The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-18
Iucicn Muratorc Makes His
Proper Debut in an
operate Role.
NARY GARDEN ENvELOPPEE
SalammbO I'm Search Of the
Iaimph Was Not SO
Much Obscured.


the drama OF Maurice Maeterlinck. II
January ia. 1908. The chief artists en- |
.ag.d in the performance were that
.stlesque and imposing soprano. Luz
Glenn. Brevsl. as the heroine. NJ. Mar
eoux as G,stdo Coloana, NJ. Deimas as
Marco Coionnd and Luoien Muratore as
Pm, .,rdHc. The opera was given at the
Metropolitan Opera House last evening
for the first time in this city. II had
previously been made known TO Boston
and Philadelphia.
Two OF the original cast were concerned
In last evenings production. namely.
Messrs Muratore and Marcoux. Tie
former made his operate debut In New
York Hc had been heard before In u
curious entertainment given at the
HIppodrome. No one knew whether 1t
was n concert OF n vaudeville perform
ance, but many regretted that VI. Mura-
tore had not been introduced In more
atting manner.
Il Was the Philadelphia Chicago com
pany. that glorious band of apostles of
French opera, which delivered Fevrier's
work TO US last evening. The interesting
operatic institution OF Boston contributed
Nr. Marcoux. The occasion was one Of
interest. perhaps Of Importance. Cnfor-
tunately, as In the case OF Don OUCH
otte," the local recorders of musical
doings had no opportunities for private
study Of the work before last evenings
public display. IN the case Of Don
Quichotte" 1t turned out that nothing
could have been gained by study and
hat Na Inn. ..l h,.
its omission.
The story OF "Monna Wanna 10 well
suited to operate treatment. and F'evrfer
has been fairly successful In his score.
But the action and the admirable inter-
pretatlon OF the principal artists furnish
The most vital elements In the lyric
drama. Mary Garden. the unique and
nimitable. takes the place OF the divinely
;all Lucienne Breval AS MonHd Wanna !;
but OF her more anon. 1t Is a role much
10 her taste but 1t has disappointing mo-
merts.
This Is the situation: Florence besieges
Pisa, and the latter is starving Guido
colonnd, commandment, sends his father.
uarco, as envoy to Punishable, nercenary
General Of the besieging force. Prin.a
wales terms are plainly stated. He will
nh Pisa with food II Guido will send his
wife. Cioudnnd, clad in nothing but 1.
cloak. to Prin=ivaile's tent, there to re-
main Till morning.
Nomnd CdnNa determines TO 20 In order
10 save Pisa. Guido tbeing a mere mani
isyes and declares that she does ct love
MIN any more. She goes. and Prs1siraiIe
treats her with respect. He knew her
when he was n child and has loved her
all his life. She returns to Pise, taking
P-,r .iruIe with her. for the Florent.nes
la,, begun to suspect him and his life
is in danger.
Gaiio still being a mere NAM canno,
BE- made to believe her story that Prtn-s-
rdile has respected her. What he does
believe is that she has lured this enemy
10 PISA so that her husband may take
revenge. The wild disorder anCssvant oi
faith In her husbands mind make Wanna
d!sgusted. Her heart turns to Punishable
n. suddenly declares that what she has
Gd was untrue and that he had not re-
spectcd her She demands that he be
imprisoned and left to her vengeance. Sh,
deludes Guido into believing that she /,
going TO the captlve's cell to slay him
Instead OF that she frees him and fees
with him. End of opera.
When Saldmmbo went TO the tent OF
Hdtho there was much more pith and
moment TO the scene than TO this In
which NORMA Vdnnd proceeds TO place her
self at the mercy Of PrinsirdIle. This Is
the scene for which many earnest Paris
ians sat up and waited. The virgin inno-
cence and beauty Of a prima donna clad
in nothing but "a cloak! But alas! Here
% what IL comes to:
P'In.iraIle-vous etes nue. SOUS CO
hanteau?
Idnnd.--Oui.
tEils iau IN moupement pour depouI-
Ter le mGntedu. Punishable Farrete dun
Ssste.)
4 Coinstockian hero. and a tenor;
Few moments later he leads her to his
couch and bids her rest upon 1t. the couch
OF warrior. Then thus the stage direc.
tons:
Wanna sasseoit, etroitement envelope,
DC son mantedu)
Always, always. "entroitement en-
'eloppee'' Blest shades of That's, Their,
were Drawer doings In the dead Manhat
Tan days. Has II come to this. that tn,
only Mary shall eternally be "envoleppee %
Away with such "A tliought. Let US thinl
OF Fereriers music and of the perform
ance
The score cannot be adequately dis
enssed after single hearing, and ye
t'ir" is room for doubt that an extende
EXAMINATION OF the work would give an
o"''"- results than u swift summary. I'll
oo0" Is written in prose and the compose
has treated the setting with much FIRE,
uonL lie has written pure recitativ
Where that is most suitable. srioso NOR
o. IN" time and broad lyric song in th
moments Of high passion.
Fevrier has shown In this score Il fin
feeling for operate utterance. He ha
c'uug 10 the best traditions OF the Freno
musical drama, and II he has reached i
immortal Inspiration he has At any RAJ
mover sunk TO vuigarity nor to meanne'
OF style, ON the other hand, In the be
moments of the book he has written GOT
mHs't slngable. dramatic In style an
frequently genuinely beautiful.
This Is particularly the case with II
second act. The long scene between Prt'
;',hH' and Wanna is excellently made al
IL '.naN is we'll developed. The Nv
tl"u~s sung by the orchestra the one
IL" youth of the pair and the other
th".r love. are well contra sted and Il
SECOND mas something OF TIE feline Sc
sut.'} Of the famous phrase Massen
tqlr. But II Is a little more aTistocrat
lhtp the melOdic ideas Of Massenet usual
are. There In "a rich and mas,erful swe
IN much OF the melodic line OF the opel
ana Nh, orchestral background provides
uJSF uf luminous and significant color
IN th'' uurk ana Inadequate lmpressi'
OF It "oIk worthy Of much consideration
can pn said without hesitation that Il
COMPOSER has not failed the author al
'hl Norma Wanna" can he heard aga
wan pleasure. IL Is moi masterp!e(
bl' masterpieces are not created eve
= year We may be glad wine never We me
new opera which has ~ much MGR
ma far tho suls of that nholi1A