Strakosch Italian Opera: Ernani

“There was a fair house last night at the Academy of Music, and the representation of ‘Ernani,’ if it was not brilliant, passed off with credit. Mlle. Maresi, Sig. Carpi, Sig. Del Puente, and Sig. Fiorini were the principal artists in the cast, and of these the best by far was Sig. Carpi, whose Ernani must  be accepted as one of his most successful personations. The vigorous and passionate music of this role is well suited to his voice, and abounds with opportunities for the display of his robust and effective style. Mlle. Maresi is not a singer to inspire even the most benevolent audience with enthusiasm, but she has a sweet voice and an unaffected [illegible—two words]. The worst that can be said of her Elvira is that it was colorless and uninteresting. The baritone and bass both have fine parts in this opera, and it must be confessed that neither last night was equal to the responsibility thrust upon him. Whenever Sig. Del Puente feels called upon to make an effort he falls into a jerky style of singing, and we fear that with enlarged opportunities this unpleasant trick grows upon him. His [illegible] cavatina in the Third Act, ‘Oh de’ verd’anna,’ was really wanting in that ease and smoothness which such music demands; but in the celebrated finale, ‘Oh sommo Carlo,’ he won a good deal of credit. The number was repeated, and all the artists were several times called out. Mr. Behrens directed the performance.”

“Verdi’s melodious and highly-dramatic opera of ‘Ernani’ was last evening added to this season’s repertoire of the Academy of Music. The performance, though it did not call into requisition the strongest artists of Mr. Strakosch’s company, was very good, and, at one point, more enthusiasm was awakened than any incident, except Mlle. Albani’s most remarkable efforts, has this year excited. Mlle. Maresi, who yesterday made her first appearance since the Spring series of recitals, personated Elvira, and did so pleasantly and efficiently. Neither Mlle. Maresi’s singing nor her acting are stamped by great intelligence, but her voice is fresh and resonant; she executes with fluency, is correct as to intonation, and is not ill at ease upon the stage. The merits of her representation of Elvira may be inferred from this. Mlle. Maresi never startled the audience, but won frequent applause by easy and accurate vocalization, and seconded ably the baritone and the tenor in the fine duets allotted to them. The most striking effort of the evening was Signor Del Puente’s Carlo. We can hardly accord to it the praise of originality, for it was a close copy of M. Maurel’s magnificent picture of the Spanish monarch, and, like all copies, easily distinguishable from the original; but, it being admitted that the French singer’s personation was perfection, one could not reasonably ask that Signor Del Puente should set his ambition higher than to emulate the excellences of his predecessor. Even to approach such work as Signor Maurel’s in this opera is to achieve much, and Signor Del Puente, thanks to a rich voice, considerable talent, and a handsome physique, approved himself no unworthy successor of that eminent artist. His earliest impression was produced in the duo with Elvira in the first act, and, while we missed from his share of the finale of the second act, as indeed throughout the night, the significance with which, by means of accent and attitude, M. Maurel endowed each passage assigned to the baritone in the finale of the second act (‘Vedi com’il buon vogliardo,’) as well as every note of ‘O de’ verd’ anni,’ and of ‘O sommo Carlo.’ Signor Del Puente recited every one of these numbers with much sentiment and warmth of tone. He dragged the time of ‘Vienni meco,’ we observed, and that of the opening bars of the grand finale of the third act might also have been quickened to advantage. The telling character of the latter piece, however, was unimpaired, and, after its interpretation, the applause was so unanimous, hearty, and prolonged that its repetition had to be entered upon. A general recall followed the fall of the curtain. Signor Carpi, as announced, was Ernani, and was vocally quite equal to the exigencies of the part. Unluckily Signor Carpi, who was cold enough in manner at the outset of the season, has been steadily growing colder ever since, and, yesterday, exhibited the animation of an iceberg. Signor Fiorini, we have only to say further, was an adequate representative of Silva, and ought to be mentioned, in truth, as a performer who improves vastly on acquaintance. The chorus and orchestra were, as usual, well in hand, Mr. Behrens, who constantly turns up in unexpected places, and appears fitted by nature and talent to fill any post, officiating as conductor.”

“Verdi’s popular and melodious work was given last night before an audience thin in numbers but mighty in enthusiasm, a large share of which was directed to the Elvira of the evening, Signora Maresi, on this her first appearance this season. This young lady has perceptibly improved in style since her appearances last season; the neatness and correctness of her execution, aided by the fresh and pure quality of her voice, give pleasant indication of what may be hoped for her when ripe experience shall have developed a force and dramatic fire at present not among her marked merits.

Signor Carpi gave a rendering of Ernani which would have been more effective if the faulty quality of his utterance did not so often injure the roundness and purity of his tone. It is a thousand pities that his manner of singing with half-closed throat should give such a wiry edge and harsh, jarring quality to what nature intended for an excellent tenor. Signor Del Puente made a spirited Carlos V., but his execution was rather more than usually marred by the unsteady quality of his delivery.

Of Sig. Fiorini’s Ruy Gomez it is difficult to say much in praise—perhaps to say that it was conscientious would most nearly reconcile the claims of truth and good nature at once. But the great bassi seem a sort of musical mastodon—an extinct and well nigh fossil race.”

“There was a good attendance at the Academy of Music last night, the [illegible] attractions being the revival of ‘Ernani’ and the first appearance in opera this season of Mlle. Alice Maresi.

