New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-09-16
POPULAR OPERA BEGINS
aida" Performed in English at
the Century Theatre.
WEI COINED WITH GlADNESS
A Creditable Performance and
al Interesting Issue Joined
What Will Be the Outcome?


snthropic men gave it their encourage
neni: experienced men put the plan into
execution. and last night witnessed the
hsetnnlng OF the latest Of many expert
nents 10 popularze grand opera The
cer,ury Theatre was the place. Verdis
Aida" the opera. the language used by
,he singers vas the vernacular the au-
Ncnce was numerous and disposed 10
-Acognize every Of OF excellence, CXag-
,s-ate IT'S value and so the affair passed
highly creiltabic: many performances IN
Italian for which greater prctensions
gre made. have fallen below II In point
n me excellence OF the individual artists
and the general effect. The organization
ear which the City Cub and the Metro
,.,lfau Opera directors have stood as
,,orso-s and the brothers Aborn have
crsated put It's best foot forward. II Is
mot peculiarly graceful Or shapcly foot,
LIST Q sturdy and energetic foot which
vsu carry u problem. which has been
Trade greatly 20 exercise the public mind.
a considerable distance toward solution
for the tim, h,iuG. II II results in the
,.rmancrt establishment OF popular
,asra IN IN; language. English. Italian.
r,onrh or German. It Will MARK a great
chsnFe In tho popular attitud" toward
the ivric drama and bs contamination
NOS; aevoutly 20 be wished.
A Great many an unusual number. in
assd. ~ III. words which we're sung were
,,,eliigible THIS seems to indicate that
,he discussion concerning opera IN eng
rsh which has been carried ON with
.-ssf deal OF en- ,rSv FOR several years has
,,-,c good fruit II has left untouched
ths question whether the UNDERSTANDING
q, operalic English IL always conducive
"a enioyment. McssrS. Morgan Kingston
1Rhadafnev). Alfred kaufmal tRamiis)'
r1,js Krcid!r- (AmouasrOl and. I'D
smaller degree. Miss Kathleen Howard
tAriner'1 and Miss Elizabeth AmsHeh
faida,. bv enunciating the words as
,fnctly fo~ the greater part. helped th"se
Who wished 10 haze more Intimate ac-
ors ',,;.,ce with the sentiments OF the
Mas peouic than they have been able
io extract from Italian performances.
oniv frv 81 them. Mr. kreidl"r COM
'rs into nror1inence here. made the ENG
tor ~ the drama felt. With varying de
c,ecs Of oYccess ther also disclosed the
lra,f,- of the nusic--nOt all Of N. but 50
i,-g, q measure that IL was possible to
s-y that the opera was sung With good
liberation. with d great deal OF ANNA
tor and with precision. Tho ne"
teno-. Mr. kingston. disclosed terror
voice Of Gne. even quality e0oh
poNr- and splendid possibllit.cs. Ills
manner 81 singing urfurtunateiy recalled
the. Of the x,oried lrizi"Gan who pihy'o
e., 5dole BY mni9 Strength" but tfns
,-ar,ro to bc a,crpici lbs the audience
81. ,i-tue eve. when II was applied 10
the rc.tatsc aria. which o.ght 10 be borne
Is ON angels wings. which is me h'S'
appealing number iu the scorv. VI "p-
pearance ana action ne was DESTRUCTIVE
OF all romantic illus.on. The frst deiect
r,ivb, be remedied by sn expert meat
zeal dresser at once; the second may Oe
,,rrovad h., Study and experience. lie
has th. making Of & fine ARTIST MS pa
,cads 10 the hcighis. Fami1aT's WI"
IN, calling spoko with emphasis from '"s
singing and acting OF Mr.. KreidieI ana
,,,.. sirg,up Of Mr.. Kaufman. and also
.~,r, ,b, work OF Miss Howard. Whose
aduirabi voice would be more aoInl' a.
% erc II more freely emitted. IN M
sbI.lds there was found representa- nv
a. the typ. Of dramatic singer VINO has
iee, q clog on English opera for gen
,-a,io,e Miss Amsdens hobble skirt ana
its disclosures are more likely 10 caus'
a-ea,r, comment than the undeniap'e
T-i,,,ancv of her voice and her effective
,.sa of ,t-wh!ch is q pity. In her case
100. there is promising artistic material
There vas little refinement OF nuance
IN the singing OF the chorus and the play
ing OF the orchestra, but plenty oil Noluihc
and frequent outbursts of enerSy-nlal-
tera 10 which Mr.. Szendrei. the CONDUCTOR
seemed 10 devote more attention than ne
did 70 eloOuence OF expression. But ne
d,sniaved q masterful band and complete
knowledge OF the material part OF the
score Wholly praiseworthy, partly De
cause u was neither too garish nor 100
lavish was the getting OF the opera-in al
,J,trcs commemorate with the perform
succ.
Though there was not The faintest ele-
ment OF novelty in the representation
rhicb had been loudly heraldec ana was
acclaimed with much sladsomeness' inc
.,c, remstns that the new venture mas
h-opRbt I'D for q discussion severn
o.es,ions which it is expected inc
venture OF the Century Company VIII
HING 20 n determination. Some OF them
are as old es the lyric drama itseii'
some as old as the history OF opera IN
America.
IL Is only the phase in which the ques-
lions are to be presented that give then
the sembiance of novelty
n the argument Is TO turn on the re-
lat,ye popularity OF what is common!
talked about as italian and English
opera II may be said that the contro-
versy between the two forms, as the'
now present themselves-two VARIATIONS
Of tho same thing differing from eac"
other only in the language employed III
the rcpresentation-has been carried OH
Cor eighty years in New York. with sue
cess going now 10 one side, now TO the
other. II the question at issue Is
whether the English language is net
ter vehicle for the lyric drama than ltaI-
ian or any foreign tongue, II may be
said that considerations which ought
70 be obvious 90 every cultured MIND
have settled II long ago: the proper Ian
guege 10 sing operate music In Is the
language for which the music was com
posed, the only language 10 which the
rnosgcst .d,nnn can be said TO be native.