The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-26
AMERICAN OPERA
is REALLY GRAM"
Production Of "Natolna" May Be
Turning Point i'll This Coun-
try's Stage Music.
II, CHARLES IlENn, nEhrzEn.


Especial to The Timcs-Dispatchl
Philadelphia. Pa February GA
last "Natoma.' an American opcr;
sufficiently ambitious in conception t,
he classed as grand and aucccssfu
! enough in its effect TO be praised hon
| ostlS. has been produced and warml,
/ welcomed. Not perhaps rs an absolute
| rca 1t1at'on of what was most hoped OF
! thc joint work of Victor Herbert (ths
| composeio and Joseph T.. ReddinS CHS
| !ibrettisD, but an evidence of dc
! tcrlnineu, earnest effort TO put opera
| aet to English words by American nu.
| sicians in the same rank as foreign
! opera
| The production Of "Naton,a'' at the
| PHILADELPHIA metropolitan Opera House,
| b% tho lphia-Chicago Company
under the management OF 4\ndrcas Dip.
pei, marks a turning point in the young
story or American stage music Until
| to-niSht. and in the present generation.
ore opera only by a composer OF this
country had compelled Widespread al
tcntion.
a year $50, when a much talked OF
one-act lyric drama, by Professor Con
verso. named Tho pipe OF Desire" was
presented al tho New York Mctropoli-
dealt q all tho ardent hopes OF those
who had looked forward to tho mp
building Of a school of native opera.
But now q second effort has been
made, and oven though it may not ir
The long run prove triumphant. il has
in 4 large measure shown the wisdom,
of rersisting in the struggle for the
development OF opera by the writer's
snd composers OF thls country.
y large and brilliant audience
thronged the house. listened with. sym.
tathy TO "Natonla,' ana applaudcd Its
performance by the distinguished ar
tsts in the East The first act left the
issue in doubt The second act aroused
enthusiasm. and the third confirmed
the impression mado already.
Tho l;bretto now and then provoked
smiles. So did the English sung by
certain OF tho artists. This was natu-
raj. Most of the singers in tho cast
were foreigners, who had not had Tins
or opportunity 20 conquer the difcul
tics OF our vernacnlar. But, OH the
other hand the yividness Of the music,
wherever the composer had given reina
10 his melodic inspiration or handled
his orchestra freely. gave great de-
light. And though too often MIR. Red
dinSs lines seemed childish. they lent
themselves quite easily TO singing.
Writer'S more poetic and ina einative
than Mr.. Redding Will take UP his task
ere long where he left it, and in a year
which "Natoma," with its many and
real beauties, will seem .'Traviata' to
Aida" and "Othcllo."
Quite 1000 Of not, indeed. 5000
music lovers heard tho performance. III
the boxes We're Clarence Mackay.
Philip Lydig. Otto II. Kahn, Thomss
Clarke. Rudolph Schirmor and Robert
". Iverson, ali Of New York; Max Pam
and John c. Shoffcr, OF Chicago; Ed
ward T. Stotcsbury. Thomas Leaning
and Mrs. Leaning, Marcellus CoNe and
Mrs. Cone, Langdon Mitchell and Mrs
Mitchell and Mrs. Alexander Brinton
Cone. of philadelphia.
Though she spoke lightly a short
time ago OF American opera, that won
derful woman. Mary Garden. put her
heart, her great Intelligence. her
charm and all her art into the intcrpro.
tation Of the Indian heroine John
McC orinack as n California counter
part or Lieutenant Plnkerton: Hector
Dufrnnnc, as a good California padre,
Mario Sammarco, as Spanish villain:
Lillian Grenville. as the romantic Span.
|ish foil to Natoma; Gustavc Ilubcrdeau.
as e stately and old-fashioned father.
and Constantin Nico!ay. in the impor.
tnnt though episode character OF all
Indian confederate of the chief villain,
CO. operated bravcly with Miss Garden
Tho dances In the second act---wild
picturesque ana, III one instance, tT0S-
ical---did even more than the admirable
orchestra to assure victory. which
at nret seemed hard to win. Much of
the honor earned tonight BY the per
Torrance was un0uestionably duo to
the devotion and great Skill OF Maestro
| CaInnanini. who IS now almost as
| Jealous an advocate of opera In Eng
lish as he has long been OF italian
opera.
! ! am assured by AIR. RcddinG that
| the strange, costly and effective cos.
tunes worn In "Natoma" were all his
/ tor:cally accurate.
/ The FIRST two sccnes-one showing
the exterior of an old Spanish home on
| the Island Of santa Cruz. the other
disclosing the plaza and mission church
ct Santa Barbara--wcre beautifully
painted and most picturesque. The cast
Twas as follows
| Natoma, Mary Garden: Barbara. LII
! lian Circnville; Lieutenant Paul Merrill,
John McCormack Don Francisco, Gus.
| ;avc llubcrdeau Father Pcralta, Iec-
| tor Dnfrnnne: Juan Bautista Alvardo.
Mario Samnlarco: Pico, Armand Crabbe
| KaGama. Constantin Nicolay; lose
Castro Avery Belvor Chiquita. Mile
| Nanadina a voice, Minnie l!gencr
General Musical Director. Cleofonte
Campanini stage Director, Fernand
Almanac.