[Met Concert or Gala] CID:17260



Last Grand Sunday Night Concert
Metropolitan Opera House, Sun, April 26, 1896




Last Grand Sunday Night Concert



Metropolitan Opera House
April 26, 1896

LAST GRAND SUNDAY NIGHT CONCERT


Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Prelude to Act I

Mefistofele: Faust Aria [repeated]
Giuseppe Cremonini

Hänsel und Gretel: Dream Pantomime

L'Africaine: O paradiso!
Giuseppe Cremonini

Schumann: Träumerei

La Damnation de Faust: Dance of the Sylphs

Hamlet: Adieu dit-il ayez foi [repeated twice]
Emma Calvé

Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (repeated twice)

Mefistofele: L'altra notte in fondo al mare [repeated]
Emma Calvé

Die Walküre: Ride of the Valkyries

Faust: Final Trio (repeated three times)
Emma Calvé
Giuseppe Cremonini
Lodovico Viviani

Conductor...............Anton Seidl
Conductor...............Louis Saar

[Full documentation for this performance has not been found.]






Full documentation for this performance has not been found.

Review 1:

Review in the New York Press

CHANGES DID NO HARM

Campanari's Illness Gave Cremonini a Chance at This Concert

Owing to the illness of Signor Campanari some changes were necessary in the programme of the last Sunday night concert in the Metropolitan Opera House last night. Signor Cremonini took Campanari's place, in one of the numbers substituting "O Paradise," from "L'Africaine," for the "Pagliacci" Prologue. The duo from Bizet's "Pearl Fishers," in which Campanari was to have taken part, was replaced by the trio from the third act of "Faust," sung by Calvé, Viviani and Cremonini. It was a great night for the young tenor.

Calvé sang the "Air du Livre" from Ambroise Thomas's "Hamlet," narrowly escaping from a breakdown, owing to a slight misunderstanding with Louis Saar, who conducted. She was compelled to respond thrice to encores, that were emphasized by cheers and waving of handkerchiefs. Later she sang an aria from "Mefistofele."

The orchestra under Anton Seidl, was at its best, particularly in the Liszt Second Rhapsody.

Unsigned

Review 2:

Review in the New York Herald

IS THERE TO BE A NEW MARGUERITE?

The final operatic concert of the season was given at the Metropolitan last evening, and the regular Sunday night clientele were present in force to say their farewells to Mme. Calvé.

The soloists as announced were Mme. Calvé, and Signori Cremonini and Campanari, but, the latter being unable to appear, the prima donna and tenor found themselves called upon to provide the entire vocal music of the evening.

Instead of pouting or sulking, Mme. Calvé determined to show the public what she could do in an emergency. There was the audience; they should have more, not less, than they had bargained for; she would give them a surprise; she would sing the trio from the finale of "Faust" in addition to the regular numbers of the evening. They should hear her as Marguerite. Thus reasoned the popular prima donna, and no sooner said than done.

But a trio calls, naturally, for three voices. She and Signor Cremonini could not sing all three parts. Bien: send for Signor Viviani. He could sing the music of Mefistofeles. Off went the messenger and back came the Signor, somewhat aghast at the sudden call, but sing he must. And sing he did.

Mme. Calvé gave the solos for which she was announced, and when Signor Campanari's first number was reached Signor Cremonini filled it with the "O Paradiso" aria from "L'Africaine."

After Mme. Calvé had sung an aria from "Mefistofele," and had responded to numerous recalls, she came forward with Signori Cremonini and Viviani and gave the famous "Faust" finale.

The scene that followed it was quiet extraordinary. Mme. Calvé was determined to leave an impression in New York as to what could be done in broadly dramatic effect in this music, and she accomplished her purpose. She sang it with an intensity, a vocal power and depth of feeling that stirred the audience deeply. The applause that followed, the hand clappings, cheers and cries of "Brava!" amounted really to an ovation, so long continued that the music had to be re-sung. Even then the same scene was repeated, and once more the finale had to be given in its entirety.

"I have never heard it better sung," said an opera habitué near me. "I wonder if Mme. Calvé rose to such an unusual excellence for a purpose. Are we to have a new Marguerite?"

Unsigned

Review 3:

Review in the New York Sun

Last of the Sunday Evening Concerts

There was no one to dispute the laurels of Mme. Calvé at the Metropolitan opera House last night, and had there been such a person she probably wouldn't have been successful, for apparently everyone in the big audience was an admirer of Calvé.

It was the last Sunday night concert of the season by the opera stars and the Seidl orchestra, and the audience was unwilling to take leave of Mme. Calvé. When she tried to get away after singing half a dozen times more than the programme called for, the audience summoned her back by applause that could not be stilled otherwise.

Mme. Calvé was gracious, and although she had already done much more than her share to make the occasion satisfactory to her hearers she sang again. Sig. Campanari was indisposed, and the number that were assigned to him on the bill were filled by Sig. Cremonini.

The programme included in orchestral numbers, Prelude, "Die Meistersinger," by Wagner: Dream Pantomime from "Hänsel un Gretel;" Liszt's Second Rhapsody, which was twice encored, and Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries."

Mme. Calvé sang first Adieu dit-il ayez foi from Thomas's "Hamlet." She responded ti a double encore on this, and again she was encored when she sang an air of "Mefistofele" by Boito.

In the trio song from "Faust" she was called back three times, and as many times she repeated it. Signor Cremonini's first selection was a Romanza from "Mefistofele," and he also was cordially encored. The Opera House was filled, and the Sung nigh series of grand concerts ended in much applause.



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