The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-02-22
The Italian Opera.

1t IS Just year since Maplesons COM
pany, with Gerster and Galassi as the
principals, gave Salt Lake such taste
of opera, as she had never before ex-
perienced, and which she has never
since forgotten. The coming of the
same company on Thursday next. es-
pecially since the Colonel has deferred
to the public voice in fixing his scale of
prices, finds us equally ready to enthuse
over TTovatore as we were over Lucia.
People who are aH fat with matters in
the musical world, know that it is out
OF The power of any manager to present
a greater contralto than Scalchi, and
her rendition of the Gypsy Azucena
may be anticipated as one the events of
lifetime. Fursch Madi is esteemed by
London critics as the greatest dramatic
soprano in the world to-day. Cavalazzi,
wife to Colonel Mapleson's son, is one
of the leading premiere daaseuses, if not
The leading, on the stage; Arditi and
his famous orchestra, including his
harplSte Sacconi, we all know.
The following details of the lives Of the
two principal artistes of the company.
will not be without interest at this time:
Sofia Scalchi, in the opinion OF the best
musical critics IN Europe and America,
is at this moment the most distinguished
contralto in the opera field.
Her eminence is due, to quote the
words of recognized London author
ity. to the fact that in addition to The
possession OF the most remarkable voice
tiElt has ever been heard since Alboni
she Is perfect artist in the use of it,
and restores in her execution the almost
lost art of pure Italian vocalism.
Sofia Scalchi is of pure Italian origin.
and she inherits all the traditions of a
musical race. Born in Turin in 1850.
she Is now in the flush and vigor of
womanhood, with every faculty and
function elastic, vigorous and tri-
umphant. Coming of a musical family
she may be SAID to have developed in the
atmosphere of song, and when only
child her marvellous voice attracted the
attention and excited the admiration of
the musicians with whom she was sur
rounded.
So rapid was her subsequent progress
under the direction of the celebrated
teacher, Nm. Boccabadati that at the
early age of 16 she made her debpt as
Ulriea, in The Ballo in Maschera. y and
Won an instant and most brilliant
t14amph
Some idea of how pronounced this
triumph must have been NAV be formed
from the fact that only two years later
the fame of the debutante had reached
London, and in 1869 she made her an
pearance at Covent Garden, as Azucena
IN II Trovatore.
1t was one of the most uneouivocal
successes ever witnessed in the British |
metropolis. The press unanimously de- |
ciared that no voice like hers had been |
heard since Alboni's. Her pure intona-
ton, the powerful, flexible and svmpa-
theuc quahty of her tones and the adj /
mlrable precision of her method and ex- !
quislte taste of her phrasing, called forth |
unprecedented eulogies.
lt was however, when. the year after. /
she accepted the most liberal offers and I
went to st. Petersburg, that her career
promised to be one of the most brilliant
known to operate annals. The Mus
coYite capital literally went mad over
her, and for nine consecutive seasons
she remained the reigning favorite there.
In II Troyatore, in Linda, lie Prophetic.
and Semiramide, her laurels were un-
failing. The Emperor singled her out
for compliments and favors. She was
admitted to court, and the nobility We'd
with each other in attesting the eStima-
ton IN which they held the woman and
the artist.
MADAME FURscH- MADI was born at the
small town of Bayonne, on the Franco
Spanish frontier. Her family was of
Alsatlan origin, and thus she may be
said to inherit the German aptitude for
music in addition to all the rerce and
animation that are generally conceded
as essentially French ot,ol;t;as 81