The evening world., 1912-03-06
"JeWels of Madonna"
At Last Heard Here
Wof.Ferraris Latest
Opera Presented by
William, Dippel's Com
pGhy at the Mefropoi-
tan Before Crowded
House - Musib, Unlike
Anything Else Of His,
Fits the Story.

BY SYLVESTER RAWkNG
DRMANNO WOLF -FERRARI's
new Italian opera. THE Jewels
Of the Madonna" much her.
aided from Chicago and Philadelphia.
vas presented for the first time In
New York at the Metropolitan Opera
House last night by Mr.. Dippel's
phSaaAelphia-C Chicago Opera Company
before . crowded house. 1t wa heard
with the closest attention and waS
greeted with generous applause: but.
Dor . drst night. the enthusiasm was
not remarkable. The principal sing.
sN and Clsofonte Campanini. the
conductor, we're recalled many times
AFTER esoh act; but the stealing Of the
jsRsls from the image Of the Ma
donna and the wearing Of them By
the abandoned woman for whom the
theft was made. which 10 the cruz Of
the Stery, seemed to be something Of
Q shock to most OF the audience.
With~ut the incident, however. there
woulA have been no opera.
Wh8s the cas- 10 as large - tina re-
CURED for C~hsrpentier's "Louise.'' the
burden Of the opera Is carried by three
p~rotasonists. The story deals with the
devoted love OF an honest clean living.
religious blacksmith for q wall adopted
40 ~ -~a.. .rA.- l.. a
She. on the other hand. Is ensnared BY
. Don Juan leader Of the Cammorists.
who promises to steal wen the Jewels
Of Ne ndnnna for her II she will have
him. TAlA she repeats to the infatuated
blacksmith. as she spurns him. and ne.
In q frenzy. robs the image n presents
the Jewels 10 her. In an obsession OF
thought Tor the Cammorist she gives
herself to the blacksmith. Reporting
within t~wenty-four hours, she flees to
the Cammorfst with the Jewels. He In
suits and spurns her for unfaithfulness
and Is terror-str1cken. as Is his criminal
band. at the sacrllege that has been com
mittsd. She runs Oh in despair to cast
herself into the sea. Meanwhile the
blacksmith. In frensied pursuit Of the
runaway. is captured by the gang who
would kill him. but for their leaders
assurance that they would be accursed
II they touched him. Tho theft Il
known. and "a the alarm Is sounded they
all creep away leaving the blacksmith
10 stab himself before a picture OF the
Madonna.
WoLF-FERRARi MUSIC FOREIGN
TO ALL PREVIOUS EFFORTS.
Mr.. wolf-Ferran. In writing the musk
brutal tale. has had to cut adrlft from
all by which he has endeared himself to
W heretofore. OF the lofty spirituality
Of The New Life OF the sparkling
and refreshing Mozartian quality Of
The Secret Of Suzanne" and "Ths
Curious Women" there 10 scarcely 9
trace. He has placed himself SQUARED,
90 \ plane with the better known mod
ern Italian veritists and. It would seem
with something Of q prentice hand
While he Wis here recently he declared
that he was q devotee Of nc school OF
style, but felt competent to write tn
appropriate music for any story. With
the qualifications just made. his assump
tion would seem TO be true. for most Of
the score 10 virlls and graphically de
scriptive Of the action.
Music reviewers have no easy task a
a drst performance Of IN opera. In
conscientious desire to groso the wor'
I q detail for the beneit Of their reader
there - danger Of Understanding tn
sl~gnificanos OF broader effects. It 4
not hard to ind "reminiscences Of thing
familiar. but it is less Easy to seize upol
tho salient things that are now. y
music lover cos,d fan TO note Mr.. Wolf
FsrarI's knowledge Of Bizet's Gar
men," or q she earlier works Of Verd'
a. of the later compositions OF Mascagn
AID Lsonoavafio. In fact. the variation
OF outUsdS anspiraiou ars complsx an
a bk confusing. No can doubt. how