ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA COMPANY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9568, 26 October 1892, Page 2

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA COMPANY.

From a musical point of view, the concert given by this company in the Princess Theatre last night was even more successful than that of the previous evening. Miss Brabazon, the talented youug pianiste, played Mendelssohn's " Rondo Capricioso" with brilliancy and spirit, and this composition is much more worthy of the artiste than the .tawdry and meretricious Brook" which she "babbled" in the second part of the programme. Signor Travaglini, the superb basso, gave a more than' satisfactory rendering of the great "Infelice" from Ernam." The sympathetic quality of his manly and well-trained voice left little to be desired to make the tout ensemble perfect, bignora and Signor Cuttiea saDg the duo from "Carmen," and in the second part or the programme repeated the " Miserere," by special request. In the latter number the Cutticas were even. more successful than on the previous night, and fairly carried their audience with them till the final note was sum? when they were greeted with a storm of wellmerited applause. Signor lorio, the basso cantante, was heard to much better advantage inthe"Romanza" from " Trovatore" than in his solo from "Ebreo" of the previous evening. His singing of this delightful trovatorean number was marked by dramatic feeling correct intonation, and precision of attack, and the working up to the finale was artistic in the extreme. Signora Cuttica created a profound impression by her splendid rendering' of the 'Carnival de Venice." The introduction, abounding in runs and difficult intervals, was sung faultlessly, and the pianissimo passage with the magnificent portamento was rendered as it has probably never before been rendered iv Dunedin. Then came the gloriously simple air, which, unfortunately for some of us, is associated with early strueries w!th the piano and violin. To it the cantatrice imparted a wealth of sweet feeling and a charm quite unassorted in most minds with the music. Then followed the variations, and nothing could have been more finished and artistic than this untwisting of the melodious knots of melody lading up to the splendid climax, when the roars of applause necessitated a repetition of the last part of the song Extreme regret was expressed in every part of the JKt^t^/'T dOUUa uotsing the splendid ''Rondo" from "Lucia," and that S.gnora Cut ica will sing this famous mad scene song before she leaves us fa a cou ; Matioh gave a much more satisfactory rendering of her two songs than those of the ' night before, and especially iv the "The Pages So"S . froni "Un Ballo iv Maschera " achieved a decided and pronounced success. Nest to tne achievement of the prima donna assolvtt, however, the rendering of the song "Largo ai fac otum"_which we yesterday suggested to bignor Sisco-was the most satisfactory performance of the evening. It is quite impossible to speak too highly of this gentleman's interpretation of this the greatest of Rossini's comic opera songs. "The factotum" has been populated in Dunedia by one who has successfully launched his professional skiff recently, and the audience hung upon evetv note, prepared to criticise, if necessary, accord- ' ing to their standard of musical knowledge • but the singing thoroughly disarmed criticism and the audience would not be appeased and their clamourings would not cease until fr'n," 01"^ 0 P-ans t!- e» loVely litfcle sere^e iroin "Don Giovanni." Signor Sisco joined • SiguorTravagl.il. ,n the duo from " Uigoletto » ■■ and oucemore-by request—united with p-miHl effect with Signor Cuttica in the duet from'"ll Barbiero." Signor Rebottaro oncemoredeparted from the programme, and returned to his"ore o he inght before. This pretty little mS of rchermak he played in good style "ud the •ocal'tenif * tl^™* rollef am««" succLsfn it f Ji ho r company were extremely ?.^w, ,• •» ,*^ flllale t0 the third act in Eruani,' and the concert again closed with the humorous and droll " Funiculi 1 v iSd th Wt h SigU °r Cuttica sang'and ft,*? sol° P^ with capital effect, whilo th n Tf Vv ry WlSel >' suggested that, hero it , Ita, ha?, °l)era Co mil any arc w^Wn lOCa, l .Gcsane-Vcrein might do iwU » • CCUro, - t!? eu; services for the "Stabat Iho couip:iuy W in rest to-night, according to the terms of their contract, in order to recuperate their voices after the strain naturally invoked in the last two concerts. Thus remvigoratcd thuy vrill on Thursday eveninoappear in a specially-selected programme, the occasion being a fashionable ni«bt, when the commander and officers of H.M.S. Goldfinch will be present. The last performance m Buuedm wi!l pooiUvely take place ou Friday evening.