New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-28

heard "Armide" in the original French
and "Orfeