New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-05
MUSIC.
4 NEW MARGUERITE.

The patrons Of the Metropolitan Opera House
joyed a sensation last night when Nine. Calvs
appeared for the first time In New-York as Mar
guerite In Gounods Faust" That something out
OF the ordinary expected was amply ats
tested by the size and character OF the audience.
but that Nine Calve provided a complete surprise
nevertheless evidenced throughout the evening
by the thrills Of delight which went through the
gathering at each manifestation Of originality In
her conception and embodiment OF her part There
f. no character In all list completely and
IL has hitherto seemed hopelessly. dominated by
convention as the heroine OF Gounod's opera The
recolectons Of twenty-five years. so far as the
people Of New York are concerned at least, snow
extremely few efforts TO get away from the hgure
as II was established the Partisan stage. The
charm Of Nine. Missions voice and the PURSUANCE
of her manner long held TIE American public
captive, In spite Of the obvious contradiction which
existed between her embodiment OF the grande
dame and the conception which everybody familiar
with C;oethes drama felt TO be the true conception
of the poets Gretchen Many critic sympathized
with the objections 10 her performance. and re-
1oiced at the innovations introduced by Nine Lucca
only TO yield Immediately after TO the influence OF
the fascination exerted by the fair Swede ana 70
many 1t was a downright comfort 10 recall the fact
that after all II the Gretchen OF Goethe for
whom Gounod had written the music, but tho COM
bined creation OF Barber. Care and the artist Ary
Scheffer Two singers who came after Lucca made
experiments like hers and both were inspired as she
had been BY German notions. Tney were MIie pef-
ster and Fratilein Lehman. The experiments were
short lived both of them. but they furnished FOOD
for reflection and last night they came TO MIND
with great vividness, for they were the only I'M
presentations at all comparable with Nine. caves
In respect OF originality
Like Gerster and Lehmann Nine. CAVE refused
10 be bound by convention. Like them she con-
ceiycd Marguerite to be simple village naiden'
not a lady OF quality. Like them she delineated
Young woman hurried TO ruin by the violence OK
a passion which took absolute possession OK her
as soon as II was felt and brought into most vivid
light the contrast her first state OF limo.
contrition. But In her manifestation she was dif-
ferent from all her predecessors. such complete
abandonment Of the routine OF the opera mas never
been There scarcely a pose or gesture
which has come TO be associated with the past
which she preserved, scarcely a nuance OF the
music which she accepted as authoritative Every
thing old and stereotyped was ignored Even the
familiar tempt OF the melodies had TO yield. stub.
born AS they were in the concerted pieces. and
impossible TO gainsay the coercive influence or her
rrratic changes upon the imagination ana feeings
of the audience. She held the gathering In cnains,
and a lovelier, heartier tribute was never seen az
tie Met ropolitan followed the graceful act or
the brothers DE Reszke when. after they had APP
peared six or eight times with her TO acknowledge
the tumultuous applause, they retired on the open
stage and left her 10 receive wave alter wave OF
nlaltts alone Nine. Calvk has done for Gounods
AMBROSE Thomass opera-made II source OK
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