The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-06
AT THE THEATERs
MetropoIltar--verdI,s "othello.

MetropoIitan-verdps "otheIIo."
Wagner and Verdi! Was there method
q the decision of the, management of the
savage English Grand Opera company to
open the Minneapolis season with the best
beloved OF the Wagner operas. and follow
4 with presentation Of Yerdi's "Othel-
o. The juxtaposition Of these two
operas and composers inevitably invites
comparison between the greatest expon-
snts Of operate art known to the musical
world. Yet comparisons are most diff
cult.
Wagner began his career as a. composer
at later period in the history of music
than Verdi. He was pulsing with life,
vigorF and originality, :, full of new and
strange ideas which he had the courage to
exploit in the world Of opera. He did not
allow himself to be hampered by pre-
cedents. On the other hand Verdi, born
In music-loving Italy, where melody
flowed like sunshine, and where his young
was nurtured on the music Of
Bellini. Don1zettl and Rossini. could but
follow In their footsteps. He was full Of
nelodic invention. Music pure and simple
flowed from his soul, without the cum
bering care of complex motifs, and the
cacophony of intricate Instrumentation.
For many years he chung to these Ideals.
Trovatore," 'Rigolettof' and "Traviata"
are the best examples of his earlier art.
Will TA1ud, however, the 1IidI1' dWone.
The use Of melody alone in the modern
opera, he at last realized, was not suffi-
Client. @{z4EE 50 ~
Across the Alps the works Of Richard
Wagner were giving rise to an entirely
new conception Of opera Armed with the
technical skill acquired thru years Of
composition, the Italian master studied
the new cult and "Aida," given to the
world at the age of IS, marked the begin
ming Of the career of the new Verdi as an
operate composer. Sixteen long years he
waited before his genius pluned itself for
another flight, and then came "Othello, !"
work ranking with the greatest Of the
quite on a plane with t.Aida,' thought by
many to be the greatest opera ever writ
ten.
In the libretto for "Othello," the Shaks-
perean original has been closely followed.
OF course, many Of the minor; incidents
have been necessarily eliminated. The
finale of the opera differs from that Of the
play, but in the main the story follows the
play to its tragic end AS staged and sung
by the Savage company last evening
"Othello' was an opera not to be missed.
The stage settings were beautiful and re-
alistic, altho the depth Of the stage at
the Metropolitan was not sufficient to per-
scenes, notably in the second act. AS a
whole, however, "Othello" was thoroly
enjoyable and satisfactory.
The opera abounds In recitative and
aria, the orchestral contribution being a
much more essential part Of the music
than In the earlier Italian opera, while the
chorus is relieved in considerable measure,
and in the last act entirely so. The work
Of the chorus Is notably good. The voices
are fresh and vigorous, and are used with
abandon. There is no singing off the key,
no preponderance of one part over an
other, no failure to respond to the baton,
and there is every evidence Of careful and
thoro training. It is joy to the heart to
hear such chorus work.
OF the principals, it would be difficult tt
say that any one Of them carried off the
honors. Mr.. Sheehan, as Othello, was
scarcely up to his usual high standard vo.
cally. His voice is, however, as true an6
| brilliant as last year and he sang with
much intelligence and feeling. He is ex
ceedingly dramatic, and in this respec
excel1ed his fellow artists.
I OF Miss Rennyson, as Desdemona, 1t !:
difficult to speak with satisfaction. II
/ say that she Is a thoroly capable artist
| is but giving her just praise. and the lis
| tener feels that she will acquit her
self with credit; that so far as she i
| concerned, the opera will run Its cours
without any contretetqps. Asa singer
however, Miss Rennysen in some respect
is not wholly satisfactory. Her method
Respectfully in that difficult register, tn
I upper mezza voce, leaHes much to be de
sired. One also feelsf as tho too grea
demands were being made upon her voice
In the piano passages she Is supremel
delightful. -> .~ .-.s w
| Winfred Golf sang Iago well. He has
fine physique, voice of excellent timbr
and extraordinary range, and a keen ap
+ probation Of the dramatic side Of tn
role. His distinct enunciatton is a de
light. It seems a pity that the idea G
lagos perfdy can not be carried Out
without the aid of such villainous make
up as Mr.. Golf uses. It is to be pre-
sumed that lagos wickedness was {
spirit only and that the idea need not b
carried out so repulsively in appearance
AS it is, Mr.. COTS Iago is as hideou
personally as he makes it histrionicall.
Miss Newman made a pretty Emil
and acted the part well, altho In her sing
ing she suffered in comparison with tn
leading principals. The same may ais
be said of Mr.. Pattou as Roderigo. M
Fulton as Cassie was good in the drunke
scene, but distinctly i'll at ease when h
donned his white silk doublet and hos
Mr.. Bennett as Lodovico, the embassa
: dor of the Venetian republic, has a fin
voice, but has much to learn in the dc
tails Of operatic art. Chevalier N. I
, Emanuel was an eminently satisfaction
conductor. Howard Boardman.
Famous Ballads In bohemian Cir
f-L~k