New-York tribune., 1900-10-02
MUSIC.
OPERA IN ENGLISH

Whether not last nights performance OF
Gounods Faust at the Metropolitan Opera House
mas a bearing on the question OF the continuance
of opera in the vernacular In the United States
question which better be discussed when the
season. which begun on this occasion has
reached a normal basis Last night there were too
many merely adventitiOus factors in the TO
permit of intelligent discussion. A few things may
be said. however. which may prohtably be borne in
mind during the coming weeks. One is that opera
in English Is good thing a bad thing, accord
ing as II is done: there is saving grace in the
vernacular of itself of necessity. Another Is
that 1t Is no novelty. There were brave men be-
fore Agamemnon. and tenors will In all probability
be singing 10 t'amo." 'Je vous aine' and '.Ich
hebe dich' in ten years from now while others
will be warbling Il love YOU with something like
the same melodic Infection the degree of pleasure
which the various utterances will give will de-
pend upon the excellence Of the singing and the
degree of culture taste and affection possessed by
those who listen
1t was In harmony with the traditions of the
metropolitan Opera House that Faust should
open the season. Gounod's opera is popular every
where; even the Germans like il. though they affect
TO believe that their veneration for Goethe is
so great that they owe 1t to his ghost to
call the opera ''Margaretha." But the music
sounds pretty much the same in all languages
which is to the credit Of the music and
its composer. What difference there may be
barring that which appeals to ears attuned
to the euphOny of the soft bastard Latin or the
declamatory virtues of French depends on the
performers. The theatre cannot do much one wav
or the other, and the Castle Square company
singing in the Metropolitan Opera House was stin
the Castle Square Opera Company. bettered by
slight infusion of material and marred by
loss In sorority in the case of of the old
vorftes of the American Theatre patrons. notably
Mr.. Sheehan who used to suggest a heroic mould
occasionally in the smaller playhouse. Over all
the representation, however. there spread
spirit of amiabity. which contributed largely to
e0iO ~ rha Sfo he friov de Of
Mr.. Savage's enterprise turned in fine force
They filled the house. they brought their oldtime
enthusiasm with them, and with a little help. ap-
piled somewhat injudciously at the outset. they
produced enough applause to give the affair the
semblance of artistic joyousness. Mr.. sheehan was
applauded decrepit old man. and greeted with
renewed plaudits when he changed his clothes
and wig. Yet the unaffected heartiness of the re-
ception which he received in former years in the
Eighth-ave playhouse was missing. It seemed as
If the audience thought that the slight change in
latitude and longitude demanded greater reserve in
behavior, which a mistake. METROPOLITAN
Opera House audiences are in the habit Of indulg-
ing in vast and unreasonable demonstrations. and
there need be hesitation on the part of the new
patrons of the old house. Let joy be unconhned
Three members OF last nights cast call for a
word of comment because they have heretofore
been strangers to New-YOrk audiences. Miss
Phoebe Strakosch was the Marguerite of the oc-
casion. She has a pleasing presence an uncOn-
strained bearing a mobile face, an experienced.
albeit conventional manner, and voice which has
been trained but is not remarkable either Tor
beauty or freshness Of quality Chauncey Moore.
one Of the company's many barytones. has light
voice and a wofulIy affected manner; he sang the
music allotted to Valentine. Clarence Whitehill.
a basso cantante far and away the best OF the
newcomers vocaIy and histronically. He knows
his art he knows the stage and In all that he did
he was In marked contrast with his amateurish as
sociates The other performers knc7't TO the older
patrons of the Castle Square companl, were MI
Sheehan CFaust), who has already been mentioned
F. 7 Bowie CVVagner), Kate Condor (SIebeD and
Della Niven (Martha). Signor Seppilh conducted
and the Walpurgis ballet was given for the hrsi
time since the old German performances in the
early history of the house