Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-02-21
Grand Italian Opera.

Mr. Max Strakosch and his Grand Italian
Opera Company will inaugurate the How
ard Opera House on Monday and Tuesday
next, the cath and 25.h insts. The operas
will be produced complete in every detail.
the grand chorus and orchestra consisting
of nearly one hundred artists. Lucia d.
Lammcrmoor will be given on Monday
next, with Miss Maria Litta in her great
character Of Lucia. in which part she has
created most profound sensation in New
York, Philadelphia. Boston and tho princ-
pal Western cities. Signor Lazirini, the
eminent tenor, will appear as Edgardo
Slgnor Pantaleoni. who is considered the
best baritone that has visited this country
for several years, will appear as Ashton, and
George Conley in his great part OF Ray
monde. The incidental ballet is by Mile.
Marie Bonfanti. On Tuesday evening, Yer
dis ever favorite opera of I'll Trovatore,"
with our old fsvorites, Clara Louise Kellogg
and Miss Annie Louise Cary, as LeOnora
and Azucena. The great tenor, Mr.
Charles Adams, will make his first APP
pcarance here as Manrico. Mr.. Cauffman
will sustain the part Of Count di Luna. and
Signor Ferrario. as Fernando.
The box Office will open on Wednesday
morning for parties who desire to secure
seats for both Of the performances. and on
Thursday morning for sale Of seats for
single nights.
The Chicago Tribune says of Mile Maria
Ltta, who made her debut in that city on
tho evening of November 10Th, 1878. under
the management of Mr.. Max Strakosch.
She chose for her debut the title role in
Lucia" in which sho made her first
appearance and first success in Paris. The
debutante is blonde of statuesque form,
with strongly marked but prepossessing
countenance, and with stage presence
that is very easy and unaffected. Her voice
is one of remarkable evenness and round
ness in all the registers. is very agreeable in
quality, and of more than ordinary
compass. The most salient feature of
this voice perhaps is its wonderful
flexibility; in this respect it is almost
phenomenal. Such vocal agility in fact has
been rarely witnessed here or such a mar
vellous method since the time of Laborde.
But her voice is not only agile, it is young.
fresh, limpid, sympathetic, and remarkably
even in its emission. Her intonatioh is
pure, her soto voice almost as fine as Nils
sons, her phrasing clear and intelligent,
and she never descends to triekery or arti-
flee. On the other hand there is natural
simplicity and grace in her style that make
one forget her art.
We have said that her welcome was an
enthusiastic one. Her very first aria. the
"Regnana vel Silenzio," increased that en-
thusissm into vociferous applause all over
the house, and its pendant, the "Quando
rapito." secured her the rare tribute of an
of an encore in the middle of the act. The
following duet with Edgardo added to
the excitement, and upon the fall
of the curtain she was recalled three
times amid very tempest of cheers. 10
the SCH mi irens" she met with another
ovation, and at the end Of the act was
twice called out. Her finest success was in
the dub with the flute in the last act, which
was fairly dazzling in foriture, especially
IN the caderza, which, We believe, Lagrange
wrote for her, and created such a furcre
that the whole house rose to the artist and
greeted her with brayos and cheers. At
the end of the opera the audience waited
to call her again before the curtain. and
gave her parting plsudit of cheers. The
writer has witnessed every operate repre-
sentation in Chicago during the past
twenty-five years, and cannot recall
similarly enthusiastic scene.