[Met Performance] CID:1040

Metropolitan Opera Premiere, New Production

I Puritani
Metropolitan Opera House, Mon, October 29, 1883

Debut : Giovanni Mirabella, Ida Corani




I Puritani (1)
Vincenzo Bellini | Carlo Pepoli
Elvira
Marcella Sembrich

Arturo
Roberto Stagno

Riccardo
Giuseppe Kaschmann

Giorgio
Giovanni Mirabella [Debut]

Enrichetta
Ida Corani [Debut]

Gualtiero
Achille Augier

Bruno
Amadeo Grazzi


Conductor
Auguste Vianesi


Set Designer
Charles Fox, Jr.

Set Designer
William Schaeffer

Set Designer
Gaspar Maeder

Set Designer
Mr. Thompson

Costume Designer
D. Ascoli

Costume Designer
Henry Dazian





Marcella Sembrich repeated "Son vergin vezzosa"
I Puritani received one performance this season.

Review 1:

Review in The New York Times:

SEMBRICH AS ELVIRA.

Bellini's chief aim in composing "I Puritani," his last opera, was to furnish suitable parts for that mighty quartet of Italian singers, Pasta and Rubini, Lablache and Tamburini, who at that time were entrancing all Europe with their marvelous art. As the composer succeeded in satisfying the artists for whom he wrote, and gave to each of the four a character commensurate with the singer's ability, the demands of the work are rather beyond the resources of most Italian opera troupes in the present day. My Abbey is, therefore, to be congratulated for his ability to produce the work with the smoothness and general efficiency that characterized last night's representation at the Metropolitan Opera-house. The opera was handsomely mounted and the performance of it gave evident pleasure to an audience of very respectable size, considering the storm. The strong and well-written choruses with which this opera abounds were delivered with excellent effect, some of the work in this direction last evening being superior to anything yet done by the chorus at the new opera-house. The orchestra, too, under Signor Vianesi's able direction, played with brilliancy, and gave more meaning to the slender instructions which Bellini has furnished to the several divisions of "I Puritani," and to the accompaniments for the voices, than they have ever seemed to posses at former productions of the opera. Indeed, if the work of the principals last night had been of the same degree of merit as that of the chorus and orchestra, the fourth performance of Mr. Abbey's company would have surpassed any one of those preceding it, but unfortunately, while Mme. Marcella Sembrich did not for an instant, in her performance of Elvira, depart from the high level of excellences she set for herself in "Lucia" last week and while Signor Kaschmann, in spite of a too frequent use of the tremolo, sang beautifully in most of his numbers, neither Signor Stagno, the tenor, nor Signor Mirablla, the new basso, who made his d?but on this occasion, seem to be equal to the demands of the roles created by Rubini and Lablache. The tenor did not justify the good opinions formed of him after his portrayal of Manrico. There are high notes and plenty of them, in the music allotted to Arturo, and these Signor Stagno did not neglect when he saw an opportunity of making an effect with them. His notes above the staff, however, were noticeable for the disagreeable quality mentioned last week, and, although at some points he sang with refinement, some of his best passages in the opera were marred by a faulty production of the voice. Of Signor Mirabella it may be said that it was his misfortune to make his first appearance here under unfavorable circumstances. The unpleasant weather was calculated to have the effect on a singer's voice and spirits, and the new basso may do better on a second hearing. His voice last evening was uncertain, and he seemed to sing with difficulty.

Mme. Sembrich, as we have already said, sang the music of Elvira deliciously. The purity and sweetness of her tones were as noticeable as on her first appearance and seemed to sing as if she loved to, elaborating the melodies of Bellini with cadenzas of her own almost dazzling in their brilliancy, but not the less appropriate and refined. Her "Son vergine vezzosa" was a beautiful specimen of bravura singing, and was redemanded by the delight of the audience.



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