Reviews — The New York Times

From the New York Times - January 4, 1896

DOUBLE BILL AT THE OPERA
La Traviata and La Navarraise Presented by
Mmes. Calve and Saville and Cremon-
ini, Plancon and Ancona.

     A large audience listened last night, in the Metropolitan Opera House, to three acts of Verdi’s “La Traviata” and Massenet’s “La Navarraise.”
     The boxes were well filled with society leaders, and the orchestra stalls were crowded with well-known men and women.
     The performance of “La Traviata” was not up to the standard of the superior presentations of the Metropolitan Opera Company. There were many good features in the performance, but at no time did it approach those lofty artistic heights that have won for Abbey & Grau’s productions a very high place in the history of opera.
     The Violetta of Mme. Saville at no time approached mediocrity, and she frequently thrilled the auditors by her clear, rich, high notes. But her lack of force in the lower register counteracted to a large degree her excellent singing of such portions of the rôle as come within the range of her voices.
     Signor Cremonini’s singing was of a laborious order. He sang wretchedly off key frequently, and not in a single instance did he approach any of his former work. The vibrato was more pronounced in his voice than on previous evenings, and his vocalizing, as well as his acting lacked spirit.
     Signor Ancona was by far the best of the male principals. His arias were sung artistically, and his acting was effective. To him was meted out a large share of the applause.
     The performance ended with “La Navarraise,” in which Calvé was again heard in the rôle written expressly for her by Massenet. A masterly piece of composition is the intermezzo which depicts a night in camp. It is a marvelous work of characteristic music. While the opera may never become popular with American audiences, it must, nevertheless, be accorded a creditable place in the list of operatic compositions of recent years. The realistic beginning, with its hordes of dead and wounded, creates a doleful feeling that is kept up during the entire opera. But so masterly has the composer done his portion that the music alone would tell the story clearly.
     Calvé’s impersonation of Anita, the Navarraise woman is both vocally and histrionically a highly artistic achievement. Bevignani dragged to such an extent that Calvé was compelled to give him the tempi with movements of head and foot so pronounced as to make the audience uncomfortable. M. Plancon was a capital commander of the troops, and M. Lubert was effective as Araquil, the lover of Anita. MM. Mauguire, De Vries, and Castelmary also did praiseworthy work.
     “Aïda” with Mmes. Nordica and Brema, and MM. Jean and Edouard de Reszke, Kaschmann, and Arimondi as principals will be given this afternoon, and “Rigoletto,” with Maurel as the Jester, and MM. Russitano, Castelmary, Vaschetti, Viviani, Rinaldini, and Cernusco, and Mmes. Melba, Bauermeister, Van Cauteren, and Scalchi in the cast, this evening.

Last updated December 30, 2006