The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-30

CONSIDERATION or CERTAIN
LYRIC PERSONAGES.
Something About Operatic Fathers With
Low vOices-W TenOrs Who Pose
and Sing high NOtes--(armens and
Amncrises or This and Other Periods
OF Lyric Art-A sopranos Hopes.

| The first week Of the opera season was
| not productive Of anything new OF artisti-
cally exciting on the stage. There was n
| revival of Rossini's II Barbiere di Siviglia,
which had not been performed for two
| years IL was most welcome. There we're
| signs of reform in the house programme.
| Charles Henry Mctzer, essayist, critic.
| dramatist, adapter of Haupt mann, IL now
the press agent Of the house. He is any
| thing but passionate. He has scholarly
tastes and he has introduced the custom
| of publishing the names Of the hbrettets
| Of the operas IN the programme ielIo"
| feeling makes us wondrous KIND. Mr.
| Melt2er is laboring under roseate delusioh
| if he fancies that the mars OF oTefagoers
| cares who wrote the ibretti which they
| do not read. but few thoughfful persons
will appreciate his work.
MIR Meltzer has also revived a discarded
custom, namely, that Of printing tho loca-
| lions of the acts, thus. Act III, A Room
| in DR. Rartoloe House" This IL elementary =,
but il may serve a purpose. The opera
house programmes. however, continue TO
| carry those big black advertisements who h
I ruin all the white gloves Complaints
| of this advertisement fill the air. but the
| tollll d'l II li'p"''' -" 49,
| advertisement stays.
| III. performances of the week enabled
| the sui scribers to get fair idea OF tn"
| character of the company. The ohiy pecu-
liaritv Of the first offerings was the scarcity
, of all works in French. Italian and German
| COMPOSERS ruled the time, with the balance
| largely in favor Of the Italians " was
distinctly Verdi week, with "Uello on
| Monday. Ada" on Thursday and ira
| yia,a" on Saturday Not the most clain"r-
ous advocate OF advanced ideas III operate
art could complain of such selection.
| The lyric version of La Dame AUX Ia
| mellias. To b. sure. belongs to the ancient
repertory ard it's barrel-organ tunes rattle
| in their empty in-inccrity. But 1t has its
| moments of genuine melodic beauty.
VIVA, would not some of the young Italian
| school. which makes such pother with
| i,s blatant instrumental colorings and its
| vry-pecked arioso give for the fresh ana
sv,.pirg inspiration of All, fop lui'
| and "s..mper libera?- Special pleaders
| for the old manner find also rare beauty
| i'm the music of the last act, and Terhais
| if one estimates il ar the accompaniment
| 10 the death of a musk scented heroine
Of achrvmo-c, hypocritcal hctioh' hhs
! lis claims to admiration. Bn II smells
| like the pearl-white crosses oil tureroees
| laid ON the coffin of some un'lmeiy deau
! daughter Of pleasure who never though'
| of crosses or spotlcss white III all her cie'h-
cred and crimson career,
| Still there will always be room Tor ira
yia,a" a. long as there is a Sernbrich to
| sing Iioiettd For her sake W. shail All
ba willing to tolerat" the IaC"-trmined
| la,yard Alfredo, and the ebonized old
| horn hi. father, with his everlasting "Dl
! provcnza," and his utter want OF SENSE
of hu,nor Bartones do not often get
| ch,n,,, To be- respectable fathers in these
! days They are too often required To be-
| Scarpias and lagos and Tonios. Even
| Amonasro I'll Re, and father OF A'dd,
was not quite respectable; for did he not
| induce his daughter to coax her pasteboard
| lover Radames 10 sell out his country! !
N,vert heless. when a baritone is father.
and r.spcctabe. there does not seem tn be-
any CRYING demand that he should also hr
a prosy old party with a half concealed
| shuttle and a lace handkerchief always in
hand. Old Germont would never surprise
any one il he should come on the stage with
| a top hat and an umbrella.
yiata" in these days means Sembrich.
| and one goes to hear the opera, just IA one
goes TO see Camille" for the sake Of the
| star Once a large and gorgeous woman
| went to zee Modicska as Camille. She
| sat in close attention till the last act and
then she leaned over the shoulder Of a
! certain old thea,regoer who CHANGED to be
seated Immediately in front of her, and
! said
"Oxcuce me- but viii you tell me vch var
Modieska?"
, Perhaps there are some visitors a, the
| opera who are thus in doubt IA 10 which IL
Sembrich. Think what deathless JOY
| could be poured into the heart of Bauer
| meister or Van Cauteran by being mistaken
| for Sembrichl
Verdi in his later period was represented
| by two Of the most splendid creations Of
| Italian genius. Can it be that the per-
| Torrance Of three of the works Of the Swan
| of Busseto in one week il the Verdi cycle
of which Mr.. Gran has 50 often spoken?
| Friday night was given over to the sacchar-
| inc period of Richard Wagner and -Iohen-
grin" was put forward in true German
| fashion Gadski, Schumann-Hei Antilles
| and Muhlmann held up the standard of
the fa,herland, while Bispham presented
| his AnR saxon Mdc0fW version 81 wicked
| Teirdmund and Edouard de Reszke lent a
| tingc of Polish accent and art TO the hist ORIG
| figure Of Henry the Fowler.
| 1t was Saturday night before a French
composer was heard Last evening Bizet's
| Carmen" was announced, II ought to
| be said right here that Camille Seygard,
| who was down for the title role. should be
| given an opportunity TO do II again on n regu-
| lar subscription night, not because she can
| oblitprate memories of Calvc but because
| she can sing and act the part with much
| skill and charm, and because she IL so very
! pretty, II II shame To make the opera
| box miss her.
The role Of Carmen is probably taken too
seriously by those who are fond Of dis
| covering many subtle and hidden meanings
| in all dramatic writing. No doubt the
| Carmen Of Merimfc was creature Of most
| complex nature; of April changes Of storm
| and stress, a woman to shake the foun-
| dations Of faith in an anchorite a veritable
| danger to any st. Anthony. But IL 1t true
that the Carmen Of opera is such being2