New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-29
boris" SCORES AGAIN
Great Audience Turns Out for
Second Performance.
GATH REPEATS TRIUMPH
Didurs Portrayal of the Gar
Once More Wins Applause
Praise for His Support.

The large audience that gathered last
night at the Metropolitan opera House
must have brought cheer To tho heart OF
Gatt-CasazzI. il being tho second per
formau,e boo America Of MoussorgsIy's
"Bori. Gojuuo0 The production of a
work no once $50 unknown and unusual a
this Russian opera wa. hazardous as far
~ the chance ~ popular success could
lc determined Tho history of Russian
opera ~ New York not presuppoSiug any
thing more than SUcccs dsStimC.
Yet Gatti and Toscanini have repeated
IS urged that Aloussorgsky's Boris" was
work far removed in spirit from the works
Of Rubinsteiu or even of Tschalkowsky
and that il Wa tie first opera purely Rus
sian IN spirit that America had heard.
However, ii is certain that the folk music
of Russia forms the basis Of all that is
most interesting In the work notably IN
the uobly sonorous choruses. and this
music ia particular appealed with evident
potency To- last nights audience. The size
and enthusiasts OF last nights audience
must be- II good omen AS 70 the future
popular appeal Of the work upon which
the management has lavished So album
dainty of us substance ana its spirit.
The looseuess' aud disconnecteduesS II
the lbrctto and the frequent irrclevanc"
of the incident. are not virtues in work
intended foi Theatre presentation. whore
the flow Of dramatic action should u"
continuous and uninterrupted Vet the
many beauties OF the score. the rcsound-
ing choruses. the scenes OF paternal ten
derness. varied with those OF the pangs
OF tortured conscience the brilliant scenic
inycstiture. the exotic appeal of the story.
may we'll couuterbalance the lack of "A
vel knit dramatic structure Such app
reared 10 be- the case with last nights
audience. Let it be Hoped that it may
prove to bee the case with many that sllc-
coed in future years.
The production itself leaving aside
doubts that may arise as to some of m"
scenery. is one of the most successful ac-
complishments that Gatti-Casazza has
laid To his credit The chorus. which Of
late years has become one Of the glories
of the Metropolitan has in Boris" the
part OF the chief protagonist And splen-
IlulA Uifr ~ lNilit AitNi Hdi l. i'i AiiA7f
praise must go 10 Mr.. Settl.
The management of tie crowds reflects
much credit upon Mr.. Speck. while the
strange Vet brilliant costumes are in
themselves of great interest. To the or
chestra Toscanini gives a splendid elastic
power. such a. seems impaired only by
his genius. Boris" is TO him labor Of
love. and wonderfully has he accom-
plishod IT, When all is said and done for
its success. hrst honors must go to him.
OF Didur's portrayal of the car high
praise has already been given. II stands
head and shoulders above anything the
Polish bass has hitherto accomplished
Didur himself Slav. has evidently felt
and loved the character as he has never
felt nor loved any Of the creations of
French or Italian genius I'm his inn
personation there is great dignity and
repose. mingled with tender pathos-a
pathos that becomes only the deeper when
the mans conscience stings his brain
into "A tortured fury. The applause that
Didur received last night was deserved.
or the other characters words %. praise
should go To Miss Case. who made OF the
young Theodore an appealing figure; to
Miss Sparkes as Nenia, and 10 Nine
Duchene as the nurse: also To Segurola
for his drunken Narloom. and to Leon
Rothier as the old monk. Mrs. Homer
sang Marina's part most effectively. but
she seemed far from at home In the cos
tune of Poland.
Althouse. the young American tenor.
who made favorable impression at his
debut as Dmitri. appeared afflicted win
a cold, and as consequence forced his