The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-01-14
MUSIC AyD MUSICIANS.

There Was never a time when the prospects
TOT a season OF opera In English seemed less favor
able uhan at present The question oi language
IN The opera has been settled 10 u large extent at the
Metropolitan during the past few seasons This
great works u the operate repertoire are sung
In the language In which they were wnttsn.
wagner In German. Gounod IN French, Verdi
IN Italian this IL the rule to-day. and II is doubt
iuli any more artistic result Is possible, These
operas translated into English might be compre-
heislble Ia some Of the audience, although there
has never been any evidence NJ far that American
SINGERS enunciatng their own language could
deliver 1t with distlnctness enough " make II I'M
I"rtdht in what tongue they sng EnunciA-
hoh Is IN fact one Of the points In which all Amer
lean singers, except a few of the greatest, are
very weak. The language is not adapted TO
singing, as William Shakespeare explained in
ms recital last week. New York audiences do
not concern themselves especially over the plots
oil operas, and the mere fac, that the works were
sung in English would not especially appeal
To them. Opera in English at the cheap-prced
theatres has been profitable enough, but it is
doubtful II 1t con be extended into anything like
a permanent institution. In case the scheme
Is successfully organized, II is proposed 10 ask
49, " '' Y hihI ITIlbI ldHaf Fluul w l'H
no" demanded On Saturday nights by the Maurice
CTau Opera Company. II is extremely doubtful
y the public would be willing 10 pay these prices
int the kind Of artists II would be invited u hear.
They might b. capable, but IL Is scarcely 10 be
expected IN view Of the field from which 1t is in
tended To draw them that they Will be superior 10
thr arusts who appear at the Metropollla an at the
Saturday, evening performances In II Troya-
ture' hllgnon,' and "l.ohengtln," for example.
the casts have been good as a whole, but the au'
dlences have not been very large Even the
llDIC Which luks lie tickets nj half The TpyulAf
prices Will crowd the theatre only when some OF
the more famous performers are 10 sing "l.ohen'
sriG was given TN; year in German, I'll TI%ya.
original languages. No higher standard could
he imposed and no other operate theatre in the
world could have provided performances in this
way. II Is extremely doubtful II the mere cir.
cumStance that they were sung in English would
have made them the least bit more interesting 10
tn" public. Opera in English certainly does
not seem one Of the things that New York stands
IN need of 10 day
The attitude Of local audiences toward new
works has often been mentioned. but IL is neyer,he-
less interesting 10 observe its difference from that
Of all European cities. Here the new work does
not even draw one large audience. and two per
formances are rarely attempted. In Europe eA-
acty the opposite is the case. A novelty pre-
scented under the proper circumstances is certain
TO attract the public to hear II. Just how much
1t attracts people depends in a measure on the
reputation of the composer and other circum-
stances Of the performance. Blu, the first audience
is nearly certain to be a large one. The people
may never return, The piece may disappear from
night But the interest in a novelty is always
sufficient 10 draw one large audience. Here the
public keeps away, and the large audience al the
Metropolitan on Monday night was due rather
IL the appearance of Mines. Sembrch and Calye
ihan 10 any interest in Don Pasquale." But as
the performance advanced the delight OF the audi
ence was evident, and the evening ended in an
enthusiasm which brought the singers before the
curtain repeatedly, Although Don Pasquale"
Is essentially an ensemble opera. with its duties
about equally divided among the four characters,
Nine. Sembnch has made no greater personal
tnumph than in this little opera Of Donlzetu's.
For the hrst time she appeared here with blond
mar, and her quaint seventeenth-Century cos
tunes were beautiful in color and design. Her
aclng was eIqpisitely efieryescent and spirited,
and her voice never sounded freSher and lovelier
In quality. Her NuCalizatiun was, 81 course,
beyond all praise. Such singing ~ hers is hentd
but rarely IN n lifetime, The delight 81 the audi
ence was ma infested most genuinely in the sudden
interest in the story. ON every side were heard
curious interpretations Of the action, and the cor
rdCtS buIZed with mistaken accounts " the pro-
cc"dIngs On the stage. II might have been more
10 the credit ~ the audience n these nhrrations
had shown greater familiarity with the story ot
Dunlzetu'S opera. As il was, they proved only
that q New York operate audience had been
awakened TO enthusiasm by an unfamiliar work.
The announcement that Aida" is to be repeated
this week, with Nine, Eames in the uue role,
may be accounted victory for the American
singer, who Is thus enabled 10 hold possession Of
the role for another performance. and 80 far as
this season is concerned, 10 derive about all the
honor possible from participation in the perform
ance oi Nerdis opera. 1t will in all proba bllity
he repeated, and then no doubt Nine. Noriica,
who has been 20 all Iutents and purposes the only
Add Of recent seasons, will be heard once more
IN the opera. But by that time all the glory to
b. got out Of assocIauOa with the Performance
will be exhausted, Nine. Nordica urged that.
as the singer 10 whom Aida had fallen for several
Years, II was at least her nigh to sing IN the second
representation Of the work, So long as the role had
been taken wa from her by the management
merely 20 hand IL over 10 another singer in the
company, Nine. Eames contended, ON her side,
that 10 sing the role but once and then 10 have il,
given 10 another singer for the succeed! ng per-
formauce would work damage TO her reputation.
Thetwoladies urged their cases with some warmth.
The PROGRAMMED Tor neNtfnday nights the sequel
10 tins discussion, Interest may be added to the
question Of her repertoire and that II Mime Eames,
by the knowledge that Nine Nordlca is prepared
10 sing httg.tadc. allie, Calye is once more at
~ VI ' 'N'''' ti'A ma Nllk lHt I1Tt III
French, although II is difficult to see how her voice
could possibly be made To respond 10 the neccsslues
IT the role. The Illness Of Mile. Tetuinl leave,
the company without an exponent Of the role IN
French. Nine. Nordica has never been willing
To study the role in any other language than ltaT.
ian. Nine, Sembtch. who has never yet learned
that aruSts are usually appreciated Ii in some m atters
here more ~ ratio 10 their pretrnsluns than their
abilities, consented to learn MdrVuerits'S text in
French, although she dc,csts the part and has
hitherto sung II only ~ Italian Mile Calye viii,
Of course, sing the rolA In French. Me 'Tcmiua
has as yCl no idea whom she Will be able L. sing
Ii il said by the physicians who have been lre, /
ing her that her trouble Is nervous, and
that the affection u the larynN is due to ar afIec.
ton Of the nerves OF the face and not To uhr Amen.
can climate. She Is 81 renal here somewhat
longer than she intended a few weeks ago. as Il
Is too late for her 10 make her German engage
men Is for the winter and she is as likely to recover
from her embarrassing ~a'llictiou quite as soon
" the United states a. IN Germany. To Nine.
Gadski will fall the Wagnerian roles which Mile.
Ternlna would otherwise have sung. exec pting
iSOldc. Nine. NurdiCa will uow have nobody 10
dispute with her the Possession Of that heroine.
unless Mile. Ternlna RECEIVERS.
Nobody who saw the last two performances
If lie Prophete" given at the Metropolitan Orera
$780, IN 4. ---tt a - -.