ITALIAN OPERA.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2796, 2 February 1872, Page 2

ITALIAN OPERA.

The repetition of “Lucia di Lammermoor ” last evening, only served to confirm our previously expressed opinion that in it fciig' (jra Coy and her husband appear to greater advantage than in anything they have yet attempted here. From fifsi-to la,st the Signora’s vocalisation was perfect, while her acting was splendid, the mad scene in the third act being touching in its tenderness. The gems of the opera were the well knoAvn duett “Verrauo a te sull’aura,” by Lucia and Edgardo; the quartette in the second act which created unusualenthusiasm, and had to be repeated ; Eurico’s aria, “ Cruda fenesta,” Lucia’s scona in the third aft, to which Mr Royal played the llulc accompaniment in a manner that elicited a merited round of applause • and Edgardo’s aria “Fra poco,” in the last act. Signor Coy excelled all his previous efforts in the last aria; and the delight of {his audience was testified by his ‘ rc-appearanco being hailed by a shower of bouquets.' Signora Coy received a call before the at the end of each act; honors which were deservedly shared by Signor Coliva, whose Enrico was a highly artistic performance. In the second act, Mr Howard played with his usualj ability Signor Zelman’s arrangement of “She appeared,” from Martha, as a clariouette solo, and met with a unanimous encore.

This evening, “ Faust ” will be produced ; and tor to-morrow night the management announces an excellent bill —the segoud and fourth rets of “Trovatore,” and "Pipale.” We cannot too strongly impress upon those who haue not yet witnessed Signor Grandi’s impersonation of the porter of Paris, that they should not neglect the opportunity that is afforded tin m of seeing the most wonderful piece of buffo acting ever seen in these navts. We should like to see a full house, if piily out of compliment to the venerable actor who sustains thp On Monpay night, Verdi’s opera of “ Unballo in ,viaschera.” Like “ Faust," two composers have chosen the assassination of Gustavus, King of Sweden, as the subject of an op.-ra. The first was composed by the late eminent French maestro Auher, and still keeps the lyric stags, though the late opera by Verdi has to a certaipi estept eclipsed it hi popularity. The libretto pf each ppera is taken from the same source —the assassination of the King Of Sweden at a masked ball by Count Ankarstrom, the motive of the murder being re"euge for the supposed dishonor of his wife, the Countess Amelia, by the King. In hia dying moments, the King declares the innocence of the Countess, and bestows forgiveness on his assassin, who is overwhelmed with remorse. In each opera the same supernatural agency is used in foretelling the catastrophe, and the character of the sorceress Ulrica contributes a highly

dramatic element to the general interest of the plot. The representation of “Un Ballo in Maschero” in Italy, in its original form, being forbidden by the authorities as calculated to propagate revolutionary tendencies in the minds of the people, Verdi shifted the scene to the City of Boston at the time when America was under British rule. Gustavus isrepresented under the character of Riccardo, the English Governor, the Count Ankarstrom as Renato, the page Oscar is identical with Edgardo, land the conspirators, Counts de Horn and Ribbing, are respectively 'amuelo and Tommasso. The Countess Ankarstrom is rechristened Aclelia, the sorceress Ulrica alone retaining her identity. Although somewhat nnromantic and paradoxical, the opera by no means suffers by the change of scene and names, and the music is the most finished conception that has emanated from the prolific genius of Verdi.