Strakosch Italian Opera Farewell Performance; Emanuele Muzio Benefit

Includes program.

“…Signor Muzio’s overture to the opera ‘Sorrentino’ was enthusiastically received. The house was more than two-thirds full in spite of the severe storm.”

“Although the representation given at the Academy of Music last evening for the benefit of Signor Muzio was not so largely attended as it undoubtedly would have been had the weather been more propitious, the audience was quite numerous. A fine performance of ‘Lohengrin’ was the feature of the night. Each fresh hearing of this opera discloses new beauties, and its most familiar pieces have too much significance and merit, as well as charm, to pall upon the ear were they heard ten times as frequently. The only change in the ‘cast’ grew out of the assumption of Elsa by Mlle. Heilbron. We should not like to say that this clever little lady is as well fitted in point of voice or style to the rôle as Mlle. Albani, who last filled it, but in some of the most forceful passages—as, for example, in the joyous outbreak in the finale of the first act—Mlle. Heilbron’s strong dramatic impulses came to her aid, and made her work uncommonly effective. Mlle. Heilbron’s record as a lyric artist is sufficiently creditable to imply that no portion of her task was slighted, and we admit that we derived sufficient gratification from her efforts to cause us to regret that we should not have had more of ‘Lohengrin’ this season with yesterday’s distribution. Signor Carpi, as heretofore, personated Lohengrin, Signor Del Puente Telramondo, and Miss Cary Ortruda. A miscellaneous programme was interpreted after the opera. It opened with an overture, thoroughly Italian in thought, rhythm, and treatment, called 'Sorrentino,’ and written by Signor Muzio. This light and daintily-scored composition was much applauded. Signori Scolara, Tagliapietra, and Fiorini next sang the terzetto from ‘Crispino’ with great spirit, and then two compositions by Rossini—a harmonious ‘Ave Maria,’ for quartet, and a pretentious bass chorus called ‘The Titans,’ full of sound and fury and signifying nothing—were executed. The entertainment ended with ‘La Marseillaise,’ stupidly rendered by Mlle. Maresi and the shabby giants who had previously robbed ‘The Titans’ of what little good Rossini might have intended their vocal influence to accomplish on earth. Signor Muzio, the bénéficaire, after many months of earnest labor, sails for Europe to-day.”

“Last night at the Academy of Music Signor Emmanuel Muzio’s benefit took place. On this occasion Wagner’s ‘Lohengrin’ formed the principal part of the programme. It was given with the usual cast, except that Mlle. Marie Heilbron appeared as Elsa instead of Mlle. Albani. Mlle. Heilbron’s voice and musician-like style of singing, her general aptitude and trustworthiness, we have often had occasion to praise highly, and therefore were quite prepared to find that she was quite equal to the task of committing Wagner’s music to memory, and performing it with ease and freedom and great technical accuracy. Her acting and singing were most praiseworthy, and she succeeded well, especially at those passages in the concerted pieces in which her voice was heard rising above the associated soli and chorus parts to high and long-sustained notes. These were produced in a most satisfactory manner and sung with considerable power, without at the same time appearing to be the result of great effect. At no point did the demands made on her appear to tax her strength. Although the expression of the countenance remained unchanged in many parts where one would naturally anticipate strong emotion to be betrayed, yet her agreeable presence and manner did much to atone for this, perhaps, partly unavoidable imperfection.

Miss Cary fully sustained her high reputation. It was a treat to see her once more as Ortrud. There is little to record respecting the impersonation of Signors Carpi and Del Puente, for those remain in a great measure unchanged, and the same remark applies equally well to the other principals and the chorus.

The rest of the programme consisted of the overture to ‘Sorrentino’ by Signor Muzio, which was cordially received; the humorous terzetto from Ricci’s comic opera ‘Crispino e la Comare,’ which was also loudly applauded; Rossini’s ‘Ave Maria’ and ‘Song of the Titans,’ and the Marseillaise Hymn.

It will therefore be seen that the programme was strangely devised, and one cannot help feeling that it would have been better to have given Wagner’s opera entire than to destroy its perfect symmetry by curtailing the choruses, omitting much of other beautiful portions, and especially the first and second scenes of the third act, which are all-important, in order to save time for the miscellaneous selection, which could hardly be considered worthy of serious attention. The works by Rossini are not likely to increase his fame, nor has Signor Costa greatly befriended him in bringing them forward; nor did the singers honor him by neglecting to learn to sing surely their various parts. Considerable delays were made between each piece, which made the rather small audience impatient at half-past 11; and when twelve bass singers in the ‘Lohengrin’ dresses appeared, with music in hand, to sing ‘The Song of the Titans,’ and reappeared to sing the chorus of ‘La Marseillaise’ in the same guise for Mlle. Alice Maresi in ordinary evening dress, the whole performance seemed to drag itself out wearily to a close.

