New-York tribune., 1906-12-02
M USIC'.
YESTERDAYS OPERAS.
"T'rGUiata" and "Romfo ct JuHette. Z"


conred's forces effected their first appearances
The operas were Verdrs La Traviata," in the
afternoon and Gounod's Romeo ct Juliette, in the
evening. The incidents which call for mention in
review Of the matinee were the temperance or
Nine sembrch in OF her most brilliant roles,
the debut OF barytone named Stracciari as Giorgio
Germont, the absence OF clsque for which there Is
never room at subscription matinee), the cir
cunstance. which may be related to this like cause
and effect. of the appearance upon the stage of
Sisnor Csruso without a welcoming hand and the
presence in the directors box Of NJ. Camille
Saint Saens. 70 whom the orchestra headed oy
signor Vigna, paid the compliment OF fanfare.
which the great French musician acknowledged
by rising and bowling TO tho musicians most po-
htely. The new barytone resembled in one respect
the new tenor, Soubeyran. who caused something
akin to CONSERVATION in the evening. Both gentle
mon nave voices which painfully afficted WIN
the trenlolo their airs sound like the organ scios
OF country organist fond of his trenulant stop
that he has pulled it out and broken IL of SO that
its ravtshnaents may be uninterrupted throughout
the service Aftsr this point OF union, however,,
the paths OF the gentlemen diverge. Sgnor Strac-
ciart is dignifed OF presence and has voice which
is tolerable even under abuse He may even ind a
field Of usefulness IN Mr.. Conrieds forces N
soubeyran will scarcely achieve that much unless
chastisensnt OF his patrons in for their gen.
erosity Is part Of the directors plan OF campaign
Last night the chastisement endured because
OF the feeling Of sympathy excited for Miss Bessie
Abott, who had enough her mind in having
stimulating influence still felt by those Of
there were any in the house, who had been
present when the opera was opened last Monday
1t was a pity that the young artist was fettered
TO such companion-one whose vicious tntona-
ton marred the music, and whose unpleasant
quality of tone sophisticated her always delight
rul voice In the afternoon Signor Stracciart was
little moro than a foil 10 Nine Sembrich, his be-
setting vocal sin serving only TO lift into higher
reller the ravtshing purity of both her voice and
her style Never has she sung exquisttely,
with more abandon more hriiancy. more feeling
than yesterday Not even Signor Caruso could
equal her in the passages which Violetta and Al
fredo have in common; but Sgror Caruso
not in perfect voice. Their companions In the
cast were Miss Mattfed. Annina. Mrne. Jacoby.
es Flora Bervoise. Mr.. Bars, Barone DUphol;
Mr.. Dufriche Dottor Grenvil; Mr.. Regu6.
Marchesa d'Obigny. and Mr.. Paroli, Gastone.
The performance of Gounod's opera in the
ing brought three changes in the cast given
last Monday. Miss Abott sang the part OF the her
oine and sang II for the first time in America:
NJ. Soubeyran, who must not detain US more, was
the Romeo, and Miss Poehmann the in
place OF Nine. NeuendoFn. With three prina
donnas in the company who have Julette in their
repertories there seems be no why
Gounod's opera should not, in case of emergency.
play the part which score of years used to
fall II Trovatore." It can be substituted for
another opera at moments notice in of need
The thought calls up some reminiscent reflections.
Until April Is. 1884, Gounod's opera had not
ceved q performance in New York since 1855 when
Max Maretzek produced it with the then youthful
Minnie Hauk the sweet maid In the first season
Of opera at the Metropolitan Opera House it was
announced by Mr.. Abbey, with Nine. Sembrtch
Juliette. First there came postpouement OF a
week to asow time for further rehearsals; then,
when the time came, there substitution OF
II Trovatore' because Of the illness Nine
Sembrtch. Meanwhile Colonel MapIeson al the
Academy announced IT, and kept his word
the work beiSg sung on tie date given above
bini and others. After German opera hai
run it's course at the Metropolitan Opera House
and French opera had taken its place beside Italian
with such fine interpreters as Nine MeIba Nine.
Eenes and the brothers de Reszke the opera be-
a prime favorite and has remained such ever
since. In popularity IT has never come anywhere
near Faust" however. The kind Of popularity
enjoyed by that opera ever since 1t saw the light
Of the stage lamps Is extremely jealous OF
its object. and It has done to prevent
any Of Gounods operas that followed it, ex-
cept Romeo ct Juliette" from winning sue
than any other influence 1t would. indeed
have been strange If the genius that created such
transporting love music in Faust should have
utterly failed in the treatment OF a story which
makes the most powerful OF all appeals to that
genius; which, in fact, is long love duet,
tanning all the accents Of the sweet passion from
Its first tnd whisperings TO Its despa1ring agonies
It is true that IN part of the opera does Gou-
mods inspiration reach the plane which the
garden scene IN Faust moves easily: but that
music TO the composer IN one OF those bleSt
moments which lift even genuses Of the first rank
(of which Goun ID not) high above the ordinary
level OF their creative work, and which seldom
oftener than once In a lifetime. Romeo et
Juliette no Faust" but it is beautiful opera
and according TO the taste OF the time In which
Il arose and which still endures, the finest lyrical
version which Shakespeare's tragedy has yet
ceived That is saying 4 good deal, for Romeo
and juliet" has been worked over by musical
posers oftener than all the other Shakespearian
dramas put together. However, 1t were idle to
p,rsue this line of comment for the older
generation Of operas goers can recall other oper-
attic version OF the play than Gounods, except
BenFs "Moutecchi Capuletti' and fragment
from ths Marquis d'Ivry's Les Amants de We
rome"
Romeo and Juliet" accepts operatc dress
gracefully The ball in the house of Capulet, with
tt incident NJ the first meeting OF the lovers the
subsequent scenes of the lovemaking in balcony
and chamber, the catastrophe and the final recon-
citation OF the warring families Uhe last utilized
in operatic style by BeroZ in his dramatic sym
phony. but ignored by Gounod in his opera, seem
as II made for music. 1t is true that when
think OF the dialogues between Romeo and Juliet
no music that has been consorted with words
can take the place OF Shakespeare's melody; but
still the done to the poet when this tragedy
is turned into a lyric drama Is much less than
whan the same experiment is tried Hamlet"
the essence OF which IS beyond conventional
operatic expression, and outside the do
main OF music in its absolute forms-though
here composers OF the Richard Strauss type will
probabl disagree with US Nevertheless the
dialogues which seem to invite composition
give ii pause in spite of Gounods
exquisitely impassioned phrases, it be said
that the passion Of the lstarred lovers has found
much eloquent expression in the instrumental
love scene of Berlozs symphony than il can he.
at least ever been. in vocal duet. The French
svrnuhonist's instincts not always safe led him