The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-31
AT THE THEATERs
Metropoiitan-ca astle Square Opera Com
pany In Carmen"

45 pdny III -'Cdrmen."
e Outside of the works Of Wagner it
would be difficult to find more perfect
example of the marriage of fssound to sense
than in the brilliant, the passionate, the ro-
mantle Carmen" OF Georges Bizet. In
deed, sBizet in the last years before his iun-
timely death. had been greatly Influenced
by Wagners theories of the music drama
and this, his .sWan-song masterpiece is
wonderful demonstration of the value of
those theories. But while Bizet adopted
the .tenets. OF his great German exemnlar
his music is his own Taking for the
framework the fiery tale Of Prosper Meri-
mees romance, he clothed it in music
that pictured Seville, its rOllicking SOL
diers, its coquettish cigarette girls, it's
tdauntless bull fighters and it's gay gypsy
smugglers to the life. iia.S M
Is His genius for characterization is we'll
illustrated in the contrast between the
sweet maidenly music written for the
pure and tender Michaela and the almost
5libidinous lilt OF the melodies sung by
the gay and heartless Carmen. Tolstoy
wrote a book to prove that music was inn
moral and cited the .tKreutzer Sonata to
prove 1t. If hes had listened to some of.
the songs OF this Spanish gipsy girl, he,
would have been confirmed lin his opinion.
And In all the range of musical literature
is there. more characteristic bit of de-
scr1ptlve writing than the resplendent
'"Toreador Song''2 f This matching of the
dramatic Intensity of the story with mu
sic full of appropriate color is what makes
Carmen" one ofs-the greatest of operas.
what the world lost when Bizet died a
few months aftersits production in Paris,
is matter for endless regret. 49, So T.
Inc castle SquaTe production Of "Car-
men at the Metropolitan last night was Il
rather enjoyable one7 while the cast con
eatt.eo no great cart1stsethere was compen-
witt n -xvy1,i ioIo +1,N duo
matte side Of the opera was handled, In
the picturesque and entirely adequate set
ting provided and in the use of English
throughout which added innneasurably to
the effectiveness Of the, story. The dainty
and rhythmic grace of some of the en-
tr'acte music was so beautifully brought
out by Director Emmanuel as to call for
special recognition from the audience.
Marian 1Vell was, of course, the Car
men and: in tn is. greatest of contralto
roles exhibited AN anticipated fitness for
the task. Despite a certain crudeness in
Miss Ivell's irnpersonatien,. and a lack of
that airy grace one associates with the al
Turing gypsy girl, she showed by the va
riety and appropriateness of her facial ex-
preston and gesture a keen appreciation
of the character. 4sThe frank fickleness of
the girl, her superstitious4 :fatalism, her
careless defiance Of, punishment, Of death
and of fate, and other phases of her pas
slonate character We're, strikingly realized
by. Miss Ivell. But she has not yet been
able to simulate the tsensuous grace in
walk and in dance of, the ideal Carmen.
Her voice, in spite, of q throaty attack,
was richly expressive and powerful. With
the improvement in method that will come
with study, there. is good ground for the
rosy predictions of her: admirers
Miss Rennyson delighted everyone with
her Michaela, a role which like Marguerite
and Elsa, is admirably suited to her sweet,
pure soprano and her naive and girlish
personality. The wonderful aria in the
third act was sung with such 1irnpidity
Of tone and such fresh and innocent fervor
as to win the most spontaneous tribute
of applause of the evening.
Mr.. Gherardi was the Don Jose and a
very effective characterization it was,
dramatically if not Vocally. His tenor
is neither powerful nor musical, his
chief fault being that in Intricate
passages or close harmony he does
not sing quite true. The toreador
of Mr.. Carrier was an admirable
impersonat1on, full Of buoyant bragadoccio,
but alas, his quavering barytone with its
fatal vibrato. made the great song, a dis.
good impression he has made by his SOL
dierly Zrniga, and Mr.. Fulton was, salts
factory as Morales o.. .! Mr.. Coombs as the
Dancairo and Mr. Ramsey as, the Rernen-
dado, added SSo5hhfs Tis5i]55frited touches 81
color fO'the scenes if1Tw9hicf The srnugglers
figure n Mr.. 'Coornbs' work IS especially
grateful Because, Unlike too many of his
colleagues, he enuncfates with perfect dis
tinctness' always. Miss Albright as
Mercedes and Miss Ramey. as Frasquita
rounded out the cast with well sung and
acted representations of these minor roles.
B.. rlsfn in: