New-York tribune., 1912-02-02
MUSIC
4oAs RHEING0L0" AT OPERA
ALSO Two Operas Of Wagner's
Italian Successors.

day OF contrasts at the opera
aov--oF contrasts calculated TO invite
80 n long experience had not demon
.od that comparative study Of the vari-
,hononena in connection with the de-
',-L.frI exotic called opera and lyric drama
worse than idle In the afternoon the
,..stre was crowded by public plainly
~ N see and hear "Das Rhelngold' "a
sresertation Of which is only to he looked
W a., annual concession to the lovers Of
yt.orar's tragedy The Ring OF the Nibe-
-, who are amiable enough to consider
.s.t they are getting a "cyclical" perform
.,cs NJ the tetralogy. though its parts are
s,,ood over nearly a month and its dra-
,.,c illusions spoiled by changes OF
..nnes as we'll as Of persons. But while the
"a observer was still confronting the ques-
.,., u,hether or not an od-fashioned Wag-
,.r,sn epidemic was imminent (since such
a. attendance on "Das Rheingold" had not
,.en witnessed for years. there came an
.rening performance with the hackneyed
,oh. so hackneyedD double bill of "CaVal-
III, Rusticana" and "PagliaCci," and
again the house was crowded There was
o,Iy one difference so far as the attend
orre was concerned. and that was that
while in the afternoon seats and boxes
we're strained 10 accommodate the listen
ere In the evening IL was tho so-called
standing room which had to endure the
rressure The reason? Caruso, of course.
He sang in Leoncavallo's opera. That was
enough. and will remain enough until tho
time comes-not yet i'm the presciencc OF the
farthest.sighted obServer-when the song
and not the singer shall challenge popular
interest and enthusiasm in our opera. In
this no reflection Is intended on the italian
nneras or .heir Interpretation as the pa
irons of the Metropolitan Opera House have
long been accustomed to hear them. II
ANYTHING more perfect IN their line is 70 he
found on the lyric stage than New York
has enioved for two decades and Is enjoy
inc now. II would he difficult 10 locate the
stage. Surely not in Italy. France. England
or Germany. And II not there, where else
Sometimes the veteran reviewer is tempted
10 recall the Santuz2a m which Calve frst
revea led her unique genius 10 the local pub
lie. and which came nearer to the marvel
lous dramatic impersonatIon of Duse than
ANYTHING that has been seen or heard since.
Yet 2 performance Of "Cavallerla Rusu-
cana" like that of last night, In which
Madame Gadski enacted Santuzza, Mr..
Martin Turiddu and Mr.. Gilly Alfo, was
calculated n prove how vital the hot blood
ed drama has remained I'm spite OF its TOO
,reouent performances. II would have hem
ssted Of course. had Miss Destinn the best
successor that Nmc. Calve has hadl been
nermitted TO enact the part Of SantuzIa'
hu, she Was needed for Media, IN ''Pagli-
scci." and there. though she did little for
tbe dramatic illusion. she did much for the
musical beauty Of the work.
As for "Das Rhengold," the audience IN
itself was a triumph Of large dimensions
Nothing like it has been seen for years.
hut II was almost perfectly performed, the
singing Of Miss Sparkes and Mines. Alten
and Wickham calling for as much praise
for it's purely musical quality as the su-
rerb musical characterization Of Fa3olt by
Mr.. Grswold Mr.. Goritz was superb ss
Alherich. hut that is an old story; and II
was delightful 10 hear the music OF trlckd
from Nine. Matzenauer and Of Erda from
Nine Homer Two characters should, II
might seem. call for attention on the part
Of the artistic direction Of the Opera House,
Why should Freia he so insufferably unin-
,eros.ing even when enacted by so charm
ipc an artist as Nine Click? And why
should Nlr Murphy az Froh, have been
ucrmitted IN carry a spear as he did yes
tcrdav2 Would not revision Of the Work
from A roetical point Of view be benehclal
10 tho work H. r. n