the celebrated quartet. Sig. Campanini gave the solo charmingly, with a pure fresh tone and that delicious cantabile style in which he is always so admirable. He imparted rare spirit to the quartet, wherein Mlle. Torriani, Miss Cary, and Sig. del Puente bore him company, and his personation was altogether so fine that it seems a pity we should not have had a chance to hear him this season in the whole opera. In the last Act of ‘La Favorita’ he delighted us with a most beautiful delivery of the ‘Spirito gentil,’ and the final duo (with Mme. Lucca) roused a stormy demand for a repetition. The rest of the performance, being thoroughly familiar, calls for nothing more than general commendation. Sig. Campanini may be congratulated upon the auspicious result of his first American benefit, and we hope our public may have many future opportunities to testify their regard for him as emphatically as they did last night. When he first came to this country he was instantly recognized as an artist of high rank, and he has since risen steadily in critical estimation. He has been tried in a great variety of parts, and he has been satisfactory in all, developing in several of them a rare dramatic talent, together with that keen susceptibility to musical sentiment which is one of the singer’s best gifts. In ‘Lohengrin’ especially he has shown himself immeasurably superior to the ordinary Italian tenor, and has presented a touching and beautiful personation which has won for him not only the admiration of the multitude, but the respect of musicians. He has certain faults, indeed—not conspicuous, however, in that opera—but they are far outweighted by eminent merits. Young, earnest, accomplished, and refined, and endowed with a delicious voice, he seems to have a brilliant future in his own hands.”

“Campanini’s benefit was in every respect a brilliant success. The Academy of Music was crowded last night as it has but seldom been in its entire history. Not only was every seat taken, but the aisles and steps were filled, and the doorways leading from the lobby to the auditorium were crowded with struggling opera-lovers.

The programme included acts from four standard operas. The last act of ‘Rigoletto’ led the list, giving to Campanini the familiar dashing song, ‘La donna è mobile,’ and the tender love-passage, ‘Bella figlia dell’ amore,’in both of which he won the hearty suffrages of the audience. In the fourth act of ‘Favorita’ the tenor enjoyed the opportunity offered by the Spirito gentil, but the appearance and singing of Lucca as Leonora quite collapsed even the tender strains of Fernando. The rich voice of the prima donna was heard to special advantage, and her share in the final duet was tumultuously encored. The second act of ‘Aida,’ introducing the return to Thebes of the victorious Radames, gave the usual satisfaction, with Torriani and Cary in the principal parts. The evening closed with the fourth act of the ‘Huguenots,’ including the blessing of the Swords and the duet for Raoul and Valentine. The performance of this act was poor. Parts hitherto taken by Maurel and Del Puente were allotted to inferior singers, and the effect was bad. When Campanini and Nilsson were on the stage, however, the audience were full of enthusiasm. Nilsson sang superbly, but Campanini’s voice showed signs of fatigue. He triumphed at the end, however, flinging out a glorious high note.

There was much enthusiasm during the evening, and a prodigious display of flowers. The appearances of Lucca and Nilsson were signalized by showers of bouquets, and after the fall of the curtain big, clumsy tea-trays of flowers, were passed up to the successful vocalists. The whole affair was brilliant and exciting, and certainly a most satisfactory proof of the popularity of Campanini.”

“The benefits of great artists, whether musical or dramatic, are generally very inartistic affairs, owing to the necessary or customary arrangement in giving a mosaic programme. This is particularly true of operatic benefits and the hurly-burly of scenes from different operas. As a general rule the true lover of music avoids such inartistic performances, but to every general rule there are a few exceptions. To the general rule of the stupidity of a Dolly Varden opera performance, as given at a benefit, Signor Campanini’s night was a notable exception. The performance consisted of the last act of ‘Rigoletto,’ with Torriani, Cary, Campanini, Del Puente and Scolara; the last act of ‘La Favorita,’ with Lucca, Nannetti and Campanini; the second act of ‘Aida,’ with its strongly effective scene between Torriani and Cary and the glittering, barbaric splendor of the march, which illustrates so magnificently the return of an Oriental conqueror (albeit Campanini forgot to color his face), and the immortal fourth act of ‘The Huguenots,’ in a musical point of view, and dramatic too, worth all that Mr. Wagner has ever written or will write. It is a significant proof of of the admirable system of the management to be able to say that not only was there no hitch in the performance, but that the four acts of quite dissimilar operas were given just as if they had formed one work. There was no more delay between the acts than on any ordinary opera night. This harmony and unanimity on the stage may be ascribed, in the first place, to Mr. Strakosch, and then to his faithful coadjutors, Messrs. Emmanuel Muzio (the best chef d’orchestre we have ever had in this city), Behrens and Von Hamme. The selections from the works of Verdi, Donizetti and Meyerbeer were given with the same conscientious care as if only one composer was represented. The magnificent quartet, the best concerted piece in any opera, and the gem of ‘Rigoletto,’ commencing with the tenor solo, ‘Bella figlia,’ was given without a flaw, and showed that the distinguished bénéficiare was in his best voice. Next came the glorious scene from ‘La Favorita,’in which the full, resonant voice of Lucca made itself felt. In all the operatic triumphs of ‘Die Kleine Paulina’ there is nothing to equal her magnificent acting and singing in the finale of Donizetti’s best opera. Fully equal to her efforts was the artistic and emotional rendering of Signor Campanini of the romance ‘Spirito Gentil’and the commencement of the duet ‘Vienni ah Vien.’ The spectacular second act of ‘Aida’was presented with all its pristine splendor and served as a temporary rest for the tenor. Last and best was the ‘Huguenots’ act, the duet between Campanini and Nilsson exciting a general popular furor. The Diva sung and acted in her best mood, and the memory of all that had preceded her seemed to have been obliterated in the minds of the audience when she appeared. Her Valentine was an operatic impersonation such as she only could furnish, and no greater compliment can be paid to the bénéficiare than to be able to say that Campanini was fully equal to the occasion. From the box office we learn that the receipts of the great tenor’s benefit amounted to nearly $6,000. It is a significant and encouraging proof of the estimation in which the New York public hold a really great artist.”