The sun., 1902-01-02
LIE NOzzE DI FIGARO"
Mozsrt's Immortal Masterpiece Sung at
the Opera Last Night.

lie Nozze di Figaro" was given at the
Metropolitan Opera House last night with
Emma Eames. scheff, Edouard de Reszke,
Tavecchia, Reiss. Bauermeister. Dufriche
Campanari and Marcella Sembrich In the
cast, Seppili conducted. Rhapsodies over
Nozart's masterpiece-is II a bull 70 say
that he wrote twenty such?-on the first
day Of the year 1902 seem rather sopho-
moric. Yet. what IN to be said OF an opera
that yields such vintage OF melodies. the
pure wine of sunshine and genius
The Marriage of Figaro" Is truly -the
edition dtfnitire OF the rhapsode's art. as
Harry Thurston Peck would write immor-
tai comedy married 10 immortal music =
that IL, II music. the most delicate and
evanescent of the arts is, ever immortal.
However, when tone work sounds as
vital, as charming: when its char acters
are as brisk and brilliant to-day as they
were over a century ago, then We may pre-
sumefor all criticism Is but prudent
presumption-that IL is deathless. And
in the newest hearing last night the old
magic was not missing from the score,
all Intoxicating, witty, dazzling score.
wearing the gracious, joyous mask Of
eighteenth century comedy.
composition that contains such lyric
treasures as Bortolos Vendetta aria,
Figdro's Non piu Andrai,' Cherubino's
"Voi che sapete' the delightful duo Cru
deli perche inora," between Aimdrird
and Susdnnd; the Counts -Vedro mentr'
10 sospro, the septet with its various psych-
ologies, the "Sull' Aria, the Dove Sono
Of the Countess, and Susdnnds Deb Fieni'
will not be soon forgotten, despite the
boisterous Clamorings OF music newly
come And consider the mastery char
"A ba D,tt tph naip #
the minor personages, the clearness pre-
served In the narrative tone OF the tale'
For a few brief hours we see before us as in
some enchanted cinematograph slice OF
life" as Zola has it, sparkling with the will
to-live, to love, to raise the very Old Nickl
MoZart's music is the wand that evokes
these wonders.
The performance was excellent; in spots
brilliant. Sembrich and Eames had to
repeat the Letter" duo and Campanari's
Non piu Andrai" won recall. FRITZ
Schef was a very pretty. cunning page.
Cherubino, though one could not find any
bgdto phrases in her Vol che sapete.
Edouard de Reszke's voice has recovered
from the fatigues of travel and his scene
in act three was delivered with telling effect.
After Eames sung Dove sono there was
80 much enthusiasm that she narrowly
escaped being forced to sing the lovely
measures again. Sembrich's Susanna was
a. charming as ever and she phrased Deb
NieniN with exquisite art. The Bdrtoio
was Tavecchia, whose vengeance area went
well Rauermeister was Mdrccuind, Du-
frche the drunken gardener, AntOnio, and
kaiss Bdsilio-both neat bits Of acting.
M Seppilli conducted throughout with
a nice rhvthmic sense and all due fnesse
in phrasing The overture was read with
spirit and the prompter was also in good
yoicp-indeed, far too resonant for the
integrity of the vocal score While the
Met ropoltan Opera House is not an ideal
auditorium for the Mozart works. vet
such a performance as that of last night
consoles the melomaniac for many OF the
ills of operate music. There was largo
audience