The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-17
NINE, EAMES A GENTLE TOSCA
FIRST PERFORHI rms SLi-
son or TIfE OPERi.
PucclnIs Most Familiar Work. and It's
Array OF Bells In the First Finale
Mr CaruSO as coping CaNaradosSi
MIR ScOttl'S Excellent ~carpla.

Puccini's -To.ca' had it, first perform
ancc Of the current season at the Metro
poitan Opera House last night The
opera is now accepted in this country as
one of the best wor H. of IT. composer.
There is tolerable amount OF good com
position in the score but perhaps not quite
as much a. the Italians believe there Is.
It is a dull time in Italy for Bolto long since
ceased 70 be significant factor IN the
world of music. aud Puccini Maacagni
and Laoncavallo alone uphold the standard
Of Tuscan glory
That they do not hold II very high -
demonstrated by the consistent failure OF
Masoagni to produce anything riVallng
his brutal -Cavalleria" in strength and OF
Ieoncavallo to rise again To the level OF
his ingenious -Pagliacci
Both Nascagni and Leoncavaiio appear
t. be 7ingle-speecA Hamilton, Puccini
alone Offers several OPENS fer continual
consideration. Two of them figure in the
doings at the Metropolitan Opera House
where his "Manon' also might readily find
acceptance.
A. for -Tosca it Is an interesting work,
in which genuine skill in the elaboration OF
a score bristling with leading motives -
partly obscured by the theauicalism OF
some of the episodes. The finale OF the
first act /. a power OF sound, and il Is an
intentional departure from the text Of the
original drama OF Sardou into the realms
81 the glittering operate pageant W ag-
ner and his bells in "par7llal- are here out
done with vengeance
Theatre LClT
How they chatter. chatter. tAailrr
WIN SOUND lhal dgro NOT matter.
tlulI kCtuluW empty Ltnt
with tie base drum D. thlS chine.
Helping out the general 'luudcr th"' 80 Powerfully
FrSn the ,rimpc,s aud Tie 'rombour> That's
tie business ot the bells,
uc.i,. bells, bells
add bells" TO please the taste and then
ring down the curtain
There are some fine tits of vocal melody
in this score and some good pieces Of or
chostral coloring But when all j. said
and done the drama Of Sardou supplies the
finest scenes IN the work Puccni ha- set
them to effective but hardly great music
Nine. Fame- has long cherished an h1n-
orable ambition 20 be dramatic 'Opr7uo.
She now sing, diih and Fosc1 with equal
passion The same beauty at tone, perfect
-moothness Of emission elegance OF style
and general polish arc found IN h"r treat
mentS of the voca parts of hr two operas
II was difficult to believe ~ The despair
of her .iidd % Is equally hard 70 believe
that the T0scd Of her Imagination would
be- 20 rude "a, 10 a. 'aul' au unprotected
| male with carving knife >natohed from
his own table We are filed with painful
! astonishfnent when We observe her IN
what looks like an outbur-t Of mere temper.
and AJAX ourselves Silh virgil. IdHGRt
oniniis cnlestttJs D. q
Mr. Caruso's CGrdrGdgssi IS much better
now than it was when he tr~t presented
it here that is according 10 American ideas
of such impersonatious lie sings the
music with great beauty Of tone and ~th
much passion Probably be- would excite
the enthusiasm Of fewer of his own country
tner. and Kin the admiral iut 81 more Amer
leans if he would omit the weeping from
the solo in the last act tie -inC7 II 80
we'll that he could get along without the
tears. His defiance Of SchrPl1 ia Act /
was superb
MIR. Scot;is Scdrpid Is uow familiar
acquaintance It L. one of the most artistic
of this barytone's many artistic Impair
sonations Mr.. Rnssi l. merely acceptable
as the sacristau Mr. NiEna. who conduc.
this opera docs not squecze all the juice
out OF the first act finale nor does he
always show perfect sympathy With the
singers The orchestra discharged is
share Of the evenings duties creditably