Strakosch Italian Opera: Lucia di Lammermoor

Albani again sings Lucia, “the role in which she already caused a sensation at her first appearance.”

“Frl. Albani sang ‘Lucia’ in Donizetti’s beloved opera ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’ before a completely crowded house last night. Again she sang and acted excellently, and was called almost after every number. Signor Carpi, who sang ‘Edgardo,’ was not in a particularly good mood and his performance suffered for it. Otherwise the opera left nothing to be desired.”

“’Lucia’ was sung at the Academy of Music last evening in presence of a large and demonstrative audience. Several operas in the répertoire are more welcome to the public than Donizetti’s well-worn setting of Scott’s romance, but ‘Lucia’ is of all others the work in which Mlle. Albani’s fine voice has thus far been heard to most advantage, and in which her consummate art as a songstress has been most apparent. Mlle. Albani’s singing in ‘Lucia’ is perfection; and while we have had a good many expressive, dramatic, and finished performances of the part in this City, that of Mr. Strakosch’s principal artist stands forth as equal to any in point of elegance and purity of style, and distinguished by a freedom from conventionality, a simplicity and a freshness having an eloquence of their own. As heretofore, the most conspicuous incident of yesterday’s recital was the ‘mad scene,’ in which Mlle. Albani’s admirable delivery of recitative, classically-pure reading of cantabile, and fluent and brilliant cadenza, compelled general applause. A nicely-shaded rendering of the melodious sestet brought about a repetition of that popular number, and there were the usual calls before the curtain for the prima donna after each act. Signor Carpi, as hitherto, personated Edgardo, Signor Del Puente Enrico, and Signor Scolara Raimondo.”

“The young American prima donna, who has in a short time won her way into the affections of the New York public by the magnetism of her voice, the purity of her school of singing, the power of her acting and the beauty of her presence, appeared again last night in Donizetti’s ‘Lucia,’ before a large house. The points we have described on a previous occasion as prominent in this impersonation received additional lustre last evening. The mad scene was full of magnetism from beginning to end. The imaginary bridal, with its voice and flute dialogues, the ecstatic, heavenly air of the unhappy bride, ‘Spargi d’amaro pianto,’ and the dying strains of a broken heart, marred though they may be by the composer by too much florid vocalization, were interpreted with such fervor, such complete musical finish, such artlessness of manner and so much expression by Mlle. Albani that the scene received new interest in the eyes of the public. The voice and acting of the prima donna gave so great satisfaction that the audience broke out at intervals in loud and prolonged applause. Carpi, the Edgardo of the evening, sang admirably, especially in his last two arias, but he failed in an histrionic point of view.

Del Puente was better than on other representations of the opera as the haughty Henry Ashton. The celebrated sextet was encored. The chorus and orchestra, under the admirable direction of Signor Muzio, were particularly good. The next appearance of Mlle. Albani…The talents of the young American prima donna have been proved so far to such an extent that the manager may look to her to save his season, all but ruined by other importations.”