New-York tribune., 1910-12-20
MUSIC
cL ucK'S "0RFEO" AT THE
OPERA.
Some Old Music Which Deserves
To Be New-Also Some New
Dancing Which Ought
To Be Old.

A somewhat singular combination OF old
fashioned opera with terpschorian, or
-hor4srap phic. epilogue at the Metropolitan
Opera House last night might easily have
get serious minds to thinking, II serious
thought could again be associated with the
fvric drama and dancing There is no
iovelier memory associated with the opera
of last year than the revival Of Gluck
-'orfeo ed Euridice.' The oldest Of operate
themes was then presented in a manner
which suggested that high ideals had again
taken possession OF the Metropolitan ad-
--inistration. Chicks opera was permitted
IN make a plea for restoration to the
-eoerto-v on its own merits. Il was not q
curtain raiser" as il had been in other
1eys when il filed the time before the
rubItc came 10 hear. first, ''Cavalleria
eus-icana.' then "Pagliacci' and finally
ia Nayar-aise." when those mixtures OF
--7usic and blood and thunder drama were
new 10 the operate public But II would
seem as if the experiment had not been
satisfactory in its results TO the manage
r1enr from q business point Of view. Mr.
Gstti-Casazza disclosed that he could be an
idealist, Mr. Toscanini demonstrated that
re vas one, and the singers and players
became almost transhgured by the lofty
''Orfeo'' was relegated to It's old position
tsinment in which Nine. Pavlova and Mr
Aordkin were the chief figures.
There is enough of ballet In Gluck's
opera 70 make such a combination IN
necessary and il must have been a sin
guar mind which did not realize that the
gracious and gracefully moving pictures in
spired by Gluck's music in the act which
plays in the Elysian Fields were not finer
eZpositions Of what the dance once was
and might be again than the posturing and
pirouetting which followed the opera
There was nothing 10 be said in favor Of
4he dances OF the furies and the panto-
mimic actions Of the denizens of Hades
last season: there was still less last night
This scene seems 20 be far beyond the
horizon Of the Imagination possessed by
The people concerned in the representation
O. the opeTa-tne stage manager. no less
Than the ballet master to say moth
tng Of the choristers. II calls for that
sound study OF the choregraphic art the
absence Of which was bewailed when
Gluck's "Armide'' opened the season. But
let the deficiency be forgotten: there was q
consollng and compensaIing thought in the
tdyllic scene already referred to- Time
vas. IN the days OF pagan Rome when the
dance. led by the priests of the temple was
looked upon an act OF purificatio
ssluck and his opera Mr. Toscaninl and his
players. Nine Homer and (to mention the
one singer most deserving OF mention after
her Miss Gluck accomplished something
like an act OF publication for the opera
last night The atmosphere was sweeter
and purer than il has been for q long time
after they had burdened II with the pre-
Cious odors Of this score and the beautiful
pictures had gladdened the eyes of the oc-
cupants OF boxes. stalls and balcony seats.
Miss Gluck was called on 70 present two
chara CT ers-tfle God of Love well the
Blessed Shade. II would have been well II
she could also have sung and acted the
part Of Euridice- H Z b