Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-29
"Madama Butterfly" Last Night.

The opening of the brief grand opera sea-
son at the Belasco Theater was most aus
picious in every respect. Mr. Conreid's song
birds were welcomed by an Overlooking
house. and the audience was brilliant and
embraced representatives of every phase of
official, diplomatic and social life. The
opera selected for the opening performance
was Puccini's setting of the tragic story of
John Luther Long and David Belasco,
Madame Butterfly" This had been heard
here before as rendered by Mr. Savages
English company, and so the audience was
generally familiar with the story and there
was not the fiutter of libretto leaves so fire.
quently heard when Italian opera is sung.
The chief interest centers in Iieut
Pinkerton, United States naval officer
and Cio-Cfo-San, Japanese tea girl, whom
he marries and then deserts when he is or
dered away. These two characters sustain
the burden of the music and action al
though there are other interesting charac-
tiers, such as Sharpless, an American con-
sui; Suzuki the Japanese maid of Madame
Butterny a japanese marriage broker, and
Kate Pinkerton, the real wife of the lien
tenant with flexible morals
All of these were admirably taken Miss
Geraldine Farrar, who was seen here for
the hrst time since her return from Europe
was an ideal heroine, not only in singing
Tor her voice is soprano of remarkable
range and carrying power, but she is also
consummate actress, expressing all the
1eellngs of joy, sorrow and despair with
VIVID dlStinctness, and living the part in
facial expression and grace of movement
Caruso, one of the greatest tenors now
before the public, was the Pinkerton, and
SO far as voice was concerned, did full JUS
tlce TO Puccinfs beautiful music In the
nrst act, where he has his best opportuni
", he was a fervent lover although NOT
convincing as to personal appearance
Inc duet with which the first act closed
was given with Snrir
aroused the audience to an enthusiasm
which caused the curtain to be raised MANY
times before the applause would cease. both
Miss Farrar and Caruso bowling their az
acknowledgements "
In the second act Pinkerton has been
ordered away and has left his Japanese
wife in the house which he took for her,
ana she Is hoping against hope that he will
return. She has as a solace in her loneIi-
ness little Dolore, but she longs for his
father and watches eagerly for the arrival
OF MS snip. She makes of her maid Suzuki
a companion and confidant, and in this act
there is beautiful duet between them
and a trio when Sharpless comes in with
a letter he has received from Pinkerton
both as to her singing and her intelligent
acting, and the same is true of Sig Strac-
ciari, who showed fine baritone voice
One great charm of the opera is it's or
chestration, which was splendidly PLAYED
under the direction of Arturo Vigna The
rendition of themes not by the voice but by
various instruments is continuous de-
light, and this is characteristic of Puccinis
music.
The staging was in good taste, and the
entire performance was of the most
enjoyable that has been heard in this city
in years
There will be no performance tonight.
Tomorrow there will be two performances.
In the afternoon Faust will be given,
with Games, DIPPED and Plancon in the
cast, and at night Aida" with Rappold
Caruso, Homer Stracciari, Gourmet and
others.