New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-08-25

-zys z.44 was not so sharp his chin. and so ms
-ss- WAS not so long as his nose says Richard
,-sr+ White Of the impresario who ten years aItei
~. fa5,rre Of the Italian Opera House made the
t-d effort 10 establish Italian opera in New YORK
= .tich there is a record The man with sharp
"a, and long nose was Ferdinand Falmo- He was
the owner of popular restaurant which went by
,ha rather tropical name Cafe des Miles Co
,,nes and was situated in Broadway. just above
rousne street Palrno knew how TO cook and how
81 cater and his restaurant made him fairly rich
What he did not know about managing opera
house he was made conscious Of soon after the
ambition to be an impresario took hold of him.
t4ss was an individual enterprise like Mr.. Ham
-az-s4efr's with clogs entanging al
Hances in the shape Of stockholders, or man
aging directors OF amusement committees He
seerns to have been strongly impressed with
.he idea that after the public had been total alb
s+ainers for ten years they would love opera for
ats own sake and that it would not be necessary
n give hostages 10 fashion in the shape Of
beautiful house aith large portion set apart for
the exclusive of wealth and fashion Except
IN name. says Mr. White. there were no boxes
Palmo did not build new theatre He
found one that could be modelled to his purposes
IN Stoppanfs Arcade Baths. in Chambers street
s.e-vveen Broadway and Centre street The site
Is occupied by the building Of the American
News Company. The acoustics OF the new opera
house are said 70 have been good. but the incoh-
veaience of the location and unenvfable character
Of the neighborhood are indicated quite as much
as Sisnor Palrao's enterprisns and considerate
nature by his announcement that after the per
foruances large car would be run uptown as lar
as ed street for the accommodation Of his patrons
end also that the patrons aforesaid should have
nclice protection. The house seated about eight
hundred persons, the seats being hard benches.
with stats across the back shoulder high opera
lovers given luxury were permitted 70 upholster
their benches The orchestra numbered thirty
two professors but their devotion TO the art
which they professed not SO great as TO make
them willing starve for its sake or 70 refuse to
,eso-r 10 the methods Of the more modern work
,-zrnen's unions compel payment for their ser
VICES as we shall presently The first per-
Yarulsnce under Sgnor Palnao took place on Feb
ruary 3, 1s44. the opera being the same one with
which Mt Eamn1erstein began his latest venture
last fall u Purttani'' The prirna donna soprano
Bo-shese who wes attractive IN appearances. though
not beautiful: who dressed well, sang with pas
sionste intensity, ana popularity that found
vent In praise which may have been extravagant
One critic. balancing her beauties against her
defects" pronounced her the best operate singer
that the writer had yet heard on this side OF the
Atlantic This remark leads Mr.. White TO sur
mise that the critic had not been five years In
America, for, says he, Signora Borghese was not
worthy TO tie the shoes Of Malbran. Pedrotti,
Fanti CaradOri Mrs Wood, the last TWO OF
when had sung in English opera Her chief de-
feet seems TO have been the frennolo-that vice
toward which the American critics Of to-day are
more intolerant than those Of any other people, as
they are toward the sister vice OF faulty intona-
ton Mr.. White talks senshly on the subject IN
his estimate Of Borghese:
She had a fine voice. although not great enc
her vocalization, regarded from q merely Tnuslcai
point Of view. Of the corresponding sfaae;
but stage vocalizaton IL had sre2I power anu
deserved higher communication Her Inus9cA
Reclamation was always effective and mnslco-
-f,etoricalIy IN good taste. She had a hne person.
an expressive face. and much grace OF manner.
One might be content hear better priiaa
donna il one were secured against never nearing
3 worse In her was first remarked here, among
soraliS-s Of distinction that trembling OF the voice
when n IS pressed in a c-escendo which has since
become so common greatly 10 mar our enjoy
rnen of vocal music. This great fault unknown
,,aFora the aurezrance of Verdi. is attributed oy
some musical critics the influence OF his vocir-
eTars and srrIdent style II may be so: but tnat
which follows is not always consequence OF tIdt
after which IL comes Certain II is, however Ina
from this time forward very few OF the prllclI,a
cjrgarS who have been heard in New fo-k-oIy the
very greatest and those whose style was FORMED
t,afore Verdi oo-rueered the Italian lyric stage
-verp without this trerble. Gr1sl, Mario, SOntts'
sennv Lind, A-boni and Salvi were entirely Win
our IL their voices came from the chest pure 1Fee
and firm