The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1884-05-21
Picolominf.

The life Of prima donna is often one of
vicissitudes; and as on the stage We find her
one moment occupying the most brilliant pos
ition, at another in the direst distress. Those
who remember Picolomiui, who is now in her
fftieth wear, will hear with regret that she has
fallen to absolute want Il has been proposed
to get up a subscription for her benefit; Eng
lish lovers Of music will certainly respond to
the call; srnd there ought to be no difficulty in
arranging an operatic concert on grand scale.
Critics Of the sterner sort have denied Picolo-
minis right to be classed with vocalists Of the
first rank, but, as matter Of fact, her style
had been formed in no school at all. Ii was
nature, not art, that spoke in Picolominis
voice, and in moments Of tenderness and OF
nas-ion 1t had that "tonch OF nature" that goes
10 the heart Of every one. 1t was Mdme. Pic
coIomini's fortune to come before the world in
a work which apart from It's genuine merit,
both musical and dramatic, was destined TO
meet in England with what the French call a
Success De scdRd1ie.' When "La Traviata"
with Piccolomini in the principal part, was
first brought out. the work caused an outcry
which doubtless represented so far as it went,
a genuine sentiment of injured modesty. But
music has refining aud elevating effect on
whatever it is allied to, and now, like Don
HluNaufl anu tGNtlul NlutI w uN HltAIc tui-
fyinC specimens of the lyric drama, "La Ira
viata" enjoys general recognition, if not abso-
Lutte approval. Piccolomini's successors in
the part Of viole,ta, have, it must be admitted,
done much to refine the character, and for
many years not one Eight soprano" has come
before the public without appearing rs the
principal personage in 'La Traviata.r Nine.
Patti, Nine. Nilsson, Nine. Albani and Nine.
Gerster have all been heard in the part, and
there is now a general understanding among
the critical as to how it should be played.
Great, however as have been the successes Of
subsequent Niolettas, it ought not to be for
gotten just now that the singer who first
showed how interesting and how touching the
character might be made, was the engaging,
indeed the fascinating, Piccolomini. The en-
thusiasm caused by her appearance can be &C
counted for in only one simple way, by the
fact tina; Possessed genuine merit To many
there were tears in her cough, as it was said
Of Rubin, in less literal sense, that there
were tears ir her voice" twas Piccolomini
who so far as the English were concerned,
"created" the part, and so closely did she
identify herself with it thai the ancient opera
goer can now scarcely think of her in connec-
ton with any other character. She attained
certain success as the unhappy Tulsa Miller
in Verdi's operatic version of Schiller's "Ka-
bale und LIebe," and she possibly appeared
in other operas. But it was in ola Traviata"
that she made her first and last great impress
sion, and tho London world of music and of
fashion had scarcely recovered from the ex-
citement caused by her striking and charming
impersonation when she retired from the stage
to become the wife Of an italian nobleman
II she did not precisely ''blaze, the comet of a
season" not many seasons were to be illumined
by her bright presence. She had no period
nor, We believe, did she take any formal fare
we'll, But during the short time she was
before the public she was one Of its most cher
ished fayOrites. Indeed, in point of popular
ity she was foremost among the singers of
her day; and it would be useless as well as
ungracious, TO speculate whether she could,
like Nine. Patti, have succeeded in twenty
different characters, and have maintained her
position, rs Nine. Patti has done, year after
year, for period of more than twenty years
One has only to look back to the caricatures
and social chronicles Of the time, to see that
Piccolomini, as long as her brief day lasted,
was the idol of the public; and in the history
Of Her Majesty's theatre she has as distinct
place as even Jenny Lind.-LORdOH Netrs.