New-York tribune., 1911-02-02
MUSIC
FRANCHETTrS "GERMANIA"
More Nationalism at the Metro
politan Opera House.


for one reason oy another or the perform
ances Of which have deteriorated 80 that
they have lost their potency. Franchettrs
opera is I'm neither OF these cases. n Is
only % little more than a year since II had
Us first production in New York and the
five representations which IL received last
season could scarcely be -aid 10 have en-
titled It 10 a place In the standard list. or
10 have become 50 Ineffective as 10 call for
such 4 restoration a. good old works
periodically demand. And Il has been alb
sent from the repertory only for half @
season. during which time those for whose
sake II was imported have been pretty
busily occupied with other matters quite
as close as IL 20 the hearts OF its pub
fishers. the director OF the opera and tine
three singers chiefly concerned in it
Signor Caruso. Madame Destinu and
Sgnor Amato. Nothing could be more
obvious than that "Germania's' turn
had to come, and that f. could not
come till the old Caruso operas and La
Fanoiula del West" had practically full
filled the mission assigned 70 them in the
system which prevails at our opera house-
that IS 70 say until they had been present
ed on nearly all of the regular subscription
nights and the Saturday afternoons.
Until last night Signor Caruso had ap-
peared in five operas. "Armide,' which
has not caused any noticeable tension Of
the popular heartstrings, is still available
for a Friday evening and Saturday after
noon. Aida" for a "Wednesday evening
and Saturday afternoon; La Gioconda.
for a Friday evening; "Paglacci' for
Wednesday and Thursday evenings; La
Fanciula del West" TOR a Saturday matt
nee, which is already announced. And the
season IS half over. "Germania' Is good
for half of the time remaining, II given
only once week, and since it is not
known that Signor Caruso is concerned in
the only other novelty which the manage
ment promised TO the public, II follows that
he needs only TO sing at all the subscription
affairs in the operas in which he has now
been heard 10 do all or nearly all that the
regular patrons of the Metropolitan Opera
House have been taught 10 expect OF him.
He will do more in all likelihood, and also
less. He cannot permit all the subscribers
TO hear him in all OF his roles but he can
let some OF them hear him in operas from
which he has hitherto held al0Of this sea-
son: and that it Is Mr. Gatti-Casazza'
purpose that he shall do 50 Is indicated by
the announcement that he will sing with
Miss Farrar in "Tosca' next Wednesday
evening.
This is only an observers conjecture as
70 one Of the reasons. the chief one, per-
haps. why "Germania" has again been
brought forward There are others-such
as the need Of getting something like value
for the expense 10 which the MANAGEMENT
was put last season to give the opera It's
sumptuous investiture; also the propriety
of freshening uD q list that is hackneyed
and possibly of keeping obligations entered
into with publishers and purveyors IL docs
not follow that the opera - unwelcorlc. lt
failed 10 make a deep impression last year.
but II served all the purposes for which L.
was brought across seas long after &c had
fallen out Of notice ia Europe. II is a sort
OF relative OF La Fanciulla del West but
much more worthy Of respect. 10. TOO.
handles q subject foreign 20 the people who
speak the language in which IL Is written.
and was quite ss obviously created for
German consumption as La Fanciulla del
West" vas Tor American. But Scnor
Franchetu. whose collaboration with his
Hbrettlst is plain Nj. Beiasco'
with the poetasters who turned his
melodrama into an opera, was much
closer 10 tn people whom ne set
10 music than Signor Puccini- The
composer Of "Germania' was educated 20
the German manner. though he is very
much an eclectic in this score follow
ing some Of Wagner's principles az times,
anticipating Puccini In one Oft reiterated
phrase and frankly adopting TIE vocal
manner Of Verdi In the hest Of his vocal
numbers His patriots conduct them
selves about AZ much like Germans as
Puccini's miners behave like Americans,
but he 81 least gets local color into his
music though only by means Of frank
quotation. and then az the cost of some
amusing anaclronisms. HIS children sing
& German folksong melody 10 words sup
posed 70 be popular throughout Germany.
though they had not been printed At the
time in which the prologue j. supposed
10 play and his students greet the poet
CKoernerl, the composer won Weber and
the hero Of the song with a stropne OF
"L.utzoV's Wild verwegene Jagd" eight
Years before IL was composed Neverthe-
less tuere s. the ring Of nationalism .u
this music. and II does not invite a smile
Of amused COMMUNICATION and derisiOn
ike Puccini's echo Of "Funicull-tunicula
which makes the Bret Hartean forty-niners
homesick IL the Itaianized Girl" Fran
chetu did no; conquer Germany with all
his appeals 70 German patriotism OF what
Signor Puccini will accomplish in America
we shall be better informed IN o year or
two from now-or sooner II Signor CarusO
ilts the Girl before the expiration o.
that period signor Franchetu is honest in
his endeav0r TO Doe musical. to let Ais
orchestral instruments speak their own
tongue instead OF musical Volapuk or IS
peranto. and 90 accompany his voices IN
stead Of asking the voices 10 shout eiacu-
lations and bits Of disconnected dialogue
over under and through an unmeanug
maze of strangely harmonized and highly
colored instrumental sounds His is q work
of composition m the sense in which
painter or sculptor or other plastic artist
uses the word. and this is 4 merit in the
work which shines out in such numbers as
the symphonic interlnezzo preceding the
epilogue, with its picture Of carnage. death
and defeat
signor Toscaninl conducted tho perform
ance. the fine scenery was that of last
years representations Ghere Is no reason
vet for its looking >hopWorn1. and all ~
rho principal parts were IN the hands OF
the singers who created the work here
q wear ago last month-Miss Destinn. Miss
NattfeId. Miss Sparkes. Caruso. Amato.
Pini-Corsi and D.du-. SiEuor Caruso wa-
compelled 10 share the honors Of the even
ing with SiRnor Amato, Who presents far
and away the most Convincing embodiment
~ = real character I'm the drama and who
sings his music thrice admirably. Mime.
c;,uck. a newcomer in the opera. was a