New-York tribune., 1914-12-13
RecOlle ctiOmS of
and Comments
Upon Singers
Heard Here
in This
Role.
BY IL. L. KREHBIEL.

NPRlMIS: A personal note, neither
impertinent nor vainglorious, but
which is nevertheless sent out
with an apology. A veteran observer
and ehronicler Of musical affairs, one
who has grown old in the service and
spent more than two-thirds of his life
in il, and more than one-half at his
post on The Tribune's staff, had put
down Mr.. Philip Hale's delightful ex-
eursion into the literature Of Gar
n"-Merimee's book and Bizet's
optra-which serves as a preface to
the new edition of the latter, published
By the Oliver Ditson Company, Of Bos-
ton. lie had witnessed the new pro-
duction at the Metropolitan Opera
House, and noted with much satisfac-
ton the things which brought the con-
vietion that the work, which, because
Of one woman's genius. mad once for
two seasons marked highwater at that
institution and had then fallen into
desUetude because that woman seemed
70 have no worthy successor, was now.
thanks 10 the gifts Of Miss Farrar
and the genius Of Signor Toscaninl,
again restored to the high place which
II deserves in the repertory of the
proud institution in Broadway and IN
The repertory of every lyric theatre the
Eorld over. And as he pondered the
matter there came 10 him the con
seiousness that his memory compassed
the entire American history Of Bizet's
opera, and that in the performance of
duty he had put on record his I'M
pressions of practically all the repre-
sentatives Of Carmen who had been
seen and heard in New York since the
opera came from Paris. That was
thirty-six years ago, and as the phan-
'on procession marched past his
minds eye, with swaying hips and i'm
pudent glances, he counted a round
two dozen, and referring to his records
found the names of few others who
had come under his kin, though only
BY proxy. The temptation came ia
marshal them again for the entertain
m.nt. possibly, also. the edification, OF
the operagoers of a younger genera
ton, or the diversion OF an older
Hence these "reminiscences.
FIRST Performance in Amerca.
Carmen" was first produced the
0ptrs Comiaue, in Paris, on March 3
1875. Mr. Hale tells the story of thai
prediction capitally, but we have
no space for il. Three years and seven
months later, on October %, 1873, tht
opera had It's first American produc'
uen a. the Academy Of Music, IN tins
city, with Minnie Hauk in the utulai
role. The lady had already made hei
mark in the part in London, and for
couple OF decades opera lovers alway'
thought Of her when they thought OF
Carmen" Max Strakosch had an opera
troupe at the time, headed by cara
Lodise Kellogg, and both scented sue
cess in the new work. SO two days
after Colonel Mapleson had brought
oat the opera at the Academy OF MUSIC
strakoseh brought IL forward IN Phlls-
etiphia. His company was destined toi
ne road" and fortnight later the
yyriter heard il in Cincinnati. MISS
Aeiiogg has something 70 say IN hei
eook about the moral condemnation
VISITED upon the opera. "Cincinnatl
.ss shocked" says Mr.. Hale. The
iset mat there vas adverse comment
- pretty fresh in the memory Of the
,'ef. iurning BACK 20 MS recOfub, ~
nsos that he was less shocked than
zone OF his colleagues, but also lat
Ssrmtn" a. novelty seemed less ad-
m'raole 70 his sophomore mind than
= aoes 70 his mature. And yet he does
n2t appear 10 have gone far wrong.
Ne wrote:
The new opera, Carmen, has ex-
,,feiten The minds OF the critics unduly.
is the work o. a Frenchman and he
- neither an Auber, a COunOd or even
30 hnbroise Thomas. go. He (Bizet)
sttd not be held responsible for She
eelects IN the moral character Of Car
men She 10 the creature Of a French
nfytiist and two French librettists, and
y thoroughly consistent with the popu.
H taste that enjoys the apotheosis
pryEttptiOn and consumption por-
= tfsyed In Camille (uesr the NOR.