The evening world., 1893-12-21
"cleMeN."

Not since the opening night OF the
Italian opera season has the M%etropoli-
tan Opera-House had such a big. tlnk-
linz. diamond-fecked crowd as was seen
there last night. The announcement that
Nine. alv would sing the name role
of Bizet's Carmen drew forth the
mob "a col1-secludcd mob that neither
Media. nor Eameg, nor the fraternal DE
Reszkes nave been able to thaw this
season. There was a good deal OF curl
osity to hear Calvc. AMI considerable
surprise between the acts that her Car
men was not more sensational. The
Carmens to which we are accustomed
always behave themselves like the SOU
brett"s in the modern comedy dramas
presented by Dan and Charles Frohman
done UP in lace and black wigs. This
idea of Carmen has scarcely ever been
questioned. We have grown to look
upon 1t as traditional, like the golden
pigtail of Marguerite and the scarlet
devilishness OF Mephistopheles. Nine.
Calve reached out for the traditions,
tore them down and Jumped upon them
witt apologies for the use of the word
jump in connection with so placid a
lady. The new Carmen was a woman OF
the people, who dressed rather frumpily
without the black lace that in our idea
clings to the Spaniards as macaroni
does to the Italians. and who was CO.
auettish and seductive in an entirely
natural manner. There was none of the
vivacity that Is supposed to bubble up
all over Carmen; there were no Judic-
like frivolities, no self-consciousness. She
| uhAu.aI 80. ,,iA
reckless sort Of woman-mature, and all
the more dangerous for that. She was
so quiet that 1t was impossible to avoid
a feeling of disappointment. The "Ha-
bancra" was utterly without fireworks,
and the ~well-known dance was not only
~castanetless. but-well, 1t wasn't a
dance. 1t was merely n sinuous move
ment OF the body-suggesting the dawn
of the naughty dance of which so much
has been said lately.
Calve was in splendid voice. although
the part did not give her the magnificent
chances afforded by "Cavalleria Rusti-
cana She was the most perfect
Santuzza that | have ever heard, but |
could not SEQ that her Idea OF Carmen
was an Improvement upon those of her
predecessors. The Duse-like methods
that charm us in connection with drama
and comedy seem unnecessary in opera.
The very essence Of opera is unnatural
People don't go through the world sing
ing their every speech, bursting into SONG
when they say, Pass me the mustard
Opera is a lovely poetic impossibility
and 1t Is as muCn of a mistake to try
and naturalize 1t as 1t would be to pain
into a picture Of ~fairyland n group Of
nineteenth century clad people. The airs
and fluctuations with which the role oil
Carmen has always been played, have
always seemed to me the fascinating
pecullarities Of the %part-when these airs
have moi d~egene-ated into the mincing
efforts of the Frohman soubrettes.
Calve commanded rapt attention from
beginning to end. There was no dis.
cordant note In her Interpretation. Ir
began with quiet intensity, and 1t ended
In tho same manner. The charm of thi.
singer is undeniable. She is the mos
interesting figure in the present opera
season. She is unordinary, Irresistible
inspired. She dwarfs her surrounding
and walks ava with everybody's en-
thusiasm
Carmen" was admirably sung through
out. Nine. Emma Eames, a beautiful
musical iceberg. whose very appearance
Is heralded by a lowering of the tempera
turc. sang the role of Michaela charm
ingly, and Jean de Reszke as Don Jos
has recovered the vocal beauties tina
won us W years ago. He sang as thougI
he were OH his mettle. Lassalle gave tn
tiresome "Toreador" number as thong
he hated it, and 1t was. OF course, en-
corcd. The other members of the cas-
were Mile. Ibles, Sig. Gromschevsky, Sis
Carbone, Sig. Rinaldlni. Sig. Viviani an
the pleasant little Inevitable, Mile
Bauermeister. The scenery of Carmen
was bright as a new doolar. There wa
not a cobweb upon 1t, not a suspicion c