New-York tribune., 1894-10-28
FIRST NIGHT OF "OTELLO'
VERDTS OPERA A GREAT SUCCESS.
,,ur c,poN WINS THE COMPOSERS APPLAUSE
THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC
IN ATTENDANCE.


THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC
IN ATTENDANCE.
Paris October Il
The President of the Republic, unaccom-
panled by la Presidente and having with MIN
NJ and Nine Dupuy and the FINE Arts N'ns.e''
was present this evening at the first representation
n paris of Verdrs opera Of "Otello." 1t was
brought out at the Scala Opera Milan. seven years
ago The brettst is Boto He began his horetto
in 1850 When it completed Verdi wrote the
music The brettst only resorts to versihcauon lor
the choruses and songs. The rest Is in dramats
recitatiye Verdi had warned him TO keep close 10
,be sbakespearian text and to keep reading 1t so
as to stray with difii.ulty from it whenever ne
wanted TO bend the drama to the necessities OK
oneratic composition. The French libretto is also
by Boto. In the opening scene IN "hieh 'he 'e'-
sci OF Otello labors against storm as she tries 70
run into the port of Cyprus, there are III "oros anu
music telling effects Of realism Boito mas kept
clear Of operate Stiffness. Verdi insists that every
u.ord ebould have it's value. as well every note
of music and sets his face against the do. re- MI
ia mode of rehearsing. The choruses are spiris-
stirring But lagos drinking song is FAR from nav
ing the Shakespeariar ring and gayety. Maurei
was charged to sing it, Hes had a hard suugsle
70 hde its length and monotony. This singer Is
not on the general high plane OF the opera Oh
"otello" He is ID good Iaso. however, II looked at
merely from his own point OF view. As French
critic said this evening I'll est grand dams lie roie
d'Iago mais pcutetre ropera est trop grand pour
lui" | think his dicton does not approach that Oh
Faure Saleza. the tenor, is an excellent oteHo !"
the soft graceful passages. Indeed he Is deHc'ous
in scene 3 of Act H. in which he and Desdemona
(Rosc Charon) are all gladsome tenderness ne
won hearty applause the murder scene bu'
he wants the full temperament. ana the vocal power
required to convey the idea Of the waking OF the
African savagery that has been latent IN the MOOT.
Tamagno the Italian tenor. was in THIS respect
incomparably better.
N,ne Rose Carou again showed herself great
dramatic artist and an accomplished vocalist. NO
operatic singer that | can think or undersiauus as
well as Nine. Caron the scena-that Is 10 say'
what is required TO give true dramatic eNPressoi.
There was not a flaw either In her Vocahzatloh o'
her personaton from the first note to the last
She was most brilliantly successful in the secoh0
and fourth acts In the latter sne forced warm warn,
applause from the dry. critical composer Nerai
never praises unless he thinks that he has every
reason be satisfied
II IS very hard TO do without ballet-dancins IN
modern opera There is a special public, ana tho
public which pays best. which never gets urea Oh
seeing dancing girls pirouettc A ballet scene was
therefore brought into the first act The innoVa-
ton is not happy one-unless FOR those lot "no,e
ialectaton il was made. But the advertisement IN
the third act is exquisite. The jewellers are her-
aided bv the blare OF clarions. Pages draw back
They discover a great hall looking down on the sea-
Oeicers lords and ladies' to witness the and-
ing of the Amba ssador sent by the Couhc'i Vi .e'
Turkish slaves advance with languid steps ine'
become more excited as they draw nigh 10 'o
landing .nlace and the name OF Allah being ut-
tered fail prostrate Young Greek girls VINO arc
g.. .oIrn and harmonious attitudes. serve as con-
,ras,inc cronps The Venetian sailors VINO eh'er
from the barse dance the Mariana. Ai'ei t'.".
come in the Ambassador and Otello preceded py
a herald PAGES and the Cavaliers del Coiza' @ a"o
,o,ouel hv cypriotes Vcnetians and soldiers. inc
faintest tinge of stage vuSarity cannot oe ue'e''u
n this ,harming advertisement There Is tenn
rorarcc In the mos, striking effect statehness
roes hand In hand with elegance Ihe "reeh s"'S'
in their statueslue or Tanagraesque cio'n'ns' 80
down the gaudiness OF the pages ana iu'h'n
cloves The tempest i'm the first act Is triumph
- .,,,,o r,araeement The hall. with its rows OF
u,h, coIoncttes in witch the Ambassador IS re-
ceived does the greatest credit 10 the scehe-pae'
and s,aee-decorator But the artist does not Ell, nh
tbo AIriafic tie gives the water there the Conth
hi,o of the Mediterranean instead OF its steo"'"
Unsei m'i,o rho uhrettist Of "Otcllo" is composer
80 talen, He f. more enthusiastic about Mau,e,
than Verdi To gratify the vanity OF ms ms ,o hs
s !.iagn Verdi MT his foot down on TINS
piece Italian diplomacy bo,to IS @r9e st one hav-
ing Nero FOR it's pivotal personase. lie Ptiou Tor
ana doubtles: feels . Years this
Grand old man of The musical worId nrore mas "o ~
IN
King Lear for which Boito has iurn ne, ,ims i
,he U6rctto II will be performed for the nrsl this
~ rho Paris opera House. An asTeenlsnt ~ I anI
ffect M has been made with NM BertIanu hnw ",r
G,iIhardt Verdi says ne wants thus 70 p'1"yye Tos
snnsihls he is TO the honor done MN py VI, ,ha
in,erPerier in naming him grand cross sn U' him
TnSion Of Honor The insignia were gNe, ' tha
,ris nvenng in the Presidential saiooh a. a. v,iii
onera houso and the promotion in the orue, ,,nus ~
10 Dazetted tomorrow. | fancy the t nptect t,irS
,,ts ~ Italy quite much as gtatelui I..oe,,,n5
induence Verdi. The cost of mounting "a, new
hnro has been heavy. 1t IL an opera III 2oi new
Costumes The bill for the scenery ,,amre amr f,,r.
oc,eseories came TO 220G0 francs. Maure. ~, -
ntsbad his own dresses. He sent costuhssa - -
Vonice 70 see the paintings OF Carpaeclo au nh,cS
hHv photographs Of the figures In them "hi0"
The central box facing the stage was gwen y,
varIi and his wife. who had Nine Sto.th ai1ns lis
with them Verdi has still an erect carr,ah a,ch,pi,y
eye is charged with volition ana Is wa.onttu.g
attentive The is on the alert. tanSy 'ton. ~
tbs wav ne listens that his sense OF nearing -
itle bIunted with age At rehearsals he sat some
bours ir a stale dorchestra. sometimes az ~
niano on the stage and sometimes In front OF tne
ppnSs Wherever his ear caught taise hote VI
W. I'm nerfect bar the whole act had 10 pe Ia ISS
hhlnarsej again He would rush TO the piano w
not eireadv at it) and strike the note as " snoua
he sourded He sometimes sung out passsss,S
RAT were not given 20 his satisracuon ns,uuss
bates the word almost" or peu pres ne wou.1
have no preu pres He wanted per'ec'i1n-rrno
he got IL In Nine. Caron IL W