New-York tribune., 1909-01-14
MUSIC
OPERA AT THE METROPOLITAN.
lie Nozze di Figaro Worthily Revived.

the dirt Of perfunctoriness. conventonaty and in
difference for many years before. 1t came 20
New York with dirty face eigkty-seven years ago,
for. when 1t reached America, in 1921, it was in the
adaptation Of Sir Henry Rowley Bishop, who
doubtless trcked It out with some music Of his own
and possibly other composers This was the CTS
tornary treatment which italian, French and Ger
man operas received in London in the early part
of the nineteenth century. Don Giovanni was
preceded in London by opera by Gazzaniga
which treated the story and on which indeed.
Da Ponte. the lbrettst. had made large and unac-
knowledged drafts. Da Ponte Poet TO the
Opera at the time and him fell the duty Of pre-
pairing the book for the English performance. He
tried 10 persuade the management TO give Mozarts
opera instead. and failing in this, inserted part of
his own Hbretto and claimed the lions share OF
Bertatis drama which had been constructed out OF
still older material, and which he had already
pillaged. But what he did trifng, at least
venial compared with what done by the
musical management for much of Gazzaniga's
music sacrificed to make place for pieces by
Sarti. Frederici and Cugelmi Gazzaniga's opera,
which had successfully endured the rivalry OF
Mozarts turned into something only little
better than a pasttccto. II does not appear that
anything of this kind happened to lie Nozze di
Figaro after it reached New York in its original
form, but much question IL there is
memory in this community long enough to recall
the time when the sparkling comedy was anything
more than a concert in costume. in which all the
exquisite dramatic characterization Of Mozarts
music especially that Of the orchestra, lost,
and there was more less good singing set on
against background of shabby scenery picked out
Of the ruck IN the theatrical lumber
The opera has been infrequent visitor of late.
In the five years of the Conried regime it
heard but three timesonce in the season of lSo3o4
and twice in that Of 1904 05 1t Jared better under
Grau during whose individual administration of
the same duration II had ten performances Always
1t has been the presence In the company of Mines.
Sembrch and Eames that made the representations
possible and gave them their greatest charm. II
wholly absent from the list during the Ger
man occupation of the Metropolitan For this no
one who knew how to appreciate the true spirit
OF the work felt called upon repine. for Ger
man performance of the comedy is less tolerabie
than German Don Giovanni" in which work the
serious side of Mozart could be ted back by the
italian conventions which rule in lie NozZe.' We
might have heard Mime. Sembrich as Susanna In
| her first here. twenty-five years ago, had
Mr. Abbey been able to keep all his promises for
the opera in the first repertOry projected for
the Metropolitan Opera House, AS it is. when she
| departs from u.s. next month she will leave with
us the fragrant memory of her perfect exemplitCa
| ton of the true Mozart style in Deb vieni non
Tardar." When shall hear the like of her canta-
| bile again? The three performances Of the opera
which have been projected for this and next week
offer precious opportunities for all students and
! lovers OF singing
| Since German opera gave way to opera In Italian
! opera In French and opera in German and their
! blends We can only recall couple of representa-
| tons prior 10 1905, when Mr. Grau took the helrn
| on his own responsibility on January 81. 1874
Mines. Eames Nordca and Arnoldson and NM
Ancona Edouard de Reszke and Carbone appeared
! In the last hours Of the next season Nor
| dlca. Eames de Lussan Maurel Carbone ana
! Edouard de Reszke gave it 10 the Metropolitan
| patrons but previous to these performances the
! only taste OF the delightful music vouchsafed TO
| New Workers in many years was at the festival
which celebrated the dedication of Carnegie Hail.
| in 1891. when Mines. Melke. De We're and Ritter
C;oetze and NM Dippel. Reichmenn. Fischer and
| Behrens sang the finale the second act in con-
! cert form-an utterly futile performance. since
! half the charm OF the music evaporated Tor want
| OF the accompanying action
All that finale It calls Ftop TO these historical
| excursions and brings up once the thought with
| which this review last nights representation
started out Let IL be down the credit OF the
sinister side OF the artistic direction at the Metro
| politan that, without neglecting other and more
external things II first OF ali looked after the
| semble What Mr.. Mailer did last season for Don
| Giovanni and 'Fidelo" ne has done again for
lie Nozze di Figaro: and done II better II was
/ possible for thore who know MoZarts music as
| much as they admire It to disagree profoundly
| with some of MFR. Mahler's ideas concerning
| the music Don Giovanni especially with
| his sluggish tempt. Last tight there was no
| chance for such quarrel All the vivaciouS
| music foamed and sparkled and flashed like cham
| paRne. Mr. Mailer called for the utmost nimble-
ness OF tongue. The greater the wonder, because,
| though he did marvellous things with lie Nozze'
| I'm Vienna and the Mozart festival In Sazburg
| two three ago, he then was hampered by
| the use OF The German language. Last night he
| was absOved OF the necessity OF caring for light
and lUcidity OF diction for all the singers.
despite their varying nationalities. familiar
| with Italian He first fired the enthusiasm Of the
audience Zone that crowded the grest house, with
| the manner in which nc invited Nine. Sembrtch
| and Miss Farrar to dash off the little duet accom-
panying the release of CherubinO from the cabinet
Here the spirit of haste and trepdatiOn half extiH-
guished the voices of singers and instruments. It
! breathless. After that there was not moment
| in which the madcap spirit of the comedy and mu-
sic permitted flag. The infectious fun and
the delight Of the audience in the music grew and
| grew. and spread Immediately the close Of the
curtain from the stage the audience-roou. Again
| and again the singers who had been all trans
figured into high-class comedians were called be
the audience receive Its tributes OF admira-
| ton. and the glad noise would not subsde till the
| conductor appeared with them.
This was the result OF the life brought into
| the establishment by the German conductor. He
| had had scores IF rehearsas under many
| difficulties. and would doubt. have been glad
| had he been able TO have a many The
| Salzburg festival performances were preceded by
! forty rehearsals in Vienna and two in the
| birthplace OF Mozart. Very different the
Viennese conditions. when Mr.. MahIer was supreme
| in all departments, and could take all the time he
| wanted in preparing opera from those prevail
| ing here where Willis and "Ways' looked
| upon as quite as consequential a masterpiece by
| one OF the worlds greatest geniuses. The greater
the credit under untoward conditions the zeal
| and devotion of the people concerned in II made
| such performance that of last night possible.
1t IS quite impossible TO tell Of the many things
| which were done to what used to be more
or less delightful concere into sparkling and con
| sistent drama. To wash the face Of lie Nozze.
as we have expressed it. loneliness of ensemble
| marked the work of all the singers, harmony of
| feeling I'm the music, consistency and mutually
| in the acting, and unity and eoquence in nuances