The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-06
FEDORA" IN OPERATIC FORM.
G~IORDANO'S VERSION AT THE
METROPOLITAN.


49,
MIR. CarusO Heard In n New Role.
Fedora" opera in three acts, lbretto
by Arturo Colautti, music by Umberto
Giordano, was performed last night at the
Metropolitan Opera House for the first
time in the United States. The libretto
il manufactured, after a custom Of these
days, from a play, the we'll known drama
Of Victorien Sardou 1t is a long time
since this play has been seen in New York,
and doubtless many have forgotten and
many others have never seen it. The
emotional elements of the story are quite
simple, though they are made 70 appear
complex.
Fedora loves a certain gentleman who
never appears in the action. He has been
MORALLY wounded at the outset and the
first part of the drama is taken up with
his death and Fedora's endeavor to ascer-
tain who shot him. She learns that the
slayer was Loris fpdnoU. She resolves to
be revenged and follows Ipdnor to Paris,
where she wins his love and his conf
dence and draws from him a confession.
She informs the Russian Government,
and then turns sorry, because she finds
that she has fallen in love with ipdnor.
Then Ipdnop tells her why he shot her
count. This count, on the eve of his mar
rage to Fedora, had relations with Ipdnou's
wife. The next complication is the arrest
Of IPdnoU's brother, caused by the letter
Of Fedora to Russia. Loris begs her to
help him find out who was the woman who
betrayed him. Finally she confesses and
kills herself.
Here is a story of blood, murder and
wicked passion not unlike that OF ~Tosca.'
That is to say, il belongs to the same class
of dramatic fiction. But II lacks the direct
ness and naturalization OF "Tosca." ~Fe-
dora is split up into too many episode
scenes. The score bristles with small
details of stage business. Never in the
whole range of Wagner scores can one find
80 many explicit commands TO the stage
manager, the artist and the supernumer-
aries. The dialogue, too, is broken up into
short and explanatory phrases, and this
is inimical to smooth and closely knit lyric
composition. We find ourselves here in
that domain of operatic composition where
dwell the first scene of La Boheme" and
the opening of the second act of "Tosca.'
The question to be solved in such cases
is how to bind together the various ele-
ments, and to accomplish this composers
usually AVE recourse to the unifying power
of the background.
III orchestra treads the path first blazed
composer never forgets that he must offer
his public melodies of the kind familiar
TO them from times immemorial. He may
declaim for a time, il he will, but he must
have the flowing cantilena. II is in this
fashion, of course, that GiOrdano has en-
deavored TO compose the score of Fedora"
But unfortunately the muse was coy
and supplied her Y~orshipper with only a
few dramatic ideas. The inventive power
of Giordano in this score seems exceedingly
meagre The few ideas he had were by
nc means striking. The best piece of
cantilena is that given TO Loris Ipdnor
in the second act, when he declares his
passion. This the composer subsequently
- -
FedoTG's act Of writing the fatal letter.
Last night it was played twice, once to an
empty stage as a sort of intermezzo and
again as set down in the score.
There is a rather effective duet to close
the second act, but il is chiefly declamatory
and there is room for wonder how il would
fare in the hands of a less influential singer
than Mr.. Caruso. His associate contributed
little to its effect.
The most ingenious, striking and
genuinely dramatic conception in the
opera is found in the employment of a
piano to accompany Tpdnor's confession.
The scene is a reception at Fedord's house.
A noted pianist consents to play for part
Of the guests, who surround the instru-
ment while Fedora and Loris sit on a sofa
on the opposite side Of the room. The
composer essays to contrast a brilliant
piana epiecs$w$@SN tNe ~eensahNaTd NbESkarN.
dialogue Of the two principals. The scene
is eXcellently conceived and well written,
but if Giordano had put his voice parts
over one of Chopin's tragic preludes he
would have done something more power
full. But then Mr.. Conried would have
had to engage Paderewski to make the
scene perfect.
It would not be profitable TO go further
into details in the discussion of this new
opera. The impressions of n first night do
not invite profound consideration or philo-
sophie discussion Of the work. Doubtless
the public will be offered at least one more
opportunity to hear Fedora" which has
certain reasons for a repetition.
One Of these will probably be found in
the presence here of Lima Cavallieri, the
soprano, who made her debut last night in
the title role. The production Of the opera
was probably due in a large measure 70 her
being a member OF the company. II is
hardly likely that Mr.. Caruso has been
yearning for an opportunity 10 sing Lioris
Ipdnpu, which is one of the most thankless
roles he has had at the Metropolitan. His
best opportunity came in the Amor ii
vieta =" referred to before. What he achieved,
in the duet at the end Of act II. was due to
himself rather than to the music.
Miss Cavalier justified her reputation
as a beauty. Her figure is exquisite and
her face a delight 20 see. Hell voice is a
light lyric soprano, very pretty in quality
but not rich or vibrant. IL has a good
deal Of tremolo and often runs TO UNI
pleasant shrillness, IL is quite unsuited
TO some OF the heavily accented declamatory
passages in Giordano's score.
Miss Alien had a comparatively small
role in Olga, while Mr.. Scott as DE Sirie1
disclosed himself in his salon costume,
walked about. looked very handsome and
sang creditably a very stupid Russian
chanson. Several members of the company
bad small parts and the chorus the smallest
of all. The opera was very handsomely
staged and the performance IA a whole
was good in respect TO stage management.
The or chestra discharged its duties ca
pably and Mr.. Vigna conducted with skill.