The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-02
rHE GREATER "PrNAFORE."
IN Trsvatere" Theas htfully Considered
NJ the Metropolitan Opera House.

At the Metropolitan Opera House last
night IL Trovafore.' an opera in several
acts. by Giuseppe Verdi was performed.
Mr.. Verdi. who formerly lived in Italy.
was . composer Of no small distinction
He wrote also -Rigoletto' and LA Trav-
iata.' both Of which have been produced
AZ the Metropolitan in the current season
with great success. II is generally CON
coded that only two or three persons i'm
ths world can correctly recount rhe plot
81 IL Trovatore, and il is also supposed
that one W y Gilbert. an unr,ily London
retailer Of small wit. had this sublime
masterpiece in mind when he put into the
plot OF II. NJ. s. Pinafore- the incident tn
which Modamd Bsnereup refers W hen she
sings:
miXen those children M
And not a creature knew 10
II IL also said that. melted by the ca
mora or some other sinister institution.
many Italian organ grinders attire their
monkeys in costumes similar To that worn
by the unfortunate Count di Luna. one
OF the characters in the opera. who. owing
to the fact Of his having a harytone voice.
Ia unsuccessful in love. This custom of
organ grinders 10 deprecated by cult
waited Italians. who equally condemn
the practice Of playing the melodies Of
the opera on street pianos and trimming
them with chromatic scales entirely
foreign to their musical character
Owing to the fact that the operG -
intensely Italian il is customary to secure
singers OF other nations to interpret
1t. possibly because Italian singers might
be overcome by their emotions. Last
nights cast. for example. was nationally
dispersed a. follows; LcoHor1. Nine
Rappold. nationality Brooklyn; A,acsn1.
Mime. Homer. nationality Pittshurg; Man-
rico. Leo Slezak. nationally Czech; Count
d, Luna. Pasquale Amato. nationally
Italian. The conductor was also Italian
and the conducting still more 40.
II may be added tha; the principal
business Of Nanrico IN his not able opera
II to brandish a sword and tell what he
il going o do TO people who are burning
his mother alive He tarries some time
in order to tell this in full and 1t il AT this
lime that he sings a high &. This re
markable note ia also sung by R"do' pi o
IN Act | OF La Bohema.- frequently by
Alfredo IN Ac, / OF La Traviata.' and
sonnet lines by FauSf ~ has own garden
scene but as il has never been Officially
tagged in these places. IL usually passes
unw"pt and unhonored even though not
unHung But IN II Trovatore- t j. the
public habit TO ask OF the tenor only high
not 60. and 80 his G il received with the
popular tumuli due to- triumph Of ascent.
Mr. Sl-zak. o- IL sal Therefore. was Il
successful Ndnrico His high
c was acclaimed and he was voCiferously
recalled
This important event Of the evening
having been duly noted. IL remains only
10 be- said that The ot hers. who also sang
did their best to provide "A proper and
. Elective arnosph-re for tho foRrlng 81
. ne high & and thar heir Efforts me, with
cordial commendat ion from the { con
noiasrurs who were present m goodly
numbers. but not quite so goocily a. they
would have been had not cruel fire de
par1men, robbed them Of their ancient
privileges
Later r. was officially minated that
Mr. Slrzak was indispoSed and thar he
sang only 10 oblige the inprp~ario. II
was unoffciallv iniirnar-d that he did not
sing a high G. but another note a quarter
OF an inch lower