New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-11-15
THE OPERA
A Spectacular First Night at the
Metropolitan.
"ARMIpE. AN ANCIENT NoV-
FIFTY. BY GLUCK

,-olitan Opera House last night 10 D~Ne
- IN q brilliant social function $3.50 rs
s;s-ed. as the French say. at an aFoie''0
aren't OF extraordinary interest An ope'"
z-l,ich has been recognized as masterpiece
Cor more than century and quarter mao
Sc first representation in New YORK II
~zs Clucks '-Armide-" The hRehhooo "a
.ts PRODUCTION has occupied the opera Iou'o
snssips from the time WREN MI %oiiIieu
undertook the administration OF opeFaNO
.ess-s V-l,v Was the opera chosen? The
question is interesting. and It's answer
elusive II IS not a little significant that
rosstful as the present day is or It's crea-
20 achievements. and insistent on the
rae5 q rro-ress. opera managers are quite
es much occupied in revivins old things as
-o.-.~- new Until -'Orfeo'' was resur-
-eore5 At the Metropolitan Opera House
isst season the oldest Italian opera on the
lc~sl list was Mozart's ''Nozze di Figaro
which has now reached the ripe age OF Id
,es-s -'Orfeo" is nearly quarter OF
century older Our oldest German opera
f-bouEh II is practically stranger IN ITS
native tongues is Die Zauberfote, Nhlch
has lived 119 years. The opera which was
---ase-+ed 10 public notice last night was
first brought forward in Paris in 1''.' ana
x therefore 1SS years old, and its hhTet'o
over ninety years older, for Gluck mace
use Of hook which Quinault had written
Yer Iully in 1856.
Z would be 2 divertins- perhaps also an
Instructive. occupation to inquire more eh-
-s-s7fvel-- into the motives which prompt
q this production. Are We turning mack
70 the masterpieces Of the past because
,r-e creations OF the present leave unsatls-
rcd lonsfrSs within us2 Are inherl'eo
tastes. Of which We have long been uncon-
s-fo,5s. making themselves felt in obedience
- 2 law Of progress the nature OF which
nc have not troubled ourselves 10 unoer-
sand Orchestral composers are stor1nlne
ne citadel Of heaven H-ith serried ranks OF
miners and blowers and drummers. md
-,or--,oriS Q-ocla nation Of small tnoushls'
,-s- archaic instruments are coming 10 the
fore and archaic composers are pelhs re-
stored 10 -heir rights A6ectation is every
where observable IN musical culture Net
- arc turning more and more TO sinphcllE
and finding il satisfying and loVaoie- is
that also only an affectaton. Are We
again playing AT shepherds anu SHel'-
herdesSes2
An answer does not seem 10 be at hand
80 "a as last nights operate phenomenon
- concerned il may easily be imagined tfa'
Of motives and purposes For one thing
..A-r,jde- invites an opulent investiture-
Tho history Of opera differs greatly from
nat Of the SPOKEN drama As an art form
= has auneaIed 70 the senses rather than 10
ne intellect and emotions from the oeslh-
ming The further one goes back IN us
records the more amazing are the stores
Of rhe scenic splendors. French opera had
rs beginning in an entertainment which
mingled spectacle. dance, pantomirle ana
music Henri III produced Gree, on le
rallet comique de ia reine,' by the Pied
77.o--esa fiddler Baltazarini- At the Palais
du Petit Bourbon, in October. 1851 IN honoT
of the marriage Of the Queens sister
The performance, which began a. J"
O'clock IN the evening. lasted till $50 the
,a-- morning. and cost 10000 ecus;
whether gold or silver ecus is not stated
in the accounts. Il they were ecus OF silver
ne s.5rn WAS the equivalent OF $4,000: II
Of gold. Of s. ae5aaa- Even in Mannheim II
vas nothing unusual TO spend $1,000 on
mounting q single opera at about the period
which saw the original production OF Ar
-71i6e~ in Paris.
There vas evidence in SiEnoT ToscaIllni $
~e.-are7ttzl attitude toward tie music OF
C-Iucks opera last night that large I'M
pulse in his case was admiration and love
Tor The old work Perhaps this was paired
n SiEror Ga-tf's mind With q hope that
brilliant show would add - the iustre o.
his administration We can easily imagine
nat the scenery. costumes and other para
rHe-nalia which Signor Gatti provided for
.aru!de-' cost the modern equivalent OF
she Mannheim operas which Dr.. Burney
tells about and = may have exCelled them
~ s. beauty and even surpassed the orig
'ua1 production I'm Parts. II had an excel
len. modern model. And while engaged In
--1z fancifuI speculation We might go fur
ter and ssv. TOO, that in some particulars
10 trnaEire that i vas sung better last
--S7- than II was when Gluck suPerintended
rs PRODUCTION and told Marie Antoinette
Hoz- S-1r-err1eIv admirable his opera Was
gong 70 ne. The French singers were not
remarkable ~ the Grand OPERA in Glucks
d.. and. indeed. haze never been remark
ar-e for beauty Of voice except IN the
periods ~ Italian domination. II some re
sue.tS however. 81 is 10 be imagined that
fne eighteenth century representations sIr-
7sssed that q the twentieth Il can safely
70 assumed that there was greater con-
EIvtercv and unity Of style IN the perform
EnCe tas there still is az the Grand opera
n spite Of IFS decadencel. z larger effec
ri-eness IN the dramatic defamation Il q,
better dictionl. Ind much more meaning
and charm IN the ballet No doubt the re-
cert-we doubt If il can be called present
exhibition OF interest in dancing had some
hing 70 do with the production Of Gluck's
opera, which IS q fun OF dancing as were
ne operas which excited the Tfdicule OF
Rousseau Rousseau loved Quinault- had
sincere admiration for CIluck and despised
French singing. He looked with forgiving
es-e on the dancing diversions IN ouinault's
operas. ar-t thought the ba1lets OF his sue
oeSsors absurd. In every act the action is
generally interrupted a. the most interest
lnE moment hy dance given To the actors,
VINO are seated, while the public stand up
90 iook or. II thus happens that the
oFafnalis persona are absolutely forgotten
1'e "aE IN which these fates are brought
T''1' rs cry simple Is the prince joyous?
ID -olTuers Participate in his JOY and
-@' IS ne sad lie must be cheered UP,
'.-s aef2e again Priests dance,
N'.-iers dance. gods dance devils dance;
i7'S is dancing even a. interlnents-danc-
tx 4lronos q everything Last season
patrons Of the opera house waxed so
-l--eiasiic over the dancing OF Nine. Paw
''"a and u. %ordkin. WHOSE dancing was
"ho-y eA'raneous 10 the play. that IL
-ii not be surprising II NJ Gattf had
''iHilaeo rnat the time was rlpe for q re-
'-Fal o. some Of the old operas in which
nc pallet took part il the action eyen