The Cosmopolite Volume 1, Nos. 1-2 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1866 Excerpt: ...and natural beyond the habit of the lyric stage. She was, perhaps, a little too shrinkingly sensitive in the first interview, and a trifle too extatic over the casket; but her acting in the garden, at the death of Valentine and in the prison, was very nearly perfect. In the prison trio, her singing alone saved that delightful composition. Signob Ibfbi sang the Faust principally from his head, when he sang at all; and his acting, though careful and meant to please, had all the firer-and nearly all the grace of BbigNoli's finest efforts 1 Antonucci's Mephistophiles was a wooden performance, in which the acting--heavier than his voice--was marked by a sole gleam, where he cowers before the cross. The two songs that make the part--the " Golf of Odd" and the "Serenade" he succeeded in cooling down far below mediocrity. "Poliuto" was another specimen of high art for a country audience Bel Linl, who was cast for Severo, did not appear, and his part was taken by a putative barytone, without voice or anything else. Besides he knew no note of his part, which was kindly performed for him by the prompter and Mde. Zucchi. All the power of her thoroughly trained voice and fiery acting was required to redeem the, opera, tho though tenor--Mass Liami--was an improvement upon the Faust of the night before and sang in some scenes with correctness and spirit. L'Jifricaine, of course, was reserved for the last. Splendid as the music is--and in spite of the rediculous and overstrained libretto, it ranks with MeyerBeeb's greatest works--we were sorry to see it announced. We were agreeably disappointed. Zucchi sang the Selika with an impassioned and fervid skill that reminded of the great bursts of LaGbange. In Poliuto her method seemed a thought hack...