The San Francisco call., 1907-01-30
LAM BhRDIs SING
CHOPIN MUSIC
By James Crawford


written is not clearly explained by its
performance. 1t treats of certain in
cidents in the brief career OF the
genius whose name ii carries. bat the
librettist has adhered too closely TO
biography to imbue his work with the
dramatic strength that is no less es-
sential than either good music or eye
pleasing pictures to operate perfec-
ton. The quality OF the music goes
unquestioned fcr ii was composed by
Chopin himself. and tie staging given
the production by the Lambardis last
night at the Central Theater was Law
ish and historically accurate. But the
music, written for the piano. was more
hurt than helped b. orchestration-or.
it might be better to say. by instrumen-.
tation in which the brass choir and the
percussions were given altogether too
much leeway.
II the operatist, Orehce by name, had
taken the Chopin themes and arranged
them for an instrumental concert sole
ly his success might have been greater,
for neither. vocalismf f-especially in a
foreign langGag ge-nor spectacularism
is needed to clarity the meaning OF
the music. To ME the music of Chopin
seems always to suggest certain scenes
in his life. No other composers work
is so entirely part of his very soul-so
expressive of his own personal feel
ings, his own fancies, his wild fam
tastic and pathetic longings 1t is
overladen with sentimentality. Every
thing he wrote has it's tinge of mel
ancholy. a little undercurrent of NOR
bid feeling, which now and then breaks
into something that sparkles. but evap-
crates before all its lights can be f.
ly caught. Therefore to attempt the
construction of opera with such mate
rial was an audacious undertaking. for
opera demands wide variety of musical
expression And l am almost tempted
to say that to orchestrate Chopin is
PROCLAMATION. Delicate episodes which
sound gratefully on the piano cannot
be improved by thick. riotous treat
ment The transformation is likely to
turn poetic passion into sensuality.
Patti, in splendid vocal form, had
the title part in the production last
night. and he to look it sacrificed his
luXuriant mustache-a thankless immo-
lation. Through every scene he stalked
and lolled, sad figure, singing melan-
choly solo bits and occasionally find
ing opportunity to shout for the
'bravas" that were so scantily be-
slowed. Antola also was handicapped
by lack of chances to ventilate his
pent-up temperament, Latin and there
fore volatile. and Blanca Nunez sang
better than ever before, while Velia
Giorgi gurgled her music as usual.
Salvaneschi, Lambardi and Cannetti
were likewise in the cast but every
body else was overshadowed by Patti. |
Never did artist work more earnestly
to succeed and seldom has such con-
scientious effort met with more un-
reward. With Antola he
won a recall in the first act that mar
rowly escaped being an encore. bur |
they did 1t by a joint finale shout that |
was altogether out of line with |
Chopin. So far as that went, however,
Signor Orefice took even more glaring |
liberties with the original music. In |
iced. the advance notices frankly an
bounced that "one may also recognize
4 berceuse transformed into a love song
and one of the famous waltzes, differ |
entity tempoed, in the storm scene"
lust fancy the twisting a Chopin waltz
must undergo to make it even re-
notely suggestive of elemental dis
cord!
There were two really beautiful ef-
,ects in thetopera. One of them was
he duet between Patti and Giorgi that |
brought the curtain on the second act.
ts tender, soulful passages were charac-
Chopinesque, and even the /
obtrusiye blaring of brazen instruments
.ailed to mar its melody. 1t won the /
hing of beauty was the famous Chopin /
,erenade introduced in the third act. !
But 1t came from plano. Orefice dared
lot desecrate that imperishable gem by
it for Instrumentation.
Considering the fact that it was the
irst production of the opera here. the
attendance was surprisingly slim. 1
naturally expected that the magic title
II Chopin" alone would have drawn |
he dilettanti in great strength, but |
hey were not there. Even the piano.
playing maidens who rave over the
March were astonishingly alb
tent. And the Latin colony was sparse
y represented
lmpresario Lambardi knows his busi-
less better than any one else knows it,
'ut II l were equipped as he is with
| large repertoire of tried and true /
irawing cards / would indulge in no
more experiment with new and un-
Known operas. Some OF us remember
low La Boheme" was given its first
American production here and how It
an to almost empty houses quite n
while before it's charms were discov-
red and the box office began to pros
'er. And none of the novelties that
-ambardi has yet given us possesses
'ne-tenth the magnetism of the Puccini
masterpiece.
4