The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-11-28
RICHMOND HEARS
PUCC|NI's Girl"
BnILI.1ANT AssEMnLAGE ATTENDS
THE ACADEMY To LISTEN To
SAVAGE PRODUCTION.
2 PERFORMANCES GIVEN
OPERA - NOT LIKELY TO ACHIEVE
POPULARITY OF OTHER wonks
OF CELEBRATED COM
POSER.


Puccini's opera -The 0iri of the Col
den West" was heard In Richsnoho
yesterday. frst at a matinee perform
ance and again In the evening,
change being made In the three prin-
cipal roles and In the conductor OF tho
opera. At the afternoon performance
Miss Ivy Scott sang Minnie. Mr.. Will
liam Beck appeared az Rance. ana
John,on was sung by MIR, Henri Bar
ron In the evening Nine. Luisa VII
lani sang the title role. Mr.. Carl CANT
WORT was Rance and Mr.. Ellison Van
Hooee was johnson. Caesar bodero
conducted at the matinee, and 0iorgie
Polsco the evening performance
The production yesterday was that
OF Mr.. Henry w. Savage, an English
version, ~ far a. the libretto Il con-
csrnsd The opera 10 founded on the
drama by David Belasco. and the
italian libretto - by Zangarini and
civinini. r. H. Elkin rendered the
book into English which escapes being
doggcrei.
A far as can be learned the opera
VAS given entire yesterday. In the
version presented at the Metropolitan
OpsrA House. the Indian characters OF
wowkle and Billy Jackrabbit have
BeSn cut. they would have been
that Miss Edms de Dreux displayed an
unusually hns contralto voice In the
little lullaby written for the Indian
girl. Outside Of that Wowkle and
Billy will never be regretted.
II IL quite certain that THE Girl
Of the Golden West" will not achieve
tho popularity OF La Boher1e" and
Madame Butterfly" by the same com
poser nor will its melodies become as
rnv,onaAd nv
Giuseppe Verdi. for instance. The
reason 10 there are none. strictly speak
Ing.
Music Of the Opera.
In the first act wandering min
strei song Ia slightly reminiscent of a
couple OF stephen Posters melodies
"Oid Kentucky Home" and "Suwanee
River" blended. and this Is by no
means remarkable. 4 waltz theme II
caught up by the chorus and softly
hummsd wnon Minnie accepts john
sons proposal to dance. and this makes
it appearance once or twice after
ward. Another theme with waltz
rnovem emit 10 developed in a,duet In the
second act and makes its appearance
again In the last act. This. with
Johnson's song in the third act. IS
about all the music that will be re-
membered.
hut for all that the orchestration In
mastery. One Of the greatest effects
10 obtained IN the card game scene OF
the second act with q pixxicato move
ment on the lass viols. which IL taken
up by the brass and tympani, and nm
ally crashes into \ grand thrilling eli
max.
The first act In somewhat tedious.
the second ID better. and the third
10 thrilling. but there 10 q lack of emo
iional. compelling music such as PUG
cini has written, and which Mascagni
evoked when he wrote ''Cavalleria Rus
ticsna." Indeed the second waltz theme
mentioned sounds very like an echo
OF the FIRST bar Of Loia's song In Caval-
leria. 1.-The Girl OF the Golden West
tx a thrilling msiodrama- but Puctnfs
music fails to thrill save in the climax
OF the second act. and In the music
written for Johnson In the third.
The production, however, is beyond
criticism. The storm In the second
act 10 almost az realistic as that de-
vised by Mr.. Belasco. The book fol-
lows the play closely for two acts. and
ends with third showing a forest
Of great redwood trees. This setting
II really magnificent.
Orchestra and SingsrA
The orchestra played magniticentiy
under the direction of Sodero and Po>
lacco, the latter II anything bein9
somewhat more magnetic than his
predecessor at the matinee perform
ance The star cast Of the evening
f. worthy OF Mr.. SavaSe's disregard
of expense In producing the opera As
for the matinee. Miss Scott appeared
20 be q better actress than singer. AL
though at times she was very effec-
tive. Mr.. Barron's Rance was rather
more emotional in the second act than
- cold. biooded gambler 10 likely to b
and the Johnson Of Mr.. Barron was
quietly effective.
AL OF the minor roles were sung ex-
cellsntly. Mr.. Vernon Dalhart a. Nick
displayed q most pleasing tenor, the
Sonora Of Mr.. Lewys James. was CAPT.
tai. and Mr.. Charles K. Gallagher made
IN heroic Ashoy. A, picturesque bit
Was the Mexican Of Charles Berthold.
The chorus, all men. had individ-
uaiity. something unique In grand
opera. Usually the chorus IL collec.
ton OF automatons. The chorus se-
lected FOR Mr.. 6Avage's production II
actually human, and 10 20 superior to
the average Italian collection, from an
artistic point Of view, that It really
10 the most praiseworthy part Of this
unusual production
A fair-sixed house listened to the
matinee performance while brilliant
assemblass attended In the evening. A
feature Of the matinee was the pres-
onco Of q large number OF girls from
: school In Petersburg. They dis
cnssed the opera ana other matters be-
twsen acts and thoroughly enjoyed
themselves.