The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-11-14

ParOdi, the New PEima Donna.
NEW YORK, Nov. 5, 1850.
The second grand musical event of The season in
New York is over, and SignOrina ParOdi, the pro-
tegee Of Pasta, the prima donna from her Males
tvs, and the representative of the strict Italian
school of music, has sung before an American au-
dence at the Astor Place Opera House. The ope-
was Norma. The price of seals was raised 10
two dollars, and the house was well filed with an
audience, said to be fashionable and aristocratic
But New York aristoeracy, with all its brilliancy
of dress and jewels, is a very Indifferent looking
GLASS; and the lack of beauty among the ladies was
| remarkable. But this has nothing to do with the
opera.
AT halEpast o'clock, Marezek made his ap
| pearance in the orchestra, and was greeted with
immense applause. The overture was played as
no band in America but Msretzek's could play it,
The first two three scenes of the opera went off
as usual, and then Parodi appeared in the usual
costume of the Druid priestess Her figure com
handing, well developed, and of good height,
seemed taller by the large circlet of oak leaves
which she wore upon her head. She is not what
You would call beauty Her complexion is dark
eyes blue, hair nearly black, nose handsome, mouth
large and filled with beautiful pearly teeth, high
cheek bones-and her face altogether cast in a
| rather masculine mould She received with
shouts and cheers, among which could be dstin-
guished a very decided "hi! hi" which thought
belonged exclusively to the BoWery. Several bou-
qusts were thrown upon the stage, and all these
marks of delight were received by her gracefully
and becomngly.
The first reoltative gave opportunity for any
decide effect. Then came the CaSf1 Dina on
| which all expectation was bent She sang the first
movement with a radiant smile upon her face, so
inconsistent with the religious fervor expressed in
| the words and music, and different from the or
binary delivery of il that | was disappointed Her
voice. too, gave evidence of very extraordinary
sweetness but must wait for the display of its
| true power. The Ah ! bello a me ritorna was
brilliant, and sung with much warmth of manner.
| There was, too, considerable display of fleIbty
and the chrOmatics were executed more neatly than
they usually by voices of the character of Pa
rodi's. Still the scene disappointed many. But
when the curtain fell uproar of applause followed
She was called out and she appeared white
dove was let loose from the upper gallery but it
was frightened and, instead OF flying down to the
stage, took refuge in the second gallery. At the
| same time there was thrown from the upper gal
lery, or amphtheatre, shower of slips OF white
paper which proved to contain neat poetic tribute
to Parodi, printed in Italian and English | give
you the English, the Italian being sonnet con-
| tanning the same sentiment:
| Another star with welcome radiance fills
This temple sacred to me OdOHs art
Sweet daughter OF the fair Llgurian bills,
| Until. transported TO celestial air.
We feel what hOnos unto thee belong;
Her northern garland let thy sister wear,
For now once more we feel its glowing strain
| And own, in thee, the lyric muse again
These few all over the house, and one of them
| reaching the STAGE was picked up by the lady,
along with several bouquets.
was, | confess, disappointed in the first scene
and could not enter into the spirit of this printed
enthusiasm. The voice which, 1t is said was to
rival Jenny Limbs, proved to be a soprano, incn-
ing to the mezso order, and while round and full
in its higher range, most remarkable for the rich
ness OF its lower tones. As the opera progressed,
however the true greatness of the artist appeared
The pupil of Pasta and the disciple of the school of
Grlsl stood before us, true tragic queen. The
first decided point she made, was in the dialogue
with Clotlda, where the latter asks her if she
thinks Polline will desert his children, and she
replies " Non Foso; IL troppo tormentoSo" This
was delivered hurriedly, in deep tragic tone and
with look of understandable horror. 1t created the
tirst true sensation of the evening, in the subse
quent scenes it was the action, the look, and the
sonorous eontralto tones, that still carried her in
triumph where mere vocasm would have failed
The scenes with Pollne, where look, gesture, and
tone were all carried into play by the denunciatory
language OF her part were magnificent No Norma
thar has appeared in America could have surpassed
them. In the more pathetic scenes she was not so
effective, and | looked in vain for the power to
touch the feelings that had been promised US
Indeed her forte lies apparently in characters Of
the Lady Macbeth order, if may judge by
comparing her performance of the different scenes
| Of the opera.