The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-25
Surprising Part Is That MIR. Gatti
Casazza Did So Well, Considering
the Dark Outlook At
the Beginning

II is unnecessary To make any more
than a passing mention n the fact
that Mr.. Gatti-Casazza has been en-
ergetic and liberal in the production
Of novelties, but he has not been over
fortunate in finding what are called
repertoire works. OF those mentioned
in the above list "L'Amore del Ire
Re- Boris Godunov" and "Rosenkav-
alicr' are all that can be counted az
repertoire operas introduced by Mr..
Gatti-Casazza before the season Just
ended. IL is by no means unlikely
that M 1dame Sans-Gene" may keep
the stage for two or three seasons,
providing always that Miss Farrar II
a member Of the company. While she
remains, rs she IL to be next season
only guest singer. Madame Sans
Gene" will continue TO be a star opera
No one can be sure Of the future OF
"L'Oracolo." II is a fiimsy piece Of
dramatic stun. hut audiences appear
to be much interested In II. The opera
may therefore wear for a time. Iris"
may possibly grow in public favor. but
we can hardly hope for any prolonged
activity for "Euryanthe.'
SO long as this public In offered each
season something like seventy-fivc
performances ~ italian works Of the
modern school. works filled with pas
slonatc utterance. sensuous beauty,
brilliant color and all the accessories
of spectacle, both pictorial and oral. IL
viii be impossible to incu,catc a fond
ness for the classics. The interest In
the suave and elegant beauty Of Mo-
Fart was perfectly expressed by the
woman who told Mr.. Hertz that his
greatest achievement In conducting
Die Zauberfioete' was staying awake
while he did II. Weber's "Euvyanthe"
mas PERHAPS more OF the kind CT music
regarded by the typical New York
operagoer as inviting, but it's manner
IL that Of the elders. and it has little
chance OF general acceptance with
people habituated to swift and daz-
zling methods. t. those who take opera
more seriously tperhaps too seriously
in view of it's mixture of breeds) the
revival of "Euryanthe" was the artis-
tic climax Of the season. \ noble old
work despite its crudely conceived IL
bretto. II brought back to us the pomp.
the pride. the circumstance of German
grand opera as written when its
| grandeur was full OF youthful enthu-
siasm.
In bringing these cursory remarks
| on a season to a close IL Is imperative
that the oversupply Of bad singing b.
again pointed out. Some Of the sing
ers at the Metropolitan have given us
real vocal beauty. Miss Farrar has
sung better than TOR several seasons
past and she has POLISHED and rounded
her Cio- Clio San to such a nice degree
| Of finish that II is now one Of the
tenderest and most artistic creations
, IN. Metropolitan stage has ever
| known
Miss Rori has given delight TO opera =
goers and sometimes has caused re-
| gret. But with her IRIS she has
| achieved a triumph which will add
! To her artistic repute Nine. Kurt.
! who came To take the roles left vacant
! by the retirement Of Nine. FremstaG,
! has proved herself good impersonn =
| tor. and singer OF more than re-
spectacle powers Her first role,
/ Isolde. was decidedly her best. She
was at her worst In Tdnnhd'uscr.
She has great deal 10 learn Vet
about breath support and the sus-
tanning Of fluent legato in long
phrases. Intelligence in Interpretation
is her chief asset and n good one.
Most ~ us wish she had q little moro
far reaching temperament
Mr.. Botta. d new Italian tenor, has
proved serviceahle in several lines II"
= only fairly equipped in technic. Mr..
Martinelli has shown marked i'm
provement in his mez2a voce singing,
but his fun voice is still njudiciously
produced and II he does not change
his method he may have to pay for
the mistake.
There is a popular notion that the
best singing must be heard in opera
because the largest salaries are paid
10 opera singers. The reasoning =
by no means unerrng. Opera sing
crs depend upon much besides tech