Maretzek Italian Opera: Crispino e la comare

     "‘The king is dead. Long live the king.’ The performance of Ricci’s ‘Crispino e la Comare,’ brought to a sudden close by the death of poor Rovere, were resumed last night at the Academy of Music, before an immense audience. The cast showed considerable change. Bellini as the Cobbler has made a favorable impression in Boston, and was so good last night, that to those who had not heard his predecessor nothing better could have been asked for… He has a full appreciation of the humor of the part, and acted with an agility and vivacity that did him the greatest credit..He is certainly very amusing and satisfactory, but at the same time the quiet ease and fun of Rovere were missing. How far mere fancy and a regret for an old favorite may influence this feeling it is difficult to tell. Certainly the majority of the audience seemed thoroughly pleased, and the usual encores were awarded to the Quanti baci, the dancing duet and the Doctor’s trio. The two physicians were represented by Ardavani and Fossati in good style, but not calculated to make the frequenters of the opera house forget Marra and Bellini in the same parts.

     Miss Kellogg received the cordial welcome that always awaits this admirable vocalist.  She sang the music of Annetta with her usual grace and facility.  In the Venetian dialect song about the frittola, she had had the pitch raised half a tone, and gave the repetition of the morceau as in the score; and these changes improved the piece so, that for the first time the quaint melody elicited the applause of the audience.  Hitherto it had failed to do so.”

     Ricci’s charming comic Opera, ‘Crispino e la Comare,’ was given last evening, the second night of the season. The house was brilliantly attended, every seat being taken in advance of the opening of the doors. Like all good things, the music of Crispino improves upon acquaintance. The melodies do not pall upon the ear; on the contrary, they are so genuine that they seem ever fresh.  The wealth of melody in this opera is astonishing; almost every other phrase reveals some new and pleasant subject—a license which the light character of the work admits of. This applies equally to solos, concerted music and instrumentation, the latter being singularly clear, varied and sparkling. The concerted pieces are all well made, and the music is in itself funny, presenting the spirit of genuine humor throughout. In short, it literally laughs, and he indeed must be a grave singer who could sadden its joyous tone.”

     Delightful and well attended event. Bellini sang excellently; however, he tends to exaggerate in his dramatic performance. The new casting of the two doctors by Dubreul [sic] and Ardavani was not an improvement.

     Bellini sang much better than his predecessor, his dramatic play, however, was less natural. Dubreuil and Ardavani performed dissatisfactorily. Mrs. Kellogg was the personified grace, loveliness and roguishness personified. Bellini and Kellogg were applauded enthusiastically.