New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-03
New Italian Opera Proves a
Popular and Artistic
Success.
MOVEMENTS MUSIC
ORIGINAL, STRIKING
Sig Ferrari-Fontana Wins Ova-
lion Miss Bori and Messrs.
Amato and Didur Excellent
r., H. = kREHBITI~

.,rrt oi Che Metropolitan opera i'""sN
...,-e, forward o. new opera last uieht:
,.r opera. in au especial sense, for
,morc ae| uc nc" is scarcely a year
al ifn ., thst and up TO las, night had
..,, scaro ouly M two opera houses, and
chose foo uai, This circumstance. asso-
,.,cd al, t must he With some OF the
,.s productions or The last Eve years in
,.,,tcs "a closer relationship than ever
.,..,.5 before between the proud operate
,.,,br.hm,rt .u Broadway and the com
,,.s~. and Publishers OF Europe. That
Ma Work. should be in advance Of the
....o-.t, a. the capitals Of the old World
.. Giving a hearing TO orchestral works
,.. tee- a familiar tact for a quarter Of
.,r.rr, al least. but this has not been
,t. case tr respect OF operas. For novel
..,s ir the lyric drama We were long
..,,.,or.cd TO Wait not only until they
Id seen tested and approved abroad
t., until they had become part OF the
-,nsrtor, of some admired singer VINO
h.5 vou sn engagement in New YORK I'm
,l,s resncct tnev shared the fate OF
.,-,h,- Of familiar and admired works OF
,hs, mas be called the universal list
osieh. because Of the pernicious system
winch grew mp under past regimes. can
ro, De- performed now. because, despite
OBJ, snlcrd.G forces OF the Metropolitan
shore arc no representatives among the
-,,rlsr favoritcs iu the company oil
,ts.- princ.pal roles We can have no
Faust, forsooth, because the utular
mart is not sympathetic 70 SiGnor Caru-
N we have been deprived for years oil
Carmen" for want Of artists famlhar
u,b II whose personal popularity would
guarantee its financial success. Bizet
oos-s il. promised 90 rs now only because
Miss Farrsr has deigned TO study a new
,ole I'M which she thinks she may achieve
q triumph.
We must therefore. 50 far as the popular
f,yorltes are concerned. put up with
ss, which is growing fearfully hackneyed
and threadbare. and depend for an out
loor unon the creative activities Of me
dsv uron The minor mem oers Of the COM
nan, Thanks 20 them and Mr. Gatu, we
have hao two novelties Of late which may
h. said 70 have laid q foundation for the
education in taste Of the public upon
which the Metropolitan opera will have
10 oepend when the inevitable end OF the
temporary reCnant stars shall come.
These operas are Moussorgsky' Boris
Godounov" and the opera brought for
ward last night which. let il be said at
once as fact singularly pertinent TO the
argument. is the fine fruit OF the Russian
work grated ON an Italian stem. II 5
upon operas like these. in combination
Wit the standard German list, wnicn
has already become q necessary prop 10
the season. that the future OF the Metro
poltan Opera House depends.
The story Of the new opera was told at
lcngth in this journal last sunday. and I
is necessary for present purposes only 10
recall 30 in outline IL is a tragedy to
which the author Of the book has given
romantic setting which suggests an histori-
cal period and historical peoples without
putting a clog upon the Imagination Of
Tho hearers ln this he has been followed
bt The composer who, though he uses the
musical vehicle which is the Characters
tc glory Of his own country and borrows
device of dramatic expression which is
equally characteristic OF a different coun-
try, set speaks in the language proper 10
the Proclamation OF passions which know
no distinction ~ time or peoples The
poets name IS Sem Bonclli could we
write shem as well We might. his race
would be more clearly disclosed and he
wrote his play not as a drama TO be sung
but as play 10 be spoken. To III IL for
opera some olsions were made and q
scene for chorus added 4 fine, strong
play II h. IN fine strong verse. pictu-
rescue but direct with a splendid com
mano Of the elements which make
drama effective in its appeal 10 eye. ear
ana emotions. IL v ould be dfhcult 10 re-
'aH another opera in which there is a
more puisssnt exhibition Of the elements
or contrast In character. OF conflicting
motives. OF the devastating result OF pas
sions az war with each other. all OF which.
nevertheless. challenge sympathy in al
most an equal degree. To the careless
reader there is something a tribe mislead-
Ns ~ the title The error. indeed. crept
INTO the story of the opera as IL has neen
printed 10 is story OF the love Of three
royal porsonages. but not altogether q
mo passion which IS the burden OF lneji-
"'al a. well as modern romance. A bar
'''ian Who has made himself king OF an
underlined territory I'm Italy Kills the wife
"' 'is son because OF her adultery.
This Kings passion is love FOR his son
ana The honor Of his family He is OH
emo ol.nd his reign began forty years
''i'ie lho opening Of the story. and there
"oihihe 300 the likelihood Of nature. hi
"'t. o. his speeches which indicates the
iossl'in> of his harboring carnal pas
''on Tor The yoong native princess who
Was given to him 70 be his sons wife 10y
neg people as {he price OF peace. The
sol is 90 Warriot whose love FOR his wife
r. so pure and strong that. confronted
W.T. proof Of hir guilty commerce with
enoihcr hc can only pity ncr pity her
oiinr lover. end love her the more even
L. uic uttcrmost q his own undoing. 10
he OLD king t1is trait Boz the character
A" h.s on ahom hc had trained in all
ne Virtues of has people is Weakness.
ana Do takes IL upon himself 10 svenge
NE Wong done 10 biz son. his house. his
face Cropping in the dark left TO his
own devices and hamporod by the .treach-
cry Of biz servant he yet discovers The
sniaithiulncss Of his sons wife, and
wough ne cannot know who Is the part
her ~ her guilt hc throttlcs her. The