New-York tribune., 1909-07-04
Also Something About Its
Music-By III. E. krehbiel.
OPERA uGNETTEs. NO. /.

T5e history OF what IS popularity called italian
opera begins in the United States with perform
ance Of Rcssini's lyFical comedy ''u Barbiere di
Eivislia: may. therefore. ftdngiy take the first
place In these musical vignettes. The place was
the Park Theatre then situated in Chambers street.
east Of Broadway. and the date November e. 1sS
It was not the first performance Of italian opera
music IL America. however, nor yet OF Rossinfs
merry work In the early years OF the nineteenth
century New York was almost as fully abreast OF
the times IN the matter of dramatic entertainments
London New works produced in the English
capital We're heard in New York soon as the
Tships Of that day could bring over the books and
the actors. Especially was this true OF English
ballad operas English transcriptons, sdapta-
fions OF French German and Italian operas New
York was I've rncnths ahead OF Paris in making
fhe acquaintance Of the operate version OF Beau
Ensrchais's Barber de Seville. The first perform
Bnce OF RossiHFs opera took place I'm Rome on
February s. 1876. london heard it in its original
at the Kings Theatre March 1o, ISIS, with
Garcia, the first Count AlInarivR in that part The
opera "went of with unboUnded applause says
sarke fan oboe player who has left Us two volumes
OF entertaining and instructive memoirs but II did
fsot win the degree OF favor enjoyed by the other
operas OF Rossini then current on the English
stage Il dropped OF the repertery OF the
kings Theatre and not revived until 1SZZ-s
year in which the popularity Of Rossini IN the
British metropolis may be measured by the fact
that all but four of the operas brought forward
that year composed by him. The first Partisan
representation OF the opera took place on October
Is. 1873. Garcia was again IN the cast. BY that
time, in al likelihood. al OF musical New York
shat could muster up pucker already whistling
-Lergo al factotum'' and the beginning Of Una
-~oce POGO ia for on May L, 1Sls Thomas Phil
sipps mad brought an English Barber os Seville
forward al a benefit performance Icr himself at
The same PaTsx Theatre at which more than SIX
sears later the Garcia COMPANY, the first Italian
Npera troupe TO visit the New World. performed II
tsl Italian on the date already mentioned At Mr.
PhlliI,s's performance the beneficiary sang the
part OF Alnavtva and Miss Leesugg who afterward
became she wife Of the comedian Hackett, the
Jlosina- On November q, 1921. there another
performance for Nj. Phillipss benefit. and this
time Mrs. Holman took The part Of Rosna. Phil
lips and Holman-brave names these IL the dra-
ynatic annals Of New York and London a little less
than a century ago. When viii European writers
On music begin TO realize that musical culture il
America Is not just IT'S beginnings?
K was Manuel Garcia's troupe that first per
formed n Bsrbere di Sivfglia' IN New York, and
SoUr OF the parts in the opera were PLAYED by
7nembers OF his family. Manuel. the father. was
fhe Count. he had been at the prenieres IN
Rome, London and Paris: Manuel. son, the
Figaro Che lived read about eighty-one years of
operate enterprise II New York and died AT the
ge Of 1el years in London in 1865; Sgnora Garcia
mere. the Ber-a. and Rosfna sung and
played BY that 'cUrniug pattern Of excellent
fure," Z writer of-she day called her Signorina
Garcia. sfterward the famous MaIbran- The other
performers at this representation OF the Italian
''I3arbe- SigIlor Rosich Or Bartolol, Signor
-sngrissni don Basiliol, and S:gnor Crivelle the
younger CFiorelo). The opera was given twenty