Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-16
CARUSO AND AMATO
TRIUMPH IN AIDA"
AT METROPOLITAN
Greatest Success of Present
Season Due to Splendid
Cast-Mme. Destinn Un-
able to Appear.

The story of Aida" last nights opera.
presented it. and the story of the cast
is almost exclusively the story of the
men in 1t. The singing OF Caruso,
Amato, Dldur and Rossi made the
ancient opera rich In color and feel
ing; It made what promised to be a tor
turous rlgmarole a glorious enjoyment.
Nine. Destinn, owing to sudden indispo-
sition. was unable to sing Aida and was
replaced by Nine. Marie, Rappold. She
was in tolerable voice. but for two and
half acts sang in a monotonous and
unstilful tone, entirely undramatic ut
terly unevocative. and becoming effective
only in the plaintive moments for which
her voice seemed TO be suited. In the
last acts. however, Nine. Rappold's voice
took on warmth OF tone, displayed at
least some appreciation of the dramatic
import of the singing, affected its hearers
TO some degree OF feeling and made one
wonder why it all had not happened be-
fore.
Maria Duchene, ON the contrary, was
sadly troubled. Her voice broke. on occa-
sions, and she seemed unable to sustain
the shortest tonal flights, but when she
mastered herself her voice was powerful
and supple.
Messrs. Caruso. Amato and Didur were
In no wise troubled. From his first
words. Mr.. Dtdurs bass was clear and
sound, almost noble in its dignity. Less
rich. but still attractive. was Mr. Rossfs
King And the two great singers OF the
evening. Caruso and Amato. were ire
proachable. The miracle OF Caruso's
singing Is not that his voice persists
against the lapse of years. II is that TO
the magnificent tone which is his by the
gift of the high gods, he has within the
last six years added. little item by item
a sense OF artistic singing which is re-
markable in so great a tenor. 1t is the
habit of tenors TO have great voices and
70 care nothing how they sing: II was
even Caruso's habit Five years ago the
Celeste Aida" would have been a display
OF virtuosity. as II must be- and nothing
more. Last night Caruso sang it with a
quiet fulness, a steadiness OF tone beau
tiful disregard OF Its possibilities" and an
overwhelming sense OF the tustness which
his art demanded. So he stirred faint inn
aginings and evoked memory and desire,
And this Is not because his voice is falling
on; still II fills the audience with its sweet
SAVIOR, still IL csn make melody rise and
fall 80 that the heart rises and falls
with it. The difference is that now
Caruso appreciates his gift. whereas
years ago he simply employed It.
Amato, with his performance In La
Gioconda." indicated his rare endOw-
ment OF dramatic intuition. which Affects
not only the gesture and bearing, but
the very modulations OF his voice as ell.
His playing last night was sturdy cor
roboration Of the praise he won before.
Appearing only IN two acts. he made OF
Amonasro a parsonage OF striking fea-
ture. which took and held the magma
tion. And his voice passes quite beyond
criticism of technique. II makes him the
one baritone who should always be heard
with Carusos the one who, being 50 heard.
makes perfection absolute.
For next week. the company. with
GadEki and Hemper and schumann and
Urlus and Braun and GoritE. viii pro-
duee ''Tho Magic Flute" il viii be the
hfth opera. the mid-season Offering. ana
Il Is Mozart At lasll