New-York tribune., 1908-02-23


centuries. seated on the ruins Of the BroohIyh
Bridge towers should chance 10 come into posses
sion Of knowledge Of recent doings in New YORK 5
orera houses he would. perhaps, be Justlheu III
thinking that in fifteenth week OF the season OF
1al7--Ns the Metropolitan management gave indIca-
.ions Of 2 strong reac1ionary sentiment, while the
Manhattan director making a vigorous effort
70 show himself in the van Of operate progress
Mr- Conried's appeal TO popular support-that IS
support from patrons Of the box oHlcels made
by 2 promised performance Of II Trovatore ana
La Traviata'': Mr Hanmersteins on repetltio;-s
OF I oviee- and .PeIleas Melisande' and the
presentation Of Nine. Tetrazzini in an opera III
which she has yet appeared IN this city The
reliance Of both managers in the last instance Is
on public curiosity. Mr. Conried hopes that large
numbers Of people curious 10 hear what Cafusp
viii do in III Trovatore'' and Miss Farrar in La
Traviata'. NIr Hanmerstein, who has known bet
ter how piGue curiosity than his rival counts
on during the admirers OF Nine TetraZZini again
with the shadow Song" OF -Dinorah, and the
seekers after French novelty with the strange
n1elodrama Of Maeterlinck and Debussy New
York has many hundred thousands OF inhabitants
and many thousands Of transient visitors who come
TO the metropolis with the determination TO spend
money. Both managers will receive their reward
Sensationalism is not strong or enduring prop
upon which 20 rest opera season. When Mr.
Conried's administration goes down into history,
scheduled high among its amusing and foolish in
cidents VIII be the story Of n. Chaliapnes en-
gagefnent. The Russian basso has departed with
the consciousness that he received the largest
honorarium paid to bass singer, here or
elsewhere. and, TO judge by words which he spoke
al farewell that he had not been taken at his own
valuation or that Of Mr.. Conried from an artistlc
point OF view He protested that he had been
Judged as a singer merely, not singing actor;
but when he taken to task for his display OF
3 nude devil in ''Mefstofele' for his ilthiness OF
appearance and manner in II Barbiere and for
his vulgar boorisllness in Don Giovanni the crit
icisrns did go to his singing alone or TO his
singing in the first instance, bat TO his concep-
ton and execution of the three dramatic char
acters Il was defence OF his Don Basilo 10
sav thai i was a faithful reproduction Of 8 dirty
type Of the Spanish priesthood which he had
studied and his critics had not. The obvious an
sver 70 such a defence is that the Don Basiiio OF
Rossinis opera IS Tot 4 filthy snuffy. drunken
Spanish priest. he has lived on the opera stage
for over ninety wears and is not needful Of meta
1norphoss which. like u. Chaliapine's impersona-
lion renders him equally disgusting to his fellow
stage folk and the audience
Tho people of New York might we'll be pre-
pared TO learn II they To listen TO the twadde
cf opera singers the arrival cf Nj Chaliapine in
Europe that they are sadly deficient in artistic
knowledge and taste. Miss Farrar has said so;
Miss Garden has said so: Nj. Chalapine has hinted
a = and viii say in all probability when he
reaches Paris Monte Carlo. 1t viii be a comfort
II some circles 10 believe that the extravagant ap
and Mr.. Chaliapne was d proof Of The correctness
Of their observations When Nj Chaliapine came
10 New York French journal remarked:
This year he has permitted himself. We'll
81 the celebrities be seduced by thu transat
iantic dollars, and he Is at present actually tour
:rg IN Uncle Sans country But would be wrong
TO be alarmed. his individuality. steeped in the
broad. free training Of lower Russia. VIII not be
oontented with the simple role Of singer for X
T,ortation- He VIII soon charm the millionaire and
return serve the true art, TO create roles
well suited his sense OF the beautiful and true
II recall The Tribune reviewers remarks
several occasions Alright il was NT Chaliapines
hbition Of individuality. STEPPED in the broad,
free training OF lower Russia which was
fensive n his lmpersUnation of Goethe's magnif1-
cent demon Rcsina's singing teacher and Don
Giovannis valet. The Tribune writer seemed 10
labor under the notion that his Mephistopheles was
not more impressive than his predecessors had
been because he took his clothes of in the pres
Of the witches the Brocken and the peo-
PIE in the opera house. that Don BasiliO needed not
wipe his with ms fingers and his fingers on
O dirty red handkerchief in the polite surroundings
OF d.. BarTolos household. carry an umbrella
open and red. into 2 drawing in order to have
81 impede his exit, that Leporello was made
more Interesting by a dirty and moth eaten
fcsr