New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-16
CARMEN SUNG FOR
RED CROSS FUND
Second Performance of
Year Presented at
Century Opera.
LARGE AUDIENCE
GIVES APPROVAL
Songsters in Good Voice and
Chorus Is Excellent
Brilliant Scenes.

The Century Opera Company, which
opened its season on Monday night
with Romeo and Juliet" gave Bizet's
Carmen" last evening. AS was the
case with the opening performance, last
nights was given for the benefit of the
Red Cross War Relief Fund, and an
other large and fashionable audience
attended to attest its interest in this
noble work.
The regular subscription perform
ances open with to-night's "Romeo and
Juliet" but it was happy sugury that
.hc first two operas should have been
given in the very spirit of altruism in
which the new opera company was
founded. With these two performances
the Century Opera Company has en-
tered upon it's second season. Let il
be said that it has entered upon it in
"A spirit altogether lacking in the first
season.
Both "Romeo" and Carmen" dis,
played care in preparation, an atten'
ton to detail and IA general enthusiasm
which were admirable.
The stage direction has passed into
the hands of Jacques Colnl, who Tor
three years filled the same position
under Oscar Hammerstein at the Man
haitian Opera House. No longer was
there apparent the laundering hand OF
the amateur; on the stage there was d
constant flow of life and change OF
color; the crowds lived and moved, not
As automatons but as human beings
i'm short, order had been evolved out OF
chaos.
In the chorus, too, there was the
same evidence Of generalship. Here
Josiah EURO, likewise of the Hammer
stein tradition, was the chief reason
+. the change. Mr.. ZurC gave to the
Manhattan Opera Company chorus
nearly the equal of that at the Metro
politan. The chorus that sang last
night in Carmen" was worthy Of the
opera, and, in addition, Mr.. EURO, who
also conducted, gave to the orchestra
An emotional drive it had not hitherto
shown. 1t is in this improvement IN
the ensemble that the Aborns are
chiefly to be congratulated.
OF last nights singers far less snt'
isfactory things can be said. MISS
Kathleen Towards Carmen very pos.
sibly is Miss Towards conception OF
the part-it certainly was not the con.
ception either Of Georges Bizet or oil
Prosper Merimee. Miss Howard was
very much an Anglo-Saxon. Passion
and color and charm and variety OF
mood and elasticity of pose 1t was ut
terly without, and what is Carmen
without all these? Miss Howard sang
the music correctly enough, but her
voice lacked the richness, without
which all else is as nothing.
Morgan Kingston's fine voice made
the regret the greater that his Don
Jose should have been so far from
Spain, and Louis Kreidler sang Esca-
milo with spirit, but with little else
Miss Myrna Sharloy sang Michaela
very prettily, if as yet somewhat anna
teurishly.
However, all can be forgiven because
Of the general spirit which animated
the performance.
The Century Opera Company has at
last set its foot upon the path which
its we'll wishers hope will lead to linal
and complete success.
Miss Mabel Boardman, head of the
Red Cross, was the guest OF honor, haE-
ing come from Boston especially to
be there. She sat in the guests box,
with a huge red cross on a flag below
her. and with the United States Army
10 the right of her and the United
States Navy to the left of her. The
army was represented by Colonel Will
lam Simpson. Captain VI. F. Smith, Cap
tain W. B. Haverkampf and Lieutenant