The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-29
MOUSSORGSKY OPERA
AT METROPOLITAN
.Boris GodunOv" Heard With
Approval by Second Matinee
Audience Of Season.
PERFORMANCE HAS MERIT

.poris Godunov." the impressive opera
=, Modes. Moussorgsky. was given for
,he first time this season at the Metro
,o,l,an upera House yesterday afternoon.
Tb,t nuh.ic interest In the work had not
"a, become exhausted was shown by the
to- and demeanor of the audience OF
ali operas I'm the repertory Of the Metro
nolian this leans least heavily upon its
f,st II people 20 to hear IT,. they are
I,avn by something OF more lasting sig
riacance in musical art than the piping
II the passing song bird.
Doubtless one Of the intangible forces
onsratirg on the public mind is the pro-
ysYnd sympathy Of Moussorgsky for the
neop,e The great canvas on which rs
a background the artist drew his portrait
~ ,hp haunted Boris was the Russian
,.,,'e MouSs lrgsky shared with Tolstoy
Inc belief that the artist had n mission
md that this mission should be directed
toward the prOlctariat. because that con-
s,i,uted the major part Of humanity.
The materials OF art. in his opinion.
sh,uld be selected according TO their suit
,hlIty 10 the understanding OF the mass Of
man And above all he opposed the culti-
vatIon of art for arts sake. He regarded
art as a means u uplifting men and was
convinced that IL must invariably utter
some message beyond the gospel Of beauty.
IL
81. All symbolism. mysticism and re-
rnoteness OF speech meant to him failure 10
each the understanding Of the people.
Viewing "foris Godunov" with these
facts i'm mind. We shall find no difficulty
IN discerning the purpose OF its -neer
mower, It's disregard of all conventional
yeneers, its almost savage directness OF
utterance We shall perhaps begin to COM
preh,nd what il is that grips us in this
loosely Joined ser.es of episode pictures.
each striking in itself. but needing more
explanation than il receives from its con-
text. We shall realize the magnificent
mastery with which the sketch Of blood
stained and Consc ence stricken tyrant Is
projected against a wonderful background
Of ino.pient democracy. We shall dis
,over in the majestic choral passages the
dread voice Of Tostoy's and Moussorg
skys pruletariat. And we shall catch a
glimpse OF the influences which moulded
the composers music to forms and meth
DDS 81 such unusual character and COM
harding strength.
The present performance OF Boris
ticdunoy at the Metropolitan is almost
wholly focused upon Adam Dldur's inn
pc~onauon of the title role. 1t is quite
tue that the opera readily lends itself
10 such treatment and that much sen-
eral satisfaction may thus be given. It
Il is none the less true that this imper-
s0natlon, when mas true t!dgc pain ;,
the choral singing, orchestral playing and
the conducting of Mr.. Toscanlni are the
wholly adequate features of the perform
ance.
The singing and acting of other prin-
cipals are c,mmendable, and sometimes
"a in the case of Nine. ODER. more than
that. but they do MT all equal the de-
mands of the score. The truth is that
the real star OF the perform lnce-after
Mr. pidur-is the distinguished conduc-
tor. whose skill Yields the whole into a
vital musical entity.
For the sake of the record IL may 10
.,,ted that new Belgian mezzo-s prano
Raymonde pelaunois. made her debut IN
The small role Of Theodore. She showed
a good knowledge of the stage, but ar
appreciation of her singing could hardly
he ob,a ned from the part she had yes
terday