The evening world., 1908-12-04
Maria Gay Shows the Quality of
81 Her Carmen al The Metropolitan
Crowded House to Greet Her
at Her American Debut
Geraldine Farrar as Micaela
and Note as the Toreador.
3BY SYLVESTER RAWLING.

IVY HEN Maria Gay, as the heroine
/ w of Bizets Carmen" fell dead
w upon the stage of the Metro
politan Opera House. just ten minutes
before IL O'Clock last night, she had
disclosed n gypsy cigarette girl that
will give opera goers much to talk about,
Her characterization was original Car
men, as she conceived her, was n
woman of the commonest type, without
a trace of allirement that wasn't pure
~ physical. She was vulgar and shame
byless. She pursued men with brazen et-
frontery and discarded them with
l.. brutal Indifference. She knew no con-
science, and lived only for the moment
u, Her enticements OF Don Jose were by
""oglings and jostlings and attempted
revishment of kisses. When she en-
shared Escamllo and herself fell vic
tim to his destinations, 1t was all with
out a pretense of sentiment. Along
these lines Carmen was portrayed with
marvellous consistency and effective
ness.
Her Interpretation Unique.
AS singer Miss Gay had her happy
moments. AT first her contralto voice
was especially pleasing. Later 1t seemed
20 tire and lose something of its quality.
In the teasing numbers of the.first act
z It was very attractive. So it was in
( the scenes in Lillas Pastia's inn. Some
thing was missed of the tragic portent
OF the card episode and of the tender
ness in the lovely duet with Escamillo in
the last act. But, all in all, voice and
acting were properly blended. II we ac-
cept Miss Gays Interpretation of the
part. That's the point. 1t differs from
any other that we have seen. There is
something of resemblance to Minnie
Hanks, but not much. Calves, with
all its daring in later years, was far less
gross Bressler-Gianolrs, which the
wri er. In common with many others.
thought the best, was conceived on to-
tally different lines.
A measure OF praise must be meted
out to Miss Gay for proper dressing
of the part. In the first act she wore a
plain frock of dull red of cheap quality
that befitted her station. over her
head she had a green shawl which in
turn she coquettishly transferred to her
neck and her waist. In Lillas Pasta
inn her green gown naturally was OF bet
ter quality, and before the Plaza de
Toros she was richly CARRIED. Her dance
in the inn was seemly as we'll as clever,
but in the exuberance of her spirits she
flung her tambourine hard against the
lights. Her passion in the final scene
with Don Jose made her tear the roses
from her waist and smash her fan TO
Ebits. When she cast off Don Jose's
ring she flung 1t savngely in his face
! = Fosoanlnis success in conducting the
opera was not as complete as usual.
e There were times when his quickened
. tempo and his sharp, incisive beat
seemed to rob the music of some of it's
s lusciousness. The entrance of the Tore
: ador might have been made more COM
y mand!ng and the Liberty chorus more
sonorous. But the overture and the pre-
ludes were played delightfully."- and the
dance music was eXquisite'y done. The
ballet In the last act was of exceptional
daintiness and grace.
Farrar's MicaeIa Like Carmen.
- Geraldine Farrar was Micaela for the
first time here. When she came into the
square in Seville in search of Don Jose
she made the audience gasp. She might
have been another Carmen for her dress
and her actions. She coquetted with all
the soldiers IN the boldest way. There
was not trace of the shrinking, modest
demure maiden innoCently in love with
Don Jose. She was beautiful 10 look
upon and she sang in excellent voice and
with lovely expression, but she was not
Micaela, Not even when she sang the
prayer in the mountains did she keep
within the character. and in defending
Don Jose in his quarrel with Carmen she
was quite as much of a fighter as the
latter.
There was new Escamillo in the per-
son OF Jean Note, long favorite in
Paris. His Toreador song somehow
failed to satisfy expectation. as nearly
everybody's does He was at his best in
,the scene with the smugglers In the