Grau Havana Opera: Saffo

“To-night, Mme. Gazzaniga—a great lyric artiste—will make her rentrée in Pacini’s tragic opera of ‘Saffo,’ supported by Signor Musiani, Mlle. Polini and Signor Antonucci—who has been added to the company expressly for this occasion.”

Gazzaniga’s “personation of Sappho is one of the greatest achievements in the representation of modern lyrical drama.”

“Last evening Mr. Grau’s opera company performed Pacini’s grand tragic opera of Saffo, to an audience which should have been much larger to welcome back again so admirable an artist and one so popular as M’me Marietta Gazzaniga used to be. But New York soon forgets favorites, preferences lasting only so long as the artists are present, and are renewed very grudgingly on their return after an absence of any length.

    The opera of ‘Saffo’ contains the same very passionate and dramatic music, but its general characteristic is that of superficiality.  The orchestration is very brilliant, containing many new and pleasing figures, but its tendency is to too much noise; but it is undeniably skillful, and by no means deficient in color—the finale to the second act being, in particular, impassioned and powerful in effect and dramatic force.

    The appearance of Gazzaniga was the signal for a burst of applause which was hearty, unanimous and long continued. She looks as well as when we last saw her, several years ago. Her voice is as fresh and sympathetic, and far smoother and more cultured, while it still retains its power intact. Gazzaniga is greatly improved in style.  Before, she was rough and impulsive, capable of making strong and striking effects, her electric power always excusing her shortcoming in finish.  But now, while she has lost none of her grand passionate impulse, she exhibits the style and finish of a true and accomplished artist. She conceives the character of Saffo grandly, poetically, with yet the depth of a womanly nature. Both her acting and her singing were worthy of the highest praise, and commanded that test of highest merit, the involuntary outbursts of admiration. Her duet with Madame Polini was as chaste and beautiful a bit of singing as we have heard on the operatic stage for many months. Both ladies sang with exquisite grace and finish, and with that unity of spirit and purpose which is so rarely met with, and won a determined and most enthusiastic encore which was honestly deserved. Attempts were made to enforce the repetition of several of the motives, but the Director did not permit the acknowledgement. In the finale of the second act Gazzaniga was specially admirable. When she finds her lover married to another, the emotions of anguish, love and fury, as one by one they asserted dominion over her, were grandly and powerfully delineated, and were recognized by the audience by repeated murmurs of admiration and by a unanimous recall before the curtain. In every respect, the performance of Saffo by Gazzaniga must be pronounced a decided success and we most cordially greet our old favorite, who comes to us so wonderfully improved upon her reappearance on the Academy stage.

    Mme. Cash [sic] Polito is a most thorough artist. The upper register of her voice is pure and clear, the lower sonorous and telling, while the middle register is pure, but very weak. She manages it, however, with consummate skill and she makes her telling points where her strength lies. Her school is excellent, and she displays fine taste, expression and marked dramatic power. In all points we have only to praise her performance of Clemene [sic].

    Signor Musiani, though lacking somewhat in refinement and school, has a voice of telling quality, and sings with much earnestness and expressive power. In the finale to second act he sang up to Gazzaniga, supporting her to the fullest need.

    Signor Antonucci was admirable as Aleandro. His splendid voice told out with fine effect, and he displayed much passion and dramatic power. His acting, too, was spirited and energetic.

    The choruses were fairly performed, and the orchestra played with accuracy and spirit, but it was lacking in delicacy and color. The clarinet solos were played tastefully and with sentiment.”

Academy of Music.—Pacini's opera of ‘Saffo’ was revived here last evening for the first time in several years. It afforded an excellent opportunity for the rentrée of Mme. Gazzaniga —an artiste whose merits have not been forgotten by the public. This fact was pleasantly demonstrated. When Mme. Gazzaniga made her appearance she was, we are glad to say, received with the heartiest demonstrations of applause, and the well-grounded favor of the public increased as the performance progressed. We do not perceive that the lady’s voice has suffered by her recent sojourn in Europe. On the contrary, it seems to us that it is more even and susceptible of control than heretofore. A great artist remains a great artist to the end.  Nothing is so encouraging, or desirable to be known as this fact. There is no one in America to-day who can compare with Gazzaniga. Her voice is clear and capable of the deep effects which, whilst they please the ear, yet give dramatic coloring to the composer’s meaning. Her presence on the stage is classic. Every movement is fraught with grace, and with the idealistic repose that quality gives. It remains only to be said that the music of the role was given with a passionate earnestness and dramatic fervor which no other singer could have brought to it.

    Of the general performance of the opera it is not possible to speak favorably.”

“The reappearance of so great an artist as Mme. Gazzaniga in one of her favorite parts should have called out a much larger audience than greeted her last night.  If, however, there was a paucity of numbers there was an abundance of enthusiasm from the time of the prima donna’s first appearance until the last grand act. Those who had not for some time heard Gazzaniga were pleasantly surprised to find that her voice has not only not at all failed, but is more perfect and more entirely under control than it used to be.  Her acting, which was always superb in the more passionate passages, has also assumed greater evenness of excellence. She is truthful always, and so thoroughly enters into the part she assumes that it seems to be scarcely an effort for her to represent its various phases with fidelity, while she is capable of a power of passionate expression that is sometimes really sublime, and worthy to rank with similar displays on the dramatic stage when such an actor as Edwin Booth rises to the height of his genius.
 
    Madame Polini made a most excellent impression by her thoroughly artistic performance last night. The duo with Gazzaniga was one of the finest and most finished bits of singing on the part of both performers that we have heard in a long while.

    Signor Musiani sang with considerable power and expressiveness, but his voice is not a pleasant one.  Signor Antonucci represented the priest, Alcandro, with a fine conception of the character, and sang admirably.  The chorus was better than usual, in fact it was very good.”