Maretzek Italian Opera: Lucrezia Borgia

     “The opera of ‘Lucrezia Borgia’ attracted a large audience to the Academy last evening. Everybody was curious to see Signora Carozzi-Zucchi in the character of Lucrezia, which taxes not only the vocal powers of an artist, but all her histrionic resources. The new prima donna was fully equal to the exigencies of her part, and awakened the warmest admiration and the most flattering applause. Mlle. Morensi is the finished type of a dashing Maffio Orsini. Her vocal and physical personation of the character was a great triumph. Signor Lotti, as Gennaro, took every one by surprise; not by his acting, which is tame, but by his finished vocalization. By study and application he seems to have developed all the beauties of his voice. The only blur in the whole performance was due to Signor Susini, who had a bad cold, and vocally suffocated the magnificent Duke Alfonzo.”

      “The announcement of Lucrezia Borgia drew a large audience to the Academy of Music last night, and the Opera was given in a manner that allows of something beside the usual stereotype words of cold approbation or of stifled disapproval. Carozzi-Zucchi, as Lucrezia, was admirable, as was of course expected. Less demonstrative in the part than some of her predecessors, she yet acted and sang with emphasis and vigor, showing in by play, as well as in her tragic force, her high histrionic ability. Her opening air, ‘Come e bello,’ was a charming bit of true vocalization, though we missed the allegro movement which follows it, and is too frequently omitted. In the duet in the second act, and the air, 'M'odi, m'odi,' of the thirds, Zucchi also gave great satisfaction.

     An unexpected surprise awaited the audience in the tenor Lotti, who has very greatly improved since he last sang here. His ‘Di Pescatore ignobile’ was extremely well sung, and though several liberties were taken with the music, they were yet in good taste, and certainly served to show off the tenor’s higher notes to better advantage. To Lotti, also, was principally due the encore awarded to the favorite trio of the second act, his pure, delicate voice interpreting with much pathos Gennaro’s beautiful appeal to his mother.

     Morsensi sang in a bold, dashing style, well suited to the part of Orsini, eliciting the usual applause in the brindisi. Susini, as the Duke, began with a promise to which there was but an unsatisfactory fruition; for the hoarseness soon made his singing equally ungrateful to the artist and the audience."