New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-05-11
ITALIAN OPERA AT BUTTONS.
RONCONI.


For reasons rot necessary TO analyZe. the ltalsn
Comic Opera has never been popular in this country.
Our people, who exhibit at present dstas'e smount-
ing amcst to dislike for spoken tragedy in its severet
form, without the inter lection of comedy, hsve-by
what seems an ilogica. contrsiietysn admiration for
serious or tragic opera of the Italian schoo,. Accord
ngly to call together audience of full remunerang
size TO hear Italian como opera almost an Inpos-
sibty such is the Indifference for that school OF art.
Only the reputation of Sgnor Roncon attracted the
oderatey good house Of last night. II not great
| TO numbers, it was rstnctvely resdy to enjoy the
actor, being composed largely of counoisseurs.
To Judge properly of an Italian actor representing an
Italian charaot ter of real life should for the
make Italians Of ourselves. We must take into con-
sideration the superior vivacity of the peope-ther
rapid face plsy-ther numerous ge.tcua,ions-thelr
southern vehemenerce II added TO this the eccen'
trictes Of the person portrayed hghten these traits,
We must all the more remember that southern fire IL
| net northern phegm This Is general rule tor 're
| criticism. Blu. the powers Of the actor may
| be so great as to cause the spectator 10
| forget latitude and longitude, temperament and
| nationality, in the intense vvldness aud truth
funess of his portiatu We know nothing here Of
| the Quack Doctor ambuant a. he hourishes, and
| above all a. he fourished in Europe. The great
turnout were simply anti.g genuine ana out OF place
But in Europe where the peasantry of certain coun'
tries believe in any and the greater .he non
sense the more intense the belief as matter OF course
the Quack Doctor is an enormous fact. Ills wagon
or gig and HE horse or donkey his ivered assistant
| hi, big drum and trumpet his pitch pasters tooh-
tweezers. loye-potons, and mracle-mongerngs, are
all displayed in the open air. In some OF the old
| women's" remedies he has, unquestionsbly skill
which the simple logic OF his customers applies to all
| his professions and pretensions.
To say that Signor RoncoDi in every detail the
lead Of that school of quackdoctors on the stage, Il
| saving very lite. The supreme merit OF bus acton
was that he caufed the spectator to overlook the 'pe
ciaty Of the character IN the splendid hstuonlc re-
| sources the comic universasm lie exhibited at every
| turn His costume was sufficiently charlatanlsh but
rot over pronounced. His representation vulgar but
rot impsrtinently so bis triumphant aside ohucklDgs
owe bis success his facial discharge OF fun, in which
| every muscle was harmonious Faian jocularlty-ae
all studes. His voice is worn and hard. and yet by
the force Of his method which is perfection, he man
ae es it, and in some hiatt, OF the meek heroic he
gave faint impression of his graver powers. His enuo
citation OF the most rapid phraseoogy IA to dstnctness
| and meaning cannot be surpassed Great as are his
| ,oweIs, he leaves the impression Of much greater
things urexpressed. His force is genius and not talent
| it is spring and not a reservoir. If he repeat a
passage III der an encore he varies 80 ssto give
pair ting and one feels ethst lie could go doing
without detrment to the effect. What constitutes the
greater wonder in regard to Roncon is that he has
voice raspDg and uugr acous, figure not commanding
face not handsome; an eye not dark or mysterious
and yet not withstendng addition TO all this in come
| dy lie is the Edmund Keal among his countiymen in
tie lyrical tragedy. The mobility Of the face is simply
intensified the quality Of the electrical man simply
| altered; AID the smile becomes the tear. Blythe same
rule all the most passionate dramatic writers N plays
| or out of them the wittiest.
We have not space TO devote 70 the exceleit per
| formances of Madame La Grange and MIR. TlberIni-
established favories Their duets and solos were
| cored The orchestra and chorus need polishing to
| make them worthy Of opera, which, as fluent beau
tilul comic music is OF the first order. Such being the
case we marvel at the impertinence-to speak mildly
which introduced polkaish fit ale at the close, TO
| exhibit the brillisnt execution Ct Madame lie Is
Grange. 1t nearly killed the last act Donzett who
knew how to compose dramAcaly-and one Of the
| haLdfu who ever kDew-jumps TO his conclusion with
| a rboIt, busting finale. But this piece introduced
leaves all the actors standing Ike fools til 1t Is done
auj, moreover, it is snapped Of suddenly without the
| chorus. Ncthipg could be stupider and hat.er.