Verdi still remains the favorite composer with the present company, and some of his productions, that one wishes the dead past had long ago buried in oblivion, are put forth to the exclusion of much greater works. It seems strange that elderly persons who have attended the opera for many years can still find mental aliment in those old operas; one would naturally suppose that the mind would recall and refuse to reconsider ideas, in themselves so trivial, which long since have been so fully apprehended. For it, like the body, demands the nourishment of continually increasing intensity as its age advances. The mind almost unconsciously attaches to itself, especially in matters of art, the results which from time to time have been amassed as innate data of operations, and therefore constantly demands of higher accessions of thought, as well as fresh and original forms of manifestation. One is led to believe that the performers principally engage the attention of an operatic audience, and therefore the poverty of the works themselves is partly unheeded.

‘Ernani’ was given with the following cast [lists cast].

Mlle. Alice Maresi has a pleasant voice and she sings and acts reasonably well; but when it is considered that in this opera the principal interest lies not in the work itself but in the mode of its presentation, it should not cause surprise if the audience, long accustomed to hear the greatest operatic singers, did not seem particularly enthusiastic on this occasion. It generally indulges in comparisons, and these are not uniformly favorable to the artist under consideration. When it is remembered that on the prima donna often rests the sole burden of making a performance acceptable it does not appear too much to say that Mlle. Maresi may not succeed in such an attempt as well as we and her other well wishers desire. Fortunately on this occasion no other soprano singers were required in the cast, whose more powerful voices and finished style would have formed marked contrasts.

Mlle. Maresi sang the ‘Ernani! Ernani!’ of the first act in a very agreeable manner, and the favorite, ‘M’ è dolce il voto ingenuo,’ which follows, was also enjoyed. In the fourth scene of the second act, however, she was heard to much greater advantage, and produced a marked impression on the audience at the words, ‘Non son, no sono reo, come tu sei crudel.’

The grand finale at the close of the third act, in which the chorus and soloists are engaged in singing a melody in unison, which subsequently proceeds in harmony with obligato parts for the soloists, was so very effectively rendered and the applause was so unanimous and prolonged, that the curtain was raised a second time, and the whole of the concerted piece repeated, from the words ‘Oh sommo Carlo.’

Signor Carpi sang magnificently throughout. He delivered the melody ‘Come rugiada’ with great tenderness, and feeling for the sentiment conveyed by the text. The ‘Decreta dunque , o Re,’ was sung extremely well, and also ‘Solingo, erranto misero,’ of the fourth act. At the words ‘La tazza dell’amor,’ his splendid voice and impassioned manner were fully appreciated.

Signor Del Puente, who always sings and acts well, had an opportunity of displaying his talents to great advantage, and was loudly applauded throughout the opera. It is a great treat to listen to the rich, strong, full and sonorous tones of his solid, manly voice.

The excellent conducting of Mr. S. Behrens did very much to ensure an effective rendering of the opera.”

“Mlle. Alice Maresi made her first appearance this season at the Academy of Music, last night, as Elvira, in Verdi’s ‘Ernani.’ This young lady appeared last season in the rôles of Lucrezia Borgia, Donna Anna and the Queen in ‘Gli Ugonotti,’ and in the last mentioned rôle she gained a succès d’estime. Her voice was so light in caliber and her acting abilities of such slender dimensions that little confidence was placed in her future career. She has, however, agreeably disappointed such expectations. She has studied carefully and unremittingly under the experienced guidance of Mme. Gazzaniga during the summer and fall, and the good fruits of such instruction were strikingly exemplified last night. The opera of ‘Ernani,’ the immediate successor of ‘I Lombardi,’ was represented for the first time in Venice, in March 1844. It is one of those works of the composer on which he bestowed much care, and in which his strong dramatic spirit makes itself felt to a degree. It is exaggerated in style and very pronouncé, the instrumentation being noisy without being effective, and the choruses being better adapted for the buffo stage than the grand opera. But the sensuous melodies, some of which are among the most popular ever written by the composer, and the two principal morceaux, the quintet of the first act and the grand ensemble, ‘O Sommo Carlo,’ at the finale of the third act, are sufficient to make the opera attractive. Then there is a spice of Caesarism in it, only that Caesarism becomes triumphant and merciful toward the close of the opera, the reverse of modern politics. The cast last night included [lists cast].

The Elvira of Mlle. Maresi, although it cannot by any means be called a great performance, had very many points calling for high commendation. The opening aria, ‘Ernani involami,’ and the succeeding cabaletta, ‘Tutto sprezzo, che d’Ernani,’ betrayed considerable nervousness, which gradually passed away as the opera proceeded. The improvement in her voice was shown in a fuller and more even tone and in a more distinct method of phrasing, and her acting was more natural and impressionable. She has much to learn yet, but with such good results after a few months’ careful training we are prepared to find Mlle. Maresi a very valuable artist in the future, and a much better one than some of the recent importations. Carpi sang the music of the title rôle with much brilliancy and ease, but his appearance and acting fail to present an adequate picture of the gallant outlaw. Del Puente had a very difficult vocal task before him, which he did not accomplish in a satisfactory manner. Mere shouting cannot supply the place of art, even in such a blatant rôle as that of the Spanish Caesar. Fiorini failed to give even a tolerable idea of the stern old Castilian noble. The tremolo stop in his throat made itself disagreeably felt in every instance. The chorus and orchestra were admirable, and a word of praise is due to the excellent conductor, Mr. S. Behrens, whose tempi were more in accord with modern ideas, than the old foggy, dragging time that has so often marred lyric representations in this city, and whose baton kept voices and instruments in admirable discipline. It is a long stride from ‘Ernani’ to ‘Aida,’ and although the composer, were he to rewrite the former opera, would give it a very different orchestral setting, yet he could scarcely add to its melodic beauties. The grand finale, ‘O sommo Carlo,’ was enthusiastically encored, and the four principal artists—Maresi, Carpi, Del Puente and Fiorini—were called before the curtain by the universal voice of the house.”