The Washington herald., 1913-02-08
MARY GARDEN SCORES
IN OPERA LA TOSCA"
Chicago Grand Opera Company Pre-.
sents Puecini Music Drama at
Chase's Theatef.

Mary Garden gave washington ths
keenest delight OF the present dramaus
season yesterday afternoon In Chase
Theater In her wonderfully vivld per.
formance In Puccini's opera, la Tosca,
presented by the Chicago Grand opera
Company, under the local management o'
Mr.. I. Arthur Smith.
The audience which filled the oeautiiu
new theater, at Fifteenth and q Streets
was held spelIbound. not only by miss
Gardens exquisite tone production, pu'
by the dramatic power with which sne
imbued her Characterization Of the tragic
role of Florio Tosca, for she made hef
so human that one forgot that IL "es
opera that one had come TO hear sung
forgot that the surging orchestra: forSot
that the text used was that OF a nctitious
story, and remembered only the suner'
ings of an exquisitely beautiful woman:
Miss Gar ms Tosca Is Wonoeriui
creature-fas scinating In her personality
sartorially and vocally artistic, ana AT all
times wholly womanly.
Through her trying scene with Scarpia
in the second act Miss Gardens work
was artistically complete, from both
vocal and dramatic standpoint Sne
comes into Scarpia's salon. having laid
aside all the conventional costuming OF
the role she plays for an exquisite robe
of cleaning silver, which Is perfect
frame for the grace and charm or her
manner From dignity she glides into a
mood of seductive persuasiveness which,
failing to give her the mastery Of the
situation, she discards for another OF
fiery vengeance, all OF which moods she
lets the impending dramatic situation de-
yelop with an artistry which encom-
passes the complete mastery of the whole
ramut Of human emotions Miss Gar
denis histrionic ability is given as broad
scope in "Tosca' as the vocal phases
of her art, and the one divides honors
with the other: for truer ana more
finished vocal utterance than that given
by the famous diva in yesterdays per-
formance has not been heard by a
Washington audience in many moon
Miss Garden reached the height OF her
vocal achievement in the role which she
sang in Chase's Theater yesterday ohe
sang with ferver. appealing art. and ex-
quisite beauty OF tone production That
she sang most OF the music in French
made no difference with the audience
which was more concerned with the nu-
man metamorphosis OF the varying pas
sIons which she depicted and the many
melodious passages Of the music or
.-Toscar than they were with the fact
that she sang only the aria. "Vissi
d'Artee dAmor," in Italian.
French Tenor at Best.
The Marie Cavaradossi OF yesterdays
notable operatic occasion was Leon Cam
pagnola, the famous French tenor. who
has achieved signal success since joining
the Chicago organization, whence he
came from the Paris Grand Opera House.
The French tenor made fascinating
figure OF the painter, and sang the nu-
sic of the role with a tonal warmth
which won for him an immense personal
ovation. He has voice OF beautiful
timbre. which was displayed 10 excellent
advantage in his aria, and In his duet
with Tosca in the first act.
In his portrayal of the willy prefect Of
police. Barone Scarpia. Mario Sammarco
gave a vivid portrait in the first act OF
the hypocritical tyrant, who became. in
the second act. a veritable demon. con-
sumed by his unQuenchabie passion for
the charming Tosca- Sensuous- brutal.
fend incarnate. Sammarco covers his
baser nature intermittently, In the sec
ond act. with a veneer which is, in the
the man. displaying his uncomfortable
desires to the audience, in all their naked
His portrait of the pre-
feet of police was drawn with vtgor and
and the role was sung with
great distinction by the famous italian
barytone-
To Ettore Perosio belongs a large
share OF the credit for the sympathetic
and enthusiastic reading of the score
Of Tosca. which Is turbulent. full OF dra-
matte fervor, and OF unusual melodic
sweet, all of which Perosio accentuated
In his reading.
OF the minor roles Constantin Nicolay,
as Cesare Angelotti and Vittorio Trevi-
san, as the sacristan. deserve a word of
for their capable charac-
and adequate vocal support.
and praise Is also due the artistic scenic
nvestiture OF the performance which
yesterday gave Washington a too sell
dom enjoyed operate treat.
] @ MANI