New-York tribune., 1906-12-18
MUSIC
OBSERVATIONS ON CURRENT OPERAS
Ine suppression of the Claque-"Don Clio
vanni' and It's Action

themselves with repetitions of operas produced
carrier In the season. 1t was like a moment of
pause a review of the troops before the pitched
battle planned for Wednesday and Friday evenings,
"heh Nerdls Egyptian trumpets shall sound the
alarm first in the Manhattan Opera House and
'heh In the Metropolitan. and the rival forces
ufe their strength in Aida" Mr.. Conred's opera
last night was La Boheme.' in which Mr. Carusos
claque did effective work on the second night of
'ile season; Mr.. Hammerstein's Don Giovanni,
winch had already had two representations in the
previous week and won success which was all
the more noteworthy because of the suppression
OF the claque which at the opening representations
had threatened to become a nuisance. Signor Cam
panini has slenced the bowling dervishes at the
lyric theatre in 34th street, and there the real
lovers of music permitted TO enjoy in peace
the privileges for which they pay. The reform Is
great one and will count much to the credit OF
Mr. Hammerstein. who seems heartily TO be second
ing the high artistic aims of his musical director.
The singers are not deprived of the stimulus of
applause. On the contrary, Sgnor Campanini
lets the listeners make loud and long
d demonstration Of approval they please.
but this DONE he does not set back the hands OF
the clock and foolishly repeat portion of the
play so that the of the groundiings may
be tickled anew. He will not do this, even in such
a concert in costume Don Giovanni degenerates
into at its chief lyrical moments. Mr.. Bonci may
come forward again and again. and bow his ac-
acknowledgements for the plaudts that follow his
singing of "Dalla sua pace" and 'Il mio tesoro,'
the airs. though they have no accompanying action
are sung when but the singer is on the scene,
hang together with nothing in the play. and might
be introduced in place we'll as in another.
As matter OF fact. the two airs deal with the
same sentiment. and the first was written to take
the place of the second which the representative
of Don Ottavo at the first Eiennese repre-
sentation found too difficult There was a
Signora Cavalier in that representation. and for
her Mi tradi luelP alma ingrata' was written
and interpolated for the opposite reason-she could
sing difficult music and claimed prma donna's
privilege of a grand air; wherefore she got the
piece of music which the overwhelming majority
of Elviras have made shipwreck ever since. A
coincidence: There Is a Cavaeri at the Metro
potan Opera House who could not sing Mi
tradf quelr alma ingrata' If she TO try. and
whose vocal art is nothing compared to Mr..
| Boncrs; but Madame Cavalieri may repeat as
often and long she please so Signor Cdruso
be at her side. There concert airs in
Fedora" for Giordauo's music is not cut to-
formal lengths with phrase and period and sec
ton; but there is a duet in which the mortar
vengefulness of a woman whose betrothed husband
has been murdered is turned into love for the self
confessed murderer. 1t is of the few moments
in the play in which music comes into its right as
the celebrant of mood that calls for lyrical utter
ance. Twice the opera has been given, and twice
the respecters of dramatic proprety have been out
ragged by seeing the theatre redarkened. the cur
tain reraised on a scene once concluded. and been
made 10 witness how the hero and heroine OF the
play inflated themselves with the emotions
TO which they had given utterance in tones that
were still burdening the atmosphere. Last Satur-
day this was done such slight provocation that
a litter through the audience and the absurd
itv of the performance reached even the singers.
who were more inclined to laugh than to sing. II
this goes on shall the music lovers not soon begin
TO ask Where does the spirit of art abide!
There has been no opportunity thus far to praise
the stage management at the Manhattan opera
House. Even in Carmen a large portion of the
busting activity of Choristers, supernumeraries ana
dancers was mere picturesque parade without sig
nidcance in the drama and might have been intro
duced in any spectacular extravaganza The street
urchins, in uniform, march ahead of the soidlery'
and their song is sung by the women of the chorus
standing as spectators In the last act the cumu-
latiye picture described in the songs OF the popu-
lace is built and there is a deal OF alto
gether nonsensical marching and countermarching
by people who make for nothing in the play They
do these things better, ncomparably better at the
old house. Not much is TO be expected in Don Go-
yanni" of course, and the commendation bestowed
on the ballroom scene after the first performance
bv this reviewer though qualified. went beyond the
deserts of the achievement 1t was intended 10 be
praise for intention which was good and there
fore praiseworthy. Only once within the memory
of the present generation of operagoers was large
and sincere effort made to realize Mozarts wishes
in this scene That was at the Metropolitan Opera
House. in 1889 under the artistic consulship of
Anton Seidl. Then there were three galleries for
musicians who played simultaneously the three
dances which Mozart introduced In the music: but
the choregraphic design contemplated by the COM
poser and indicated by him in the score was not
carried out The evidence is in the autograph man
uscrpt of the opera. Mozart took the hint from
Don Giovanni's song. 'Fin-chhan dal Vino In
which Ieporello receives his instructions for the
approaching festivity In 1T occur the verses
senza alcun ordne.
La DANA sia:
Chill minuetto.
Chi Ia folla.
chi Talemana
Farai baltr.
Mozart took the hint, wrote a minuer' a contra
dance and \ German Iiindler, and gave stage di-
ractions in the score according to which Don OF
tayio and Donna Anna were join the quality in
the n1inuet Don Giovanni was TO lead Zerlina into
the contra dance. and, on the entrance OF the
7 Ts,,1lar which has a waltz movement. "Leporeo
danza la Teitsch con Masetto In the ilrs' SedSoh
AT the METROPOLITAN had two bands on the
e,aga which seems TO be the Italian convention,
rut M attenpt TO reproduce the real character Of
tho dances Perhaps expect the opulence that
Mozart conceived would be to expect too much
Rut can we not have a halfway proper finale Tor
tho onera2 In the model performances at Munich
tho original conclusion has been restored and the
stage manager relieved of all worriment about a
en4ctacular close At the Metropolitan Mr.. Grau
raised smile which ought 10 have been sulaW
~, ending the music where it has always ended
death of the ibertine), but discovering back drop
,,.i,b tho concluding measures, which were pict
,,rad what seemed to be the multitude of ladies'
,rboea names had gotten themselves into Leporel-
1o,e list And we have had other pictures equally
unnecessary and inept Why not go back TO the
oriripal book? 1t is "A long while since anybody
saw the little red devils carry off Don Giovanni TO