New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-24
FIRST NIGHT OF OPERA.
Brilliant Opening of the Season at
the METROPOLITAN.


little different application than usual The brill
fancy, Ear as Il was noteworthy. was found in
he externals OF the occasion This is not 20 say
hat the performance seIl al all short Of expecta-
ions. but those expectations were not unusual
WIN Nine. Senbrich IN the role. an ideal GIda was
r matter OF course; could not expect anything
N that direction except singing and acting that
would delight the senses OF sight and hearing and
meet all the dramatic requirements OF the
one-a Curiosity had been piqued by stories
- ne admirable artistic qualities OF Signor
Ca-uso. the new Italian tenor; but ''F2igoletto'
- not the terors orera. but the bary-tCne's, and
n Ire role o. the Jester the audience heard Signo-
SCOTT an established favorite. There prom
Use TOO, O. an enlarged orchestra. a reformed and
-efuvenated chorus, and a conductor, but
these things play small roles n the operas Of the
cd hurEy-gur6y list. What remains belongs TO
The spectacle-the scenery the rsfurhished audience
room and foyer. the gathering. with It's air OF en-
s,vmeut. gorgeous attire and its demonstrations
q approval Here everything was al THAI the
most excited fancy. long kept on edge by mana
re-isl promise and description could have painted
g. The house wore gala dress The boxes we're
gorgeous settings OF richly dressed and goWnea
groups o. men and women: the heavy E1ideo 2corl-
rrents q the rev prosceuium arch. disposed as a
real frame for the picture the stage. might nave
appeared ungraceful and cumbersome in a smaller
room but in the spacious theatre in upper Broad
way they seemed Just IN proportion bringing the
vast dimensions within reason. ESTABLISHING 4 ions
needed intimacy between the distant parts mus
heiEhtenirg the general effect Of social gaSety ana
artistic Scvousness. a more numerous auolellos
could not have been crowded within the walls;
tandsorer one could not have been gathered To-
cethe- anywhere; ole more susceptihle 10 tne
re-su-sble offerings % the occasion collo not DC
irnaEf-ed But all these things can be read OF else
where 20 better erect. Here another purpose IA1St
he pursued. .s
TIE artistic ambitions and aims OF Ny conriea-
-he new director % the opera. are Vldeiy A-o"-
The ability Of himself and his forces couio 10,
~
should judgment be attempted with every eLlIs'i-
feature Il az experimental state " I-al =
enlarged orchestra in Nerdis opera SlH'ts
arencv for accentuating the vulgar ana oT4=~l-'
Use o. noble instrument? Nhat Voulo oe
,-.u 5-es,=d and drilled chorus but an object OF
6e-isioa n view OF the music which y mas 70 s'e
..Rigoletto" woul6 not be "RiEoletto' II il were
taken cut o. the old rut Of operate conVentloraS
50 far as the orchestra was concerned II was ire
,,,.,rrv TOO large 100 loud blatant last night
T3ut here again criticism must Re KIND there mas
not Vet been tiIue Tor al adjustment o. the ne"
conditions. There was new conductor sisnor
r--uso mainly q competent jealous, mastery
ie-5r- b,.t one strange te hls surroundings, whose
st-.tuse vas o. necessity tentative. We shall know
more c. his artistic powers later. Again Il Is wise
h. wait though hopefully.
arr-e Ssnbrich has 50 long been the most perfect
,er-esentative Of Terdis heroine known 70 New
y0-ks opera goers that - would seem 10 - waste
~ TINE attempt again 70 sum Up her e&ce--e1ces
vs--a the walls of the Metropolitan opera House
associates IN TIE role but only three that could
~ any stretch OF the imagination be called her
rivals and the rivalry Of Mines. PaJu, Gerster
so Nelba was Of the sort which served better
thar the Efforts 81 the ether aspirsnts 10 make
te- triumph Iustrous Back il the second season
Fl Tie house there vas the German Gilda OF Nine.
Schroeder 5ar1stzzgl, which told of brave effort
m the mart Of a highly accomplished artist 10
overcome the incubus which national style anc
national notions touching dramatic representations
forces urcu he-. Then there were Aloani ano De
wee and Juch. JsnuschoW-sky a Singular expert
r-errg and others whose names have gone into Cd
Htio- u warmth Of voice, IN ability 10 make heE
tones hoh IL tei- quality and their urtersnce, re-
Eeet she sweet Inneoency Of the character, Nine
Ge-stsr reached out GPpeahngly and wiHnlAgly
f8- the admiration AID sympathy OF her hearers
rrt II has been reserved for Nine. Sembrich alone
o. suggest Ia voice in song, il person and n acton
.-esre rose &c grace 81 6e v-Erite,' around which
Hugo planted the noXloas weeds and laeerat-ig
tfo-us bis story. The representations OF
o-ue. Pa-ti and Nine. Media were brilliant con
cert room performance. union q exquisite
-of~ez with finished vocaIization; but d-amat-
t-aIv bloolless. There IRE many things, indeed II
which Nine. SeRb-tch stands alone among the
singers OF her kind she Is not merely q vocalist
Nature gave her the gifts and graces which are
necessary in a. exemplar OF the old art or beaut-
rul SINGING but the same time gave ner nature
of exqlisely sensitive dramatic hbre-one that be-
c9rn@s trenulcusly vibrant and responsive 20 every
breath o. passion IL be not q The heroic order
-ae storms which rage through the lyric drama OF
The Germans or the turbulent young italian school
would crush and shatter her. When singing the
music - The eighteenth century she Is simple
Elc1z-. what charm she ADDS 10 the mere beauty
O. TIE phrase itself comes frcr her exhibition of the
art ~ voc1l.z1tou which makes perfect Utterance
a. the phrase possible matter how complex
and c.-lcult II may be- and AZ artists conception
~ l-s essential loEtuess . is thus that she snss
the purely Lyric measures q Mozart and the vocal
CCguCrres q Rcssni and DCr-ZetC- Strangely
enough The passion q: Terdrs Gida and Nioletta-
uot violent ike that Of OF his o-her chorac-
tiers. sends o. additional warmth into her
voice Meudelssoh1 once remarked OF Jenny Lind
that IL singular that she should prefer 10 ap-
pear 81 bad theatres 70 good ones. and stag poor
music best The remark would not apply 20 Nine.
seCbrfch l- either cf its phases Verbs music is
poor music nor she sing II better than she
Goes THAI OF Mozart Each genre finds IN her a fin
ishfl expos tor and II she touches The heartstrngs
ir the later mere than IN the former, she makes
amends 70 the names % Tie older master BY 6is-
closing Row much beautiful i his music with
its appeal 70 the srhetic rather than shall
low feeling.
-E.goLetto" IS not tenor's opera, has been
Sid. but signor Csruso. the newcomer. cid what
De could 70 make il SO. ne was musically the
finest Duke that NeB-Eork has heard for genera
tiCa. Nine seubrlch thus had worthy associate
LAST year siguor DanI had suffice her ana the
public. Before that she sang with Sslignac
Nelba had done, who stu earlier had 10 be con-
Te-r with Russtauo. Patti alone mad fine artist
to second her en0rts-signor RaEell. Of gracious
memory sigaor Caruso has many q the uresone
Ital-z- vocal atectations. ana when he neglecss
~ cover his tones. a ne always Goes when lie
becomes strenuous. lis voice becomes Palld. But
1e iE generally manly singer. with q voice that
Is tree ~ fine quality and marvellous endurance
-Iat ia Donna Noble was permitted 10 pass
Ni-h but single repetition was cue 70 the apathy
q tie audience. Re had a gratifying reception