Patti as "Carmen" -- "The Times" of London, 1885. -- or the Dragoon's Lover -- The Gypsy and the Dragoon -- La zingara ed il dragone

Speranza



MME. PATTI has evidently studied her character in all its bearings and has formed a distinct idea of it which, although we believe it to be erroneous, is at least consistent.

Carmen as here presented appears to us to be little more than a heartless flirt, delighted to inspire feelings in others which she does not mean to
reciprocate, or could not if she would.

The real "Carmen" of Prosper
Merimee's novel, as well as of Bizet's score, we take to be an embodiment of what Goethe calls the "daemonic".

In nature a girl rather placid and enigmatic than lively or demonstrative (as Mme.
Patti was) in her ordinary demeanour, but carried away by irresistible force when once her passion takes a tangible form.


When she loves the soldier, nothing will serve her but to ruin him for the sake
of her caprice.

Don Jose has to forsake his dying mother and incur the punishment of a deserter because so it pleases her.

When she leaves the dragoon for the superior charms of the bull-fighter, she is equally willing to sacrifice her own life to her passion.

Fate, through means of a pack of cards, gives the superstitious girl a warning.

She fully credits the omen, but she defies it.

Of all this there was little in Mme. Patti's acting, or at least we
could not discover it.

Her by-play was a great deal too elaborate,
too lively, without showing much reference to the essential features
of the character.

She did some extremely pretty and graceful things for instance, a regular little pas de deux, danced in conjunction
with Mme. Cavalazzi.

But all this any Spanish or gipsy girl might have done.

Unfortunately, she did not reserve her force for the
salient points belonging to Carmen as a distinct individuality.

When
the aforesaid demonic" influences came into play, her resources
were exhausted.

Thus her wooing of Jose for the advances all
come from her side was wanting in tenderness.

She seemed to be
amused rather than fascinated by her weak-minded lover.

Again, her bursts of anger lacked the dignity of intense passion.

There was nothing of the volcanic fierceness of Southern nature.

Her disappointment was that of a spoilt child.

From this general charge of weakness the death scene must be pronounced exempt.

Here Mme. Patti rose to the height of the situation, indicating with psychological truth and great force of dramatic execution the physical dread which overcomes Carmen's defiance to fate when she sees
the raised knife of the infuriated Jose.

It might be well said,
"Nothing in her life became her like the leaving of it.".


On the
other hand, the fortune-telling scene, one of the most powerful
situations in the opera, fell completely flat.

For this the artist was not altogether responsible.

The music
of this scene lies in the middle register of the voice, in which Mme.
Patti can produce little effect.

And here we touch upon one of the
chief difficulties of her task.

The part is written for a mezzo-
soprano; it is too low for her.

She has to transpose the airs and
introduce occasional changes in the text, going up to a higher
octave where the lower is intended.

Moreover, the brilliancy of
Mme. Patti's vocalisation finds no scope in this music.

Bizet employs the voice as a means of dramatic expression.

The meaningless fireworks of the Italian school Bizet despises.

Notwithstanding all
this, Mme. Patti's vocal rendering was one of high excellence and
well worthy of her reputation.

Her first song, with its delicate dramatic passages, was a work of perfect vocalisation and intelligent phrasing, and the national air with which Carmen lures the
poor soldier to ruin was given with irresistible charm.

Taken all
in all, her effort deserves all the praise which is due to conscientious study and serious endeavour.