New-York tribune., 1913-11-18
ARTISTIC FEATURES
Of OPERA OPENING
Echoes of Ticket Scandal
Do Not Mar Music of
la Gioconda."
ppULIANT FIRST NIGHT
OF PROMISING SEASON
raruso and Destinn, Amato, Mat
zenauer and Duchene Give New
Life to Ancient Airs.

p,u@v OF contrast and relief the ouer-
.,c doings If two months past and the
10 or less scandalous incidents in con-
".ot;on with the distribution of lew
.nrd,ed seats belonging to subscribers to
-. season threw the first night Of the
,,n,ronolitan season into higher light
,,,n any Of its predecessors in many
lars. not that the social aspect of the
.soi, was any more brilliant than mar
- as predecessors. or that any hitherto
,.nsard of excellence attached TO the
,pera or IFS performance. Il was only be-
..,,se circumstances combined TO heighte1
..cognition of what the Metropolitan
mora means artistically and socially
:. New York The fact only serves
= add TO the feeling of public hu-
,u,atior which the ticket scandal has
,.rsed. From every point OF view 1t was
,,nardonable. and ought TO have been
,nnossiblc Whether or not the careless
,ei,ude of the public Will permit it 10 he
,,ossed over and the policy of the opcra
rompany allow its rep stition are things
which need not be discussed just now.
rte fact which will always confront
wsrvbody directly concerned in it is that
!, threat OF proceedings in replevin
l,orsht forth property innocently pur-
,s,sed. honestly paid for and withheld
,,om IFS owners on technical grounds
rhich in no wise concerned the 2urcras-
prs II is to be hoped for the good o.
c,era and the honor Of the Metropolitan
,onpanv that the possibility of such a
candal will never arise again.
The opera was LA Giaconda.' which
had made q brilliant opening for the
METROPOLITAN season before. though if it
ever was performed with more effective
ness in any department than II was last
night may he questioned. Since IT was
first brought forward, just thirty years
ago. as the most slittering feature OF the
srst season OF opera at the house IN
vnper Broadway il has had many vicissi-
,udes For a long time its score ac-
evmulated dust on the library shelves;
is scenery voted gorgeous in its day
was put to various more or less lgnool'
uses. Nobody seemed TO miss the work
which. without all its musical vulgarity
and its Grass mathematician is yet
tremendously effective because OF its di-
rect appeal to the faculties which the
o,dinar-v opera devotee carries with him
10 the lyric playhouse. But since there
has been a Caruso to sing in it 1t has
been delight to the multitude. and since
Destinn has Joined him in ii it has pro-
vided moments of supreme artistic pleas
IRE to the lovers Of good dramatic song.
Both Of these artists gave of the pleni-
tude Of their gifts to last nights repre-
sentation: and with them were associated
sgnor Amato, a master OF dramatic
song when he is willing to forego his love
o. vocal exaggeration; Nine. Matzenauer'
owner OF a magnificent voice and the
ability 10 use it wisely and well; Maria
Duchene. an Unexpectedly capable repre-
sentative of the blind woman. and several
singers Of less importance. But with the
foremost OF the performers were Signor
Toscanini and tie inconspicuous members
Of the orchestra. H. r. IN