OPERATIC NOTES.
Monday, May 15.—First Night of Italian-Opera Season no longer exclusively Italian. A great deal, though not everything, in a good start, so Sir Druriolanus leads off with Warbling Wagner's Lohengrin, Signor Vignas for first time being White Knight. Crowded House at once takes to Vignas; applauds, and recalls him to bow before the curtain. So, as the now popular song might have it,
"Tenor came and made us a bow-wow!"
Madame Melba good as ever as Elsa, and Mlle. Meisslinger most dramatic as Somebody Elser, i.e., Ortruda, the Intruder. Mons. Dufriche's style is exactly suited to the light and airy part of Federico di Telramondo, while Castelmary is quite the gay Enrico. Treat to see Vaschetti as smiling Herald, with a lot to say for somebody else, and pleasant to note that the last person in the dramatis personæ included in the cast of the Opera is "Conductor, Signor Mancinelli," who beats time, winning easily. Bevignani conducts National Anthem, and all conduct themselves loyally on the occasion. Delightful, in Lohengrin, Act II., to observe how four players of trumps, each with one trump in his hand,—quite a pleasant whist party—(have they the other trumps up their sleeves?)—arouse the guests in the early morning, and marvellous is the rapidity with which all the gentlemen sleeping in the Castle are up and dressed in full armour, freshly burnished,—"gents suit complete,"—within the space of a couple of minutes!
Signor Vignas as Turiddu,—so called because he tells Lola, "I should like Turid-you of your husband." But he didn't.
General excellence of performance greatly assisted by Duke of Teck enthusiastically beating time with his dexter band. Such auxiliary conducting must be of unspeakable service to Signor Mancinelli.
Tuesday Night.—Orfeo, with Giulia Ravogli charming as ever in her representation of "Orpheus with his loot,"—his "loot" being Eurydice, who had become the private property of that infernal monarch Pluto. Welcome to Mlle. Bauermeister as the Meister of Cupid's Bower, Cupid himself. Cavalleria Rusticana to follow, with Madame Calvé's grand impersonation of the simple and sad Santuzza. Notably good is Vignas as the Rustic Swell, with the comic-chorus name of Turiddu. Beautiful intermezzo heartily encored. The thanks of Signors Bevignani and Mancinelli again due to the dexterous assistance rendered to them by the Duke of Teck, who is evidently well up in the Teck-nique of the musical craft. Crowded House. Forecast of season, full of promise and performance.
Thursday.—Carmen. Always "good Bizet-ness." But on this occasion Madame Calvé being indisposed, Mlle. Sigrid Arnoldson appears as heroine. A most captivating Carmen, but so deftly does she dissemble her wickedness that the audience do not realise how heartless is this artful little cigarette-maker. Mons. Alvarez a fine Don José. The premières danseuses lively and picturesque in Act II., with dresses long and dance short; but in Last Act, when reverse of this is the case, a pretty general feeling that skirts might have been longer, and dance shorter. Chorus and Orchestra all that could be desired; absence of the musical Duke much regretted.
Santuzza, Madame Calvé. Grand tragédienne: gloomy as an Operatic Calvé-nist.
Friday.—First, Gounod's charming burletta of Philemon et Baucis. Mlle. Sigrid Arnoldson charming and childlike as Baucis—evidently the classic original of Bo-peep—and Mons. Plançon excellent as Jupiter Amans. At first afraid lest crowded house had expended all its enthusiasm before quarter past ten, when the event of the evening was to come off. "Not a bit of it," says Sir Druriolanus, who knows his operatic public; "they've just warmed up for Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. Leoncavallo," he continues, "is the composer for my money; and my advice is, Lay-on-cavallo's Pagliacci." So saying, the Musical Manager lightly touches his nasal organ with the index finger of his right hand, and, at the same time "winking the other eye," he marches in a procession of one down the lobby and disappears.
Great as is the success to-night of new Opera, I feel sure that Cavalleria, with its simple story, and its marvellous intermezzo, is still at the head of the poll. Yet is Pagliacci melodious and dramatic. Madame Melba at her best in Nedda, and the dramatic power, specially of Signor de Lucia as Canio and of Mons. Ancona as Tonio, would have carried the piece, as a piece, even without the musical setting. To-night De Lucia shows himself a great actor. There were encores in plenty. Ancona Tonio interrupts the overture in order to sing a prologue. This he does admirably, both vocally and histrionically. But cui bono? It is as pointless as is nowadays the prologue of Christopher Sly to the Taming of the Shrew. It seems as if Leoncavallo said to himself, "Mascagni gave 'em a novelty in his intermezzo; I'll give 'em something new in the shape of a prologue." Pagliacci and Cavalleria will assist each other, and Sir Druriolanus is fortunate in being able to run two winners. The new Opera is admirably rendered in every respect, and when Mr. Richard Green, as the gallant young farmer, is matured—that is, has less of the Green about him and more of the ripeness of artistic perfection—there will not be a single fault to find with the representation. To-night second Opera didn't end till just on twelve. Too late; but the hospitable Rule's in Maiden Lane is open to exceptions for half an hour or so, and, "after the Opera is over," a little supper chez Bayliss is a B(ay)lissful idea.
Saturday.—Faust to finish. Melba as Marguerite. First week augurs well for the season.
