The sun., 1908-12-26
VEUDi'S "OTELLO" REVIVED
ZENATELLO AND MELBA THE
PRINCIPALS.


Most Enthusiastic Audience ct the
Manhattan Opera HOuse e-sammarcO
as Iago-The Significant Force Of the
Music Again Makes an Impression.
Oscar Hammerstein brought forward
at his Manhattan Opera House last night
Verdi's "otello" His purpose was to
afford Nine. Melba another opportunity
TO appear In a roe unfamiliar to this
public and TO permit his patrons to observe
the workings OF profound dramatic
interests in the impersonation Of the
operate Moor by Mr.. Zenate!lo. Associ-
ated with the other two eminent Shake
spearian scholars in this presentation
OF the Boito-Verdi edition was Mario
Sammarco as the subtle Iugo, That q
considerable and grave audience would
assemble to contemplate this dramatic
spectacle was TO be expected. But 1t
must be recorded that the most joyous
demonstrations were made at precisely
the points where Verdi yielded to the
temptations of the old fashioned operate
de lights.
The great Italians "Otello" has not
been heard In this town since the season
Of 1902-O3 at the Metropolitan Opera
House. lit was restored to the local
stage in the previous January to AFFORD
Mr.. Alvarez an opportunity to imper-
senate the Moor. In l902-03 it was given
three times, the first on November "a,
the opening night, and the last on De-
eember "a. At the first Of these per-
a. tho nnada-
mona and Mr.. Scotti the Idgo. At the
last Nine. Camille Seygard was the Des-
demond. Gln earlier years "Otello' was
performed with Tamagno in the title
role and Maurel as Iag2, But that is
another story. =.
Last nights performance might easily
suggest several lines Of comment. II the
aesthetic mind were inclined to muse
on the Office which Verdi's music per-
formed for Shakespeare tragedy as
transmogrified by Boito it would proba-
bly, lose itself in speculation as to the
precise limits Of the Elusive power OF the
toual art. There were moments in last
evenings presentation Of the tragedy
when the actors seemed to vie with Booth
and Mccullough and others of elder dave
One Of these came when Mr.. Sammar.c
walked up and down as il in ruminative
mood and constructed for the audiene x
the infidel creed of Iogo. Another and O
far more thrilling one arrived when M :
Zenatello as Otelio delivered the splendid
"Addio' which was once Farewell thou
pomp and pride and glorious circumstance
Of war; At the end of the second act.
in which these two passages and the,
stormy duet following Oei:o's wild cry
of -Sangue" were heard, the audience
burst into such storm OF applause as is
rarely known in an American opera house.
And yet that speculative mind would
surely hesitate to attribute all the thrills.
az the audience apparently did. to the
OF the singers, That
speculative mind would doubtless have
weighed the singers in the balance against
the matter which they sung and have
questioned how much of the seeming skill
and subtlety of the inpersonations was
due to the interpretative power
Of tho music itsslf.
But whether this same speculative
mind ever, arrived at conclusion or not.
it would be certain to confess TO itself
that the music gained something from
the sheer physical power poured into it
by the singers. No one has ever sus-
pected Mr.. Sammarco OF subtlety. and in
such passages as the story OF Cdssio's
dream he showed himself last night to
be literally an honest logo. But he
showed force and intellectual vigor, and
he sang the music 30 that it had at least
q fair opportunity to speak for itself.
Mr.. Zenatello's Oteiio was without
the most successful interpreta-
ton he has yet offered TO New York.
And this, too. was chiefly because he
treated the music honestly. He has
precisely the right kind Of voice for this
role. a hard. brilliant, pealing tenor.
with far reaching high tones. Once the
lyric duet Of the first act is out OF the
way Oteiio has little to do but declaim
and sometimes to shout. Mr.. Zenatello
met these requirements fully and with a
youthful fire and magnetism which made
themselves felt He is not an accom-
plished actor, but he succeeded in making
a theatric effect with the part.
Nine. Melba was the Desdemond. This
Is not part of wide possibilities. for
Desdep,ona is only an agency for the
OF the character OF Oteiio.
The duet OF act /. and the willow song
and ave Maria OF act Nv. are the 30
pranos best opportunities-unless she has
emotional acting in her scale. 1t was
in these parts of the opera that Nine.
Melba was heard to the best advantage.
Others in the cast we're Mime. Doria as
Emilio, Mr.. yenturini as Cassie. Mr..
as Roderioo and Mr.. de Sc
purola as Ludorico. The usual atten-
tion to details was shown. The chorus
sang with much spirit. especially in the
song of Iago in the first act
The orchestra was more satisfying in the
treble passages than in those containing
detailed treatment. Cleofonte Campa-
mini conducted. He also conducted when
the work was first given in this country
twenty years ago.
I. = M ~