New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-21
A new TENOR AT
THE METROPOLITAN
Possible Improvements in
the Opera of Bohe-
mianiSm.
MISS BORI SCORES
A TRIUMPH
A Great Deal More Noise than
Sentiment Displayed in an
Admired Work.

Puccini's "Boheme" was brought for
ward at the third performance Of the
Metropolitan Opera House last night. It
introduced a new singer, the tenor, Go
vanr, Martineli, but II was not he who
lent the most charm or greatest interest
to the work The opera. in which Pucci-
mis- peculiar genius no doubt appears at its
best could easily endure a refurbishing,
provided II took the form of restudy OF its
artistic elements from the bottom up. \
dozen Rodolfos have come and gone since
the opera came 10 us. in 1898; as MANY
Minis and almost as many Musettas; but
no artistic manager has come to suggest
that new conception or two might be In
jected into the opera, that its comedy
scenes might be made less uproariously
and ridiculously farcical its sentiment
little less vapd. It might be difficult to
do this when the librcttist's only means
Of representing the Bohemians OF the
Murger period is 10 send lOne-coat-
ed. tall-hatted individual through the
most impossible din OF a Partisan fete
reading a book. another at his heels
toting an antiquated horn from which he
never blows a tune. still another who
does nothing but make stump speeches
about the art Of poetry. and finally to
disclose them exhibiting some melo-
dramatic action at the death of cocotte.
Lafcadio Hearn once wrote In letter
In which he rebuked a friend for occupy
Ing himself too much with the grind OF
Journalism that under all the levity OF
Mnrpar'o nj Rnhepni4 pGm There
is a serious philosophy apparent which
elevates the characters OF his romance
TO herosm. They followed one principle
faithfully-so faithfully that only the
strong survived the ordeal-never TO abans
don the pursuit Of an artistic vocation Tor
any other occupation, however lucrative
not even when she remained apparently
deaf and blind to her worshlppers."
How much truth there may be In the
theory cannot be said in note on the
opera. II comes to mind, however, in con-
nection with the reflection that 1t might
Re a good thing To try 10 do something
else with Puccini's opera or, In default
OF such an effort. to make an experiment
with Leoncavallo's setting of the same
theme We might then be spared some
OF the horse play which aternates so
regularly and wearisomely with the
mawkishness OF the Puccini opera as 1t
has always been given and perhaps al
ways will be given under the existing ar
tlstic conditions
The new tenor did not lift the opera into
relief last night. not because his voice
was disappointing, but because his use
Of It was. His Is a splendid. clear, reso-
nant organ: much could be done with II
were intelligence. taste, feeling, n sense
OF nuance and the value OF changing
timbre called TO its aid. But his strong
est conviction seemed TO be that force
meant feeling, and that there was no
emotion which could not be best ex-
pressed by explosion. He would try 10
blow up a ship OF the line when telling OF
the joys OF being "A poet or the stirring
OF a new love. And so he grew tiresome
early in the evening, while his gentle COM
panion. Miss Bori. grew in loveliness OF
expression with every changing phase OF
her passion. And IL was n pity for the
sake OF the general effect that Signor
Polaccos notion Of how the opera ought
to be performed was much like the new
comers. II. h. Is.