The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-03-30
/. Strong il Not Popular.

If the New York opera season OF lsls
1913 does not 40 down on RECORD ,uaI as III
OF the most noteworthy IN ,s, me nossess
tbe distinction OF having witnessed tne
first American presentation OF NoueSre CoSo,,-
Petrovltch Moussgorskys So,is Hou ~
NOW - one OF the most novel ana Yer
v{ihal overpowerinS specimens OF 'ytiS
drama that the last halt centulS IN
brought into being, rms, the ihdSe.,1
work of that strangely fascinating i E,o
nrratic genius whom some have oololy
pronounced the most Russian OF Russiah
composers, had It's initial nearing gin@ a. Nc
Metropolitan on NeanesuaS SsortrnateIy
make it Impossible TO record the popular
verdict at the present writing, the ensu-
ing observations being based upon sne
full dress rehearsal which took place oe
fore good sized audience OF invited
guests last Tuesday morning.
New York has had small experience IN
dealing with Russian operate fare. some some
introduced Tschaikowsly's "Eugen On.
cgin'' in concert form. and some three
wears ago the Metropolitan essayed thar
same composers "Pique Dame Neither
work succeeded IN acquiring hold and
quickly fell into desuetude Beyond
these III starred efforts no musical drama
OF Russian manufacture has been eS-
plotted here
s'Boris'. is a vastly different affair from
either Of the TschaiRowsky works JUST
mentioned To the musical experience OF
IL is something Intensely. fundamentally
new, a creation that finds little or no
analogy in the various types OF opera
that constitute the Metropolitan roper
toire that Is not to be gauged or meas
ured by conventional operauc STANDARDS
| Judged from the purely artistic point OF
view. II is infinitely the most important
ACQUISITION that the Broadway instltu,
! ZION has made since "TLonigsklnder."
Moreover, IL opens up musical vistas OF a
character almost totally unfamiliar to
the average patron OF the New YORK
! house Artlstically IL stands as the most
! important and by far the most original
operate production since the introduc,
ton OF such works as "Sa!ome' and
! "Pelleas.' :,
I Anticipating details, It may be said
. that the Metropolitan, though It bent Its
/ strongest energies toward consummatine
/ as finished an Interpretation as possible,
! could not, with the artistic means at Its
disposal. encompass a. performance calcu-
lated TO embody adequately the correct
spirit of the work. Russian artsts and
above all, Russian chorus, are aoSo-
II lutely ind ispensable in realizing the IN
tensely national character OF work as
racy OF the soil as Boris Further
more. the Metropolitan, which gives every
opera in the language in which 1t was wa:
written-provided that language be none
other than Italian, French, German OF
English-found itself in somewhat EN-,
barrassIrg dilemma when confronted
with one written originally in Russian
So the management winked for the nonc'
at its ideal linguistic theories and gave
il in italian, though there were not want
ing those who suspected that in view o.
a necessary translation German--or ever
English-would have proved more legltl-
mate substitutes for Russian thar
Italian.
But while Boris Is a stupendou'
achievement he would be almost rashl!
optimistic who would predict for 1t {
deep measure OF favor on the part of the
rank and file OF opera goeTs. 1t Is great
ly 10 be feared that the work must re,
main cayiare to the general public until
these are willing or able to adjust thet
powers of artistic receptivlty to the poin
necessary for an appreciation OF tn
multitudinoug and overmastering eXoti