The evening world., 1911-11-04
BY RA WILING.

Philadelphia, Nov. 4.
H1ARY GARDEN a. Carmen for
IV the first time anywhere gave
e p,quancy to tho opening Of the
Philadelphia opera season at the Met
ropolitan Opera House. In this city. last
night. There vas q crowded house. the
Standing Room Only sign being dis
played early. and there was something
OF q gala night appearance about the
audience. that seemed TO take pride. In
arriving late and preening before It's
more p%unctusi and .decorous n~elghbors.
Outside there were many observers Of
the fortunate ones who came IN auto.
mobiles and carriages to find their way
into the epacious and beautiful auditor
ium. They were not SUFFICIENT In num-
BEES to be called a crowd. but enough
to stimulate local pride and give color
TO the occasion.
Miss Garden was welcomed heartily
at her first appearance. applauded at
every opportunity throughout the opera
and recalled fervently at the end. but
Carmen Is not OF her best achieve
ments. Miss Gardens intelligence IL a
stumbling block. She cannot refrain
from imbuing the gypsy cigarette girl
with brains. Her Carmen Is far too
clever for the commonplace working
woman who was wanton not from de-
sign but because Of her nature. The
measure OF Carmen Is taken In the first
act. Success must be won there or
what follows viii not make It. But IN
the first act Miss Garden was too subtle.
eO0 ciaao too Aatntlv drs.sad ton In.
different to her singing and. to give veri'
tude TO her conception OF the character,
probably. her makeup was too old. II
was a very worldly wise and experienced
Carmen that she showed to the soldiers
In the public square of Seville.
In Lllas Pastia's tavern Miss Garden
vas q most seductive creature. dancing
ravishingly. With the smugglers she
was simple and natural and she made
the card scene impressive. Her part In
the lovely duet with Escamillo before
the arena was we'll suns and she struck
the real tragic note In the final quarrel
with Don Jose.
Nothing that Miss Garden does can
fail to be interesting. but Is her Carmen
true and Ia It worth her while? Once
BIO SAuk AAAT8bCEikc yiSt " ShOW w
that she can sing according to old-fash-
toned and approved methods whenever
she wants to. and then she dropped the
part. Is she laughing at US with Car
men?
Last nights performance Of Bixet's
fascinating opera was n Of the very
best the writer can recall. Mr.. DIPPED
had staged the production admira bly,
and Campanini conducted It with the
masterfulness TO which he accustomed
US when he welded the baton at Mr..
Hammerstein's Manhattan Opera House.
II may be interesting 20 mention that
Carmen" was the first opera that
Campanini ever conducted, and that
Henry Abbey, who was present on the
occasion-Sept. l6. 1SSo-was so I'M.
pressed with the young mans ability
that he engaged him for the Metro.
politan Opera House in New York,
where he made his American debut on
Nov. o., 1883. just twenty-elght years
ago yesterday.
Dalmores was Dor. Jose last night. n
part that he made Conspicuous while hc
was singing at The Manhattan. Du-
frame was Escamir'v. in excellent voice.
Alice Zepp!lll made II pathetic Micuela,
as she always does, and Marie Cavan
and Giuseppina Glaconia We're Frasquita
and Mercedes. Henri Scott was Zrnigu,
Defrere was Morales, Nicolay was Dan
chorus was excellent in voice and action
and the ballet Was worthy. Rosina
CALI. the premier danseuse, being ex-
c~eptionally attra ctive.