New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-15
MUSIC-THE DRAMA.
OPENING OF The OPERA SEASON.

,,,rS COMPLETED season of FIVE weeks In Chicago
-. ahhey and Grau French and italian Opera Com
nv began AN engagement Of thirteen weeks last night
:. me Metropolitan Opera House. That Is the way,
: I,ast In which the case presents itself to modest
cs,csro nina and II would not be becoming In New
20 try 70 make 1t appear otherwise At least not for
n, nresent There was q fair outward show at the
ra hose last night and an amiable spirit was mani
,ed toward the genial managers and their enterprise,
49,, the signs were also many that the undertaking is
s,oked upon rs in double sense an experiment and
= AR the present the judicous viii perhaps be willing
"a content themselves with saying hail and welcome
:, me Chicago French and Italian Opera Company.
The plan commends itself various grounds. not the
sss, persuasive being the necessity of providing n
10, latitude and longitude for critical judgment on the
..,sormanees II was obvious within ten minutes
er the music began last night that the old standards
will no longer serve. To apply them would depress
-sbeisrn into a monoonous Jeremlad and il is the
sroyince of criticism to separate excellence from defect
and 10 bestow praise with much heartiness and
rfhusasm at least as dispralse. SO there must be
ting Of standards all along the line, and during the
,rod wherein the Chicago company, having finished
4. local season, is engaged in girding up its lolns
,r the New-YOrk engagement. amiable public will
.oubtless aid the reviewers who anxious to be
,nsble in the search for the new point Of view from
vhch sweetness and light may be dispensed 10 all
toners.
II must be confessed, simply for the sake of the
sassing record and not criticism that all the no
rons Of what constitutes artistic representation in the
fed Of the lyric drama, which have grown mp under
The influences that have gone out from the Metropolitan
opera House during the last six years, met most
rsnful rebuff when the opera began under the new
,sSme last night. The audience was almost as numer
ous as the room would hold In Its boxes and lower
portons there was brilliant display Of gowns and
Jewels and an obvious spirit Of cheerful expectancy
4ss abroad. The managerial promises had had an
lnsprting ring about them, and the public, always
ready to meet Mr.. Abbey more than halfway when
comes TO taking cheerful view of his undertakings
FOR their entertainment. had come prepared to be
pleased. The opera, moreover was Gounod's Romeo
a Juliettc" which, that its title might not be beied
vas 10 be sung in French Thus also was one of Mr.
Abbey's promises TO the stockholders of the Opera
House 10 have early fulflment. The opera has been
heard here frequently. but not in Frenchonly in the
language which the real lovers Of Verona II ever they
lived. were in the habit Of using. Unless memory is
acherous moreover the opera had never before been
gwen with the choric prologue which Monsieur Gounod
has nterected 10 his instrumental prelude This pro
lOgue is a setting OF translation of the lines which
Shakespeare puts into the mouth Of his chorus, be-
ginning:
Two households both alike in dignity
In fair Verona where we lay our scene,
from ancient grTdge break TO new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean'"
The composer wishes this prologue 10 be sung by n
email chorus In costume grouped picturesquely on the
stage and discovered for space by the withdrawal OF
he curtain. The instrumental introduction is CON
,luded after the curtain closes and then the opera
hslns. The device probably borrowed from
Beflozs dramatic symphony, which WIS largely instr
psutal In determining Gounod TO become a musician
nj not a priest; but it may also have been sng-
fted by Weber's disclosure OF stage picture during
BE Largo episode in his overture TO "Euryanthe.'
However, where Gounod got the idea from Is nothing
70 the pupoe So far the comfort of the audience
md its desire to be kind to Mr. Abbey and his troupe
are concerned 1t would have been better II the idea
had never been born. The orchestra sounded sns-
picously bad at the outset but when the curtain rose
discovering group OF Veronese in prison behind
mosquito bars. and the chorus began to utter caco
phonOus noises, the btheneSs and auuablnty OF the
audience took wing forever. 1t was painful reveia
ton The choric fossils Of the Palaeozolc period of
Italian opera had been exhumed and their rusty, mil
dewed, Eoth-eate1 decayed voices with them
Since they are probably come to stay, there viii evil
IDENTIFY be nothing to say during the season about all
round good opera" which might not best be left
10 the taste and fancy of each nearer. Some Kinds
Of expletives do not look well in print.
Again. merely for the sake of the record and not IN
the way of criticism, something must be said about
other features Of the performance "Romeo and
Julets is an opera toward which it is easy to feel
kindly ~ not always for what IT is at least for what
n strives to be When Gounod composed it he was
already somewhat badly tarred with the Wagnerian
stick. II was not his fault that the opera had to
succession of love duets; nor can he be blamed II
people 20 whom shakespeares tragedy written In the
ernacuar find more exquisite MELODY in the poets lines
ean can possibly be put into a musical setting OF
hem Yet everybody admire the devotion 10
tuthDess of expression which the composer displayed
orcesi par mon level Infinitely higher than it
wont TO occupy in the old days Of French ana
Italian opera The orchestra Is really an eloquent
actor in the opera and lie utteranees are quite as sig
phcant those Of the lovers and their more or less
5sSs a9SSps d SIaaged Greater Affinity
br the chorus than for Miss Eanes ana NJ. jean 9e
z. H. who 1t appear had % bear the Oufueh "'
Since their task was so great IL is pleasant TO speak
admirngy Of the manner in which they performed IL
artist. is a singer OF good munitions and fine
Efs Her voice is scarcely large enough Tor room
IKE that in which she sang last night, but II has an
ndnidualty Of color that Is as agreeable as the IN
oyienality which marks her acting. Il 10 THOROUGHLY
musical voice and its effect is lovely whenever she
uses dramatically and not merely for display Her
nos ambitious effort last night was the sre'la ~
disappointment II was heslrtless singing and tech,
neatly imperfect Infinitely better from every pom,
q truthful defamation and mot at vocal display.
Me Is a strikingv beautiful juliet more '''I
. .oalr de Eesze the tenor more ong mnsra
than with voice. The organ itself is sympathetic ana
ENDS Itself easily 10 tender accents but II can scarceH
sngers use OF it than the voice itself that charms
aat use, however. is prompted by most ;nhlraDie ~,
suhes His brother Edonard. bass0 WIN quaDtf
ied!ng toward the baritone, was the Frere Laurent Oh
NE opera and gave greater pleasure than any other
male member Of the cast outside OF the tenor TO
what extent this is great or little praise we lack TINE
70 explain nOw-other opportunities VIII come me
oeue and opening was generous ~ fs expires
IONS Of grateful approval Of the Work OF Mass Games
ana The brothers DE ReszAe.
This was the first large gathering OF people In
ocey since the Horse Show. and the most brilliant
Costumes were worn. Mrs. Henry Warren had IN
hr party Mrs. e.. H. Warren, ir., and her daughter,
Ms. Alden. With Miss KnOwlton were her chaperon,
kne de Nell. and Mr.. and Mrs. H. lie Grand
cannon. DIR. and Mrs. Arson Phelps Stokes had ~
@ur party Miss Helen Stokes and Miss Mary Lusa
run Mrs. Austin Corbin were Miss coFbm ana MISS
taer. Mrs Henry Clews sat In the box next TO