Maretzek Italian Opera: Robert le Diable

“[W]ith the cast of last week.”

"W]ill be repeated to-night for the second and ‘last’ time.  The veracity of the latter statement, as well as its necessity, may well be questioned.  The sternest managerial duty can hardly justify the withdrawal of a work which the public demands.”

Cast.

“The election excitement affected very unfavorably the attendance at the opera last night, and the opera passed off rather coldly.  The performance was, however, better than on Friday night, Zucchi and Ortolani monopolizing the honors of the evening, the one by passionate dramatic fervor, the other by graceful and unaffected vocalization. The Bertram [Antonucci] and Robert [Irfre] of the evening were, excepting in the last act, rather tame – not up to the standard to which we have been accustomed in this opera.”

“’Robert le Diable’ was repeated last night to a house that was evidently affected by the election.  The performance was not an improvement on the first night.”

“The opera . . . was performed to a full and fashionable audience . . . The performance was excellent, the artists striving to sustain the reputation they earned on the first night.”