Strakosch Italian Opera: Fra Diavolo

“Madame Lucca personated Zerlina in ‘Fra Diavolo’ last night before an overflowing audience. It was a rollicking and vivacious performance which kept the spectators constantly amused, and spread a contagation of merriment through the company. The fun was mingled with a great deal of piquancy and grace, and the famous ‘Si, domani,’ in the bed chamber scene, was most charmingly sung. Comical as her Zerlina is, Madame Lucca has too fine an artistic sense to let it degenerate into mere farce; and while it has very little of the conventional prettiness of the peasant girl of modern opera, and none of the sentimental tenderness which a well-favored prima donna is so apt to infuse into the character, it is really one of the most delicate and careful of her impersonations. M. Capoul was the Fra Diavolo of the evening,--as dashing, reckless, and active a bandit chief as one could wish to see. We might say of him, however,--what is equally true of the Lord Rocburg of Sig. Scolara, and the ragged brigands represented by Barili and Coletti.—that zeal in action had to atone for an ocassionally ruthless treatment of the music. M. Capoul forced his tones much more than usual, and the singing of the other gentlemen was entirely unmusical. Miss Cary, as Lady Pamela, was of course pleasant both to look upon and to hear; and yet somehow she hardly made as distinct an effect as we looked for. The opera as a whole was briskly and agreeably acted, but—leaving Zerlina aside—was not very well sung.”

“The principal feature of interest in last evening’s recital of ‘Fra Diavolo,’ at the Academy of Music, was Mme. Lucca’s personation of Zerlina. Her performance in this opera had been witnessed previously, but it can well bear repetition. Mme. Lucca’s contempt for time and phrasing has fewer opportunities of assertion in this than in other operas of her répertoire; and in Auber’s pretty work her vivaciousness and cleverness as a comedienne have several excellent chances of display. Mme. Lucca’s ‘business’ with the bandit during the verses commencing ‘Quell’nomo al fiero aspetto’ is capital, but the climax of effect is attained in the second act of ‘Fra Diavolo,’ at the point when Zerlina retires for the night. Perhaps the manner of the fiancée of Lorenzo, as represented by Mme. Lucca, savors a little more of the candeur ironically alluded to in opera bouffe than of genuine virginal innocence; but of the thoroughness of the acteress’ art, though her conception of certain things may differ from our own, there can be no question. Mme. Lucca played with amazing spirit the scene in which Zerlina, singing of the morrow—her wedding day—partially disrobes and admires herself in the glass, and if there was a touch of the Schneiderian genre about this part of the entertainment, no one thought of objecting to it. The fine voice of the German prima donna ‘tells,’ of course, in ‘Fra Diavolo,’ as it always does, and in the first act some brilliant and correct vocalization is to be put to her credit. M. Capoul played Fra Diavolo, and delivered the little serenade in act the second with so much charm as to win an encore. The florid music allotted to the tenor received adequate treatment from M. Capoul, throughout the evening, and his highly illustrative interpretation of the recitative, aria and rondo at the outset of the third act, is also to be commended. M. Capoul’s acting deserves mention, too, as thoroughly in keeping with the exigencies of opéra comique, even if opéra comique is done into Italian. In respect to the remaining characteristics of the performance, we need but say that Miss Cary transformed the habitually ridiculous English-woman into a fascinating blonde; that Signor Scolara appeared as Lord Allcash; and that Signori Boy, Colletti, and Barili, the distinguished trio whom Rossini surely had in thought when he wrote the trio for ‘William Tell,’ came forth as the other personages.”

“Mr. Strakosch is having the good fortune of very large attendance at these final representations of Italian opera. The throng was not so great last evening as that which gathered on Tuesday at the benefit of Signor Campanini, but still the house was entirely full. A very bright and enjoyable performance of Auber’s ‘Fra Diavolo’ was given, Campanini taking the part of the Bandit Chief, Lucca that of Zerlina, and Miss Cary and Signor Scolara being also included in the cast. The pretty opera was charmingly sung and acted in many respects, not only in the Zerlina of Madame Lucca and in the Lady Pamela of Miss Cary, which [illegible] remarkably well rendered.

If there was any lack it was that the character of Lord Roxburg which Ronconi has always made so vivacious and comical, had no humor as presented by Signor Scolara, though in regard to the singing there was no exception to be taken to it.”

“’Fra Diavolo’ was sung at the Academy last night before a large audience. The opera elicited no special enthusiasm, and when Lucca and Capoul were off the stage it was decidedly tame. The curtain fell before the final chorus was sung, and the audience were thus deprived of the usual felicitous ending of the opera.

Lucca sang and acted with vivacity, and Capoul sang with his usual earnestness. Miss Cary was admirable as Lady Allcash, and Scolara sepulchral as Milord. In other respects the performance was scarcely up to the usual high standard of the Strakosch troupe.”

“The bright sparkling opera of Auber, with its popular melodies and martial numbers, was given at the Academy of Music last night, before a large audience. The principal features were the prima donna and tenor, Lucca and Capoul, in their admirable impersonations of the roles of Zerlina and Fra Diavolo. There is something indescribably fascinating about the Zerlina of Mme. Lucca. Coquetry and grace characterized her acting. In the second act, the famous toilet scene was given with more than usual abandon and chic, and the irresistibly comic talents of the fair prima donna found full scope in it. There were many provoking little features of novelty in this scene last night, and all those brilliant points that only such an accomplished artist could bring into strong relief. Capoul acted the rôle of the dashing brigand to perfection, and it may be regarded as his best impersonation in opera. His voice was not in favorable condition and at times was inclined to flutter, but the positive merits of the representation were so many and so prominent that one would be inclined to look over small blemishes. After Lucca and Capoul there was not much to admire in the performance. The two brigands, Beppo and Giacomo, were represented by persons who seemed not to know anything about the rôles, and Lorenzo found a very uninteresting representative in Signor Boy. The chorus showed marks of insubordination at times, and nothing less than the experienced leader kept them within proper bounds. In the orchestra one of the trombones was very unruly, and interfered in one or two places materially with the general excellence of his instrumental brethren. Where the music of an opera is of a military character the glaring mistakes of one of the brass instruments must naturally exercise a baneful influence.”