SIMONSEN'S OPERA COMPANY.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3039, 23 March 1881, Page 2

SIMONSEN'S OPERA COMPANY.

IL TEOVATOBE

A large audience assembled to hear Verdi's great opera last night. The performance did not go as smoothly as did Lwcrezia Borgia on the previous night. Madame Simonsen, in her impersonation of the ill-fated heroine Lenora, was in magnificent voice, and her acting, especially in the last interview with Manrico, was wonderfully effective. Miss Godfrey was an unquestionable success as Azucena, both her singing and acting being excellent. Her singing in the last scene, in the duet with Signor Paladini, took the fancy of the audience, and the piece received a loud encore. To Miss Francis Simonsen was given the comparatively small part of Inez, which gave little scope for her undoubted ability. Signor Paladini, in the character of Manrico, sang with great power and sweetnesfl; his rendering of "111 sustaining," and "'Tie love, sublime emotion," wm

admirable, and received full recognition. As the Coute di Luna Signor Luisetti was thoroughly at home, and sang with great power. His singing of *« Of her smile " deservedly elicited loud applause, and his acting throughout was marked with care and finish. Signor Riccardi as Ferrando was in all respects admirable, but there is nothing in the character for the display of such power as Signor Riccardi possesses both as a singer and actor. The chorus did not go well together last night, and several of the choruses were not satisfactory. An opera like "II Trovatore " requires careful stage mounting, which we suppose is not possible in Napier, but last night things went badly, and the pleasure to be derived from singing and acting of ■uch excellence was frequently marred.

To-night "La Traviata " will be produced, with Miss Martina Simonsen as Violetta.