New-York tribune., 1909-11-16
MUSIC
OPENING OF THE METROPOLITAN
OPERA SEASON
POnchisIli's "GiOconda -


..,.-,,, season a. grand opera AZ the
--n.,-,,s, Ope~s House vas opened last
-,-. ,-s,h a nerfcrr.lanOe % Ia Gioconoa-'
-, r-ss- N tie ccnsaiship 81 Grsu. when
..z,.,.st.. ,,- Romeo et guiiette' was a.
.s .se privilege and d,gl.ty of giving
s,,t,,.., 70 the important social event:
.b.r was when Nine. Games ana N.
-. ss Reszke we're az much greater i'm
- thar anv work IN the repertory.
- A &c Reszke instigateG an artistic
-.,-o,ufior, ana a first night audience was
.,.---rsS hv q performance q Tristan und
r..-ss hut t.lat vas an achievement pos
80 .-,,v % an admired tenor. few
-..-e sao the management was confronted
-. .,---e mead trat seems 10 have been
-. frls wear. ana La GiOcCnda"
80 -.-s,.as after ar uub-oken sluu,ber of
-, sa-e5es Eu order a. give an opportunity
~ ,-ar.so g. appear amid appropriate
,.,.,ic s-Ieraor. That revival acted as an m
.,.-e-i-r or ar. Hsmmerstelc t0o sears aeo
-ta- sFue Nar-ico. who had 1e'n the
t.-..-s ~ a. thc Metropolitan seasons eN-
,s-+ tte f~st was Is neDlcer q his com
49, IRE experiment Was unsGccesstul.
- - - 4 noteworthy circumstance thu:
IN -s-ee seasons a. the Metropolitan Opera
house ana one 81 the Manhattan Ponchi-
-esentasons. ana no more. Why i has
never succeeded tl ests hl.shing Itself IN
--rrlar favor migLt be discussed az great
Ieneth. but 20 is 10 be feared the dis
c.ssoa would le ulconv,ncing and IN
u-oE-ahie Thc opera is ful of striking
rsct-res 4 contains much r1usic that ought
20 appeal 20 popular appreciation, and Il
has alUavs enlisted The efforts of admirable
ri- eers-Nil-son. Nor6ica. Flrsch- -Nadi
Sealch Homer. Gerville- Reache. Staruo.
C4--so. Del ruente. Scotc. Aucora So
sa-rs. Dit-r-ycr opera patrons have per
sisted Iu remaining indifferent toward IL.
Last nights representation suggested the
possibility. even the probability. e a
ca1rse iu tie popular attitude K n comes
PEE temptation win De strong 10 say that the
credit vll be due 80 M Toscanini and
rra new spirit whicl he put mto the per-
f1rrarce. but there was unucl. 10 .lid
h-- -n every department. Ie had a. aL-
----a--c "a ensemble ~ principal singers
ss any o. the men Who preceded him IN
-ae conductors chair: be had new scenery.
chorus which was as ven drilled a. II
Was picrE-osqueiy clothed. q fine orchestra.
end hc rad sn zudielce which had gath
cred lu gala mood and VAS kept IN II
-- s-Sht of itse-f and the insplritinS
riiec excellence oG the representation went
OK crom him. from his mastery control
s- U-i--ucin0us elements. from lls ua-
.sEEtng zeal from LIs ken perception of
srsz -1C smallest deta.. watch could D.,
brought home 20 Tie appreciation o. tho
II.-s- careless, as we'll as tue ulost ,riri-
ca. % his listeners.
Naturally great curiosity mixed w5th tie
-ios- kindly interest vas fet in slgu0-
.ar-sa. When tLe lasr season al the
Ae--epoiltal glqera House came 20 q close
treG TIE cperagpers who could not rec0--
--e rhe fact in LIS singing anl would not
.-'erc what was written were forced 10
-,---eyc that something Tas Frong with lis
voice 5ecau use 0l his retirement Stories OF
surgical treatment and much else kept
C'.rioslfr alive during the summer. Ngcl
s5e---atiOn ana some sentimental SYM
-atrr might have been saved il there had
lee- wider recognition SIX months ago that
for tWo or three years he has needed the
advice o. wise singing teacher more than
-'o lancet Of a surgeon or the indictments
l- physician. T7e Used Lis voice. wisely.
d-screet.y and Wen Iss; night. ana made
LES hearers 50 happy with ''Cielo, mar
fa-r they became runultuous IA their ex-
preston of enthusiasm. To Mss Destiun
TT-st be credited th~ finest performance Of
IRE PARK cf The heroine which has yet been
Heard i- New York. not excepting that OF
21-e. Nilsson. " hen the opera was rrst
rroG-ceG Lere. u TIE season Of 1sSs-'Sf
fl-. though -Eere were charms of nJance
-r s,ule. Nilssun's singing Of which Miss
Lcs--1- seems strangely cha-3. The singer
~ -1-1av has 2 fresher anc more brilliant
voice. To The praise which has often been
given t1 Mme. Homer luscious and
E-,apatheric singing and her always
gracious presence and movements a.
laura A5oruo -lc-c ls no need OF making
a. adEiticr er this late day. and those VINO
learned 70 admire Ell the work or slgnor
Ar1arc las- year can easily imagine that
le foGnd rhe part 81 Jae SPY GU perfectly
% lis measure andrea de Seguroia. the
Aiviss OF The occasion. is e recruit FROM
-Lr Eaumerstein's lasr wears forces uho
10 no- likely 70 call co~ much attention this
season either in The way Of praise or dis
Trsise.
There remains for mention e newcou5e-.
who had been strangely hersiced a. q con
tralt0 singer with q voice OF such gravity
of color that she had sung baritone roles
fr Europe. Tie Intelligence called I'd
memories - Ia Srrada- wac in order 70
De near her idol Handel. followed him
through Ita-y IN mans attire ana actually
sauge bass parts ln bis operas But Nine.
kisitscilk ls no such freak q nature. she
- D woman with an agreeable bur not re-
Hasrksbie voice, nlezzo-conrrslto rather
than conrralt9 who sings pleasantly and
scrs effectively enough 20 hold svmpathv
for the only drar-atic character ir Clio
conda who deserves sympathy.
HEX
THE CAST OF Ia CIOCoNDA-