The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-14
'Boris" Again a
Metropolitan JOY

Under the above title, Musical America
IN its Issue of December 6. publishes al
interesting account of the revival o
masterpiece. Boris" Th
article. In part, follows
The triumph Of last season and the
most artistically significant and con-
sequential metropolitan Opera
achievement of many seasons, Nous
sorgsky's Boris Godounow," had Its
first hearing OF the present year on
Friday evening OF last week. To To-
Boris" has been a nine DAYS wonder
In moro senses than one, Many were
right willing upon first making the
acquaintance OF this work to stake
major portion OF their worldly goods
on the assured lmposslbility OF its
appeal to the profanum vnIgus OF
opera goers. Four performances served
10 blast their theories and tho pub
lie 1ocked 10 hear something so ut
terly foreign to Its usual operate eX-
Derience, listened In awe and accepted
It with whole-hearted gratefulness.
Last week the audience was again OF
Again there was unalloyed enthusi-
asm-enthusiasm more expressive.
even, and more ardent than last sea-
son. And small wonder. for the
pretation that for concentrated dra-
matte tensity and power and alter
nate musical grandeur and lowell
ness surpassed even those of last
spring. Mr.. Toseanin! outdid himself
and chorus and individual artists
were fred by his example. Doubt
less the work would gain II sung In
the Russian tongue and with native
Russian chorus Yet even, under pres
overwhelming IN It's wild elemental
force and sweep of passion, holds the
imagination captive-aDd this .wheth-
er the hearer be musicalIy cultivated
or illiterate. It Is tender, ardent.
fiery, austere. prodlgiously dramatic
by turns, always emotionally assertive
In the higest degree, intensely mod
ern in substance. and expression.
Mr.. Toscanini brought out all these
qualities In supremely eloquent style
and the chorus did its share as no
other chorus, not actually Russian.
could have done II.
The individual artists must be ac-
praise. Mr.. DIdur's Boris was. as
previously. remarkable for It's sin
cere and consistent delneation Of the
soul struggle OF the wretched czar,
The hallucination and death scenes
were climactlc accomplishments. Mr.
Althouse. as Dimitri, sang with
voice OF even fuller volume than
last season and OF richer quality
But the Justly admired young Ameri-
can tenor must guard against ten
dency occasionally TO force certain
tones. lie need not do this as his
voice is ample in resonance. Mr.
Bada's Schoulsky IS the best thing
he does and Mr.. Rothier's Pimenn
is truly beautiful, both as a piece Of
characterization. and vocalism. In
comparable is the drunken and bib
ulous Varlaam OF de Segurola.
Nine. Ober replaced Nine. Homer
as Marina. She found in her one
short scene opportunities for dra-
matte effects that have not always
been shown here in connection with
this character, while her singing
more than emphasized the good Inn
preston OF the foregoing week
Sophie Braslau made her stage debut
(she had sung the Voice in ''Parsi-
far' the day before) as Theodore,
and though she had little 70 do. she
did IL with lusclousness OF tone and
manifest vocal skill Miss Sparkes
as Sen!a and Nine. Duchene as the
Nurse were excellent. But tho Inn
Keepers charming music Is roughly
dealt with by Nine. Maubourg.