New-York tribune., 1914-12-13

in The Tribune several times Within
the last generationO His music is
certainly full of talent and adds to the
brilliancy of the pretty Spanish pict-
ures shown in each act. He was very
successful in mis- efforts at characteri-
zatiOn, too. The Spanish music intro
duced BELTS the character Of Car
men; the clustering, dashing matador
publishes the very climax of his ambl-
tion in his song, and Don Jose's music
becomes such a milksop as he is; it is
consistent in giving him no more char
acter than he possesses. The one good
character necessary, according to dra-
matte canons. is 'Micaela. and to her
Bizet has given the best number in the
opera. 20. holy simplicityl) AS for
the tragic ending of the opera. which,
in its nature. should be comic, IT rs
no greater outrage than Ambrose
Thomas committed in taking the story
of "Mgnon," a genuine tragedy type,
and metamorphosing it into an opera
comique, with a conventional recovery
and a prosy marriage at the end.
The performance of Miss Kellogg
does not seem to have made pro-
found impression. AS a matter OF fact,
il was like all her impersonations, dra-
matically a laek-lustre affair and the
music was not fitted TO her voice.
When the writer came to New York, IN
the last week of November, 1880, MIN
ME Hauk was still supreme IN the
role. and a year later the opera was
drawing an audience that tested the
capacity of the Academy OF Music at
every representation. She was cog
nized as the ideal Carmen" IN New
York and London. and possibly had but
Al oil lf-M
the original creator of the character IN
PARIS. and I.ucca. in Germany, But
neither of these artists had played the
part in New York.
Nine. Trebelli.
The next singer to essay the cnar-
acter in New York was Nine. IreoelH,
in the first season of opera at the
METROPOLITAN Opera House, 18S3-lSs4.
She had followed Minnie Hauk in Lon
don and when Mr.. Abbey announced
the opera he said that 1T would be
"performed with the same cast as wnen
il was produced at Her Najesty's, Lon
don" The statement was only true IN
part; three of Mr. Abbey's singers
were in the London production on
June %, 1873, namely, Nine. Nallerla'
Signor Campanini and Slgnor pel
Puentc. The Carmen was Minnie hauS'
who, il will be remembered, was, "a an
American, Of German psrentage: Inc
Tribune's critic compared her imper-
sonation with that Of Minnie Hauk to
the disadvantage of the former. He
thought that she threw a lurid light
over the wickedness of the character,
but found neither tones nor actions for
its amiable qualities.
"Her aim seems TO be TO make Car
men a beautiful demon and she leaves
no room for either the lighthesrtedness
Of the gypsy girl or the capacity which
she has for a tender attachment. NOW
Carmen does love Don Jose-for q
little while; otherwise her seduction OF
him is wanton wickedness. The tragic
element in the character takes posses
sion of IL early and the feeling which
follows il through the third and
fourth acts has nothing of sympathy
in il. For this reason it might be
argued that there was more whole
someness in its moral lesson than in
that of our familiar Carmen, but BIZ
zet's opera is not one that suggests an
inquiry into moral values. We are
quite content to be charmed by so
beautiful a girl, though she be gypsy
cigarette maker, who wears dagger
in her corset and uses it freely on her
COMPANIONS. The hardness which Nine.
Trebelli gives the character fits it ad-
mirably after the scene in which she
learns her fate from the cards and so
grimly and characteristicslly accepts
H. From that moment its power grows.
But IL needs lightness and grace IN
the earlier moments"
Minnie Hauk came back TO New York
in the season Of i8s5-S6 and the
opera was sung al the opening OF that
season in the Academy Of Music, un-
der Colonel Mapleson. The critic de-
nlored the fact that while she gave
Inc same pleasure 10 the eye as OF
yore. she gave much less satisfaction
10 the ear" She not only sang with
effort. but had grown erratic in the
matter Of tempi-like Nine. Csivve al
later date.
Nine. Lilli Lehman.
The most original Carmen that New
york ever saw, perhaps. was that OF
filli Lehman, 10. effected her en-
trsnee on the American stage IN the
nsrt AZ the Metropolitan Opera House
IN November Is, 1885. frsulein Leh-
rnsnn AZ she then was, strode across
sbc stage like Prussian grenadier.
she oyertopped Alyary, who was the
Don Joef OF the occasion, and her ap-
nesrence cauged so much surprise that
Inc audience almost gasped and had 70