The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-22
AT THE THEATRES.
The NationnI-"Aidn.r

The advance announcements OF the brief
season of opera in the mother tongue
which Washington will enjoy this week
at the National Theatre contained so
many names of former members OF the
Castle Square Company that many be-
lieved the organization from the Metro
Dolitan Opera House was practically the
Well-known' popular priced band OF lyric
artists. augmented, of course, by num-
Der of experienced performers in the
standard operas. And for this reason it
was with feeling that may be termed
uncertain anxiety that many went to
the Rapley playhouse last night to listen
to Aida
The curtain had not been lifted five
minutes before the most critical of the
gathering began to sit up straight in their
chairs astonished and delighted with the
merits Of the performance of Verdi's
story of the Egyptians. The production
as regards the scenery and costumes
had familiar look. and were undoubtedly
rescued from the Grau storehouse for the
occasion, but the wearers of those gar
ments-surely they were not the metherly
old women from Italy who had formerly
worn them. And the male contingent.
too, They were not the familiar mani
mate foreign mechanics who had been
seen in the choruses of previous operate
productions on local stages. This Metro
politan chorus Is young and fresh voiced
and enthusiastic, and last evening actual
ly appeared to take an interest in its
work. The groupings were skillfully ar
ranged, and a good deal of praise is due
to the stage manager, Mr.. Temple, for the
excellence of his labors. The audience
was a decidedly enthusiastic one, and the
various well-known numbers VI the opera
were applauded almost without stint. The
orchestra was under the direction of Ar
mando Seppilli, who, by dint of hard
work, managed to keep his forces pretty
well together.
Aida" has never pro. ed a rema rkably
popular opera with the American people,
who have steadfastly refused to accept
it as a favorite composition, either in
English or Italian. The reason for this
may be found in the assumption that il
is not sentimental or bright enough for
the average patron of opera. There Is
very little of the exhibition of the tender
emotion of love in the best scenes OF the
drama. Radames and Aida have only one
duet and that is taken up with her en-
deavor TO persuade him 10 betray his
country and fly with her. The motive is
distinctly tragic and not in the least sem
timental Aidas duet with her father,
which is placed in the same act, is also
tragic in character, and IL is a generally
accepted fact in the theatrical world that
the parental relation does not command
wide sympathy when exhibited in the
drama One of the strongest scenes in
the opera is that in which the rivalry OF
Amneris is powerfully thrown upon the
dramatic screen The duo between the
two women is one of the finest pieces
of writing of its kind in existence, bat
the subject matter is not potent enough to
touch the popular heart. The whole OF
the scene of the return of the victorious
Radames pleases rather on account of its
pageantry and the immensely of its en-
semble effects than by It's real dramatic
interest. The last scene of the opera is
gloomy in the extreme. but it contains n
duet that appeals to the listener with
more force than any other, perhaps, in
the entire performance. The last notes
of Radames and Aida are surprisingly
beautiful and the situation is moving, hut
it all comes at the end of what is a 'ry-
ing tragedy. Musically considered, Aida"
is a masterpiece. and it will remain as a
monument to the genius of the grand cid
man of Italian opera"
Undoubtedly the most pleasing contribu-
ton of the opera was that of Philip Brozel.
whose Radames was an admirable effort.
The pleasure of the evening began almost
with the rise Of the curtain. when Brozel
sang Celeste Aida with most delicious
tone and an exquisite phrasing and warm
ing sentiment that made the rendition
notable among the best things OF the per-
Torrance. But it was in the third act
the great Nile scene. where he let his
voice really go for the first time. Verdi
has not written more beautiful or more
impassioned music than he has put into
this duo between Radames and Aida. and
last night with BroZel and Miss Strakosch
Interpreting il, the audience became al
most boisterous in its evidences of ap-
proval. And again in the great scene with
Amneris In the last act the tenor was
quite superb, while for once the lingering
sweetness If the last duet with Aida in
the tomb was not marred by false intona-
ton.
The Aida of Phoebe Strakosch was in
many ways n success. although when she
endeayored 10 use her tremoio she wan
dered into fields unknown to the score.
She has not 4 particularly pleasing per-