We regret the failure of this spring season of Italian opera, but hope ere long to be assured that we shall be favored with some really great operas that will be sufficient to attract audiences, if only fairly and conscientiously presented—i.e., respecting the composer’s intentions by producing his work in its entirety that it may rest upon its merits.”“Last night at the Academy of Music Signor Emmanuel Muzio’s benefit took place. On this occasion Wagner’s ‘Lohengrin’ formed the principal part of the programme. It was given with the usual cast, except that Mlle. Marie Heilbron appeared as Elsa instead of Mlle. Albani. Mlle. Heilbron’s voice and musician-like style of singing, her general aptitude and trustworthiness, we have often had occasion to praise highly, and therefore were quite prepared to find that she was quite equal to the task of committing Wagner’s music to memory, and performing it with ease and freedom and great technical accuracy. Her acting and singing were most praiseworthy, and she succeeded well, especially at those passages in the concerted pieces in which her voice was heard rising above the associated soli and chorus parts to high and long-sustained notes. These were produced in a most satisfactory manner and sung with considerable power, without at the same time appearing to be the result of great effect. At no point did the demands made on her appear to tax her strength. Although the expression of the countenance remained unchanged in many parts where one would naturally anticipate strong emotion to be betrayed, yet her agreeable presence and manner did much to atone for this, perhaps, partly unavoidable imperfection.

Miss Cary fully sustained her high reputation. It was a treat to see her once more as Ortrud. There is little to record respecting the impersonation of Signors Carpi and Del Puente, for those remain in a great measure unchanged, and the same remark applies equally well to the other principals and the chorus.

The rest of the programme consisted of the overture to ‘Sorrentino’ by Signor Muzio, which was cordially received; the humorous terzetto from Ricci’s comic opera ‘Crispino e la Comare,’ which was also loudly applauded; Rossini’s ‘Ave Maria’ and ‘Song of the Titans,’ and the Marseillaise Hymn.

It will therefore be seen that the programme was strangely devised, and one cannot help feeling that it would have been better to have given Wagner’s opera entire than to destroy its perfect symmetry by curtailing the choruses, omitting much of other beautiful portions, and especially the first and second scenes of the third act, which are all-important, in order to save time for the miscellaneous selection, which could hardly be considered worthy of serious attention. The works by Rossini are not likely to increase his fame, nor has Signor Costa greatly befriended him in bringing them forward; nor did the singers honor him by neglecting to learn to sing surely their various parts. Considerable delays were made between each piece, which made the rather small audience impatient at half-past 11; and when twelve bass singers in the ‘Lohengrin’ dresses appeared, with music in hand, to sing ‘The Song of the Titans,’ and reappeared to sing the chorus of ‘La Marseillaise’ in the same guise for Mlle. Alice Maresi in ordinary evening dress, the whole performance seemed to drag itself out wearily to a close.

We regret the failure of this spring season of Italian opera, but hope ere long to be assured that we shall be favored with some really great operas that will be sufficient to attract audiences, if only fairly and conscientiously presented—i.e., respecting the composer’s intentions by producing his work in its entirety that it may rest upon its merits.”

“The Strakosch Italian opera company of the season of 1874-75 bade a final farewell to New York last night, appearing for the benefit of the chef d’orchestre, Signor Muzio, in ‘Lohengrin’ and other works. Regarding the performance of Wagner’s opera there was but one feature of novelty, the first appearance in this city of Mlle. Heilbron as Elsa. Clever as the lady may be in light rôles in opera, that of Elsa is entirely beyond her reach, vocally and dramatically. In no instance did she succeed in embodying the idea of the composer, and the celebrated bridal duet in the third act was judiciously cut out, as it could not, under the circumstances, have been successfully rendered. The rest of the cast was precisely the same as we have criticised before. Signor Muzio contributed an overture, ‘Sorrentino,’ of the most unmistakable Italian order, and Fiorini, Tagliapetra and Scolara sang the very laughable terzetto from ‘Crispino e la Comare.’ Then came two posthumous works of Rossini, ‘Ave Maria’ and ‘Song of the Titans,’ the former sung by Mlle. Maresi, Miss Cary, and Messrs. Benfratelli and Fiorini and the latter by a chorus of bass voices. The ‘Marseillaise’ concluded the performance. The inclement weather thinned the house considerably. Thus ends one of the most disastrous seasons of opera ever known in New York, and one that, be it remembered, followed the most brilliant and successful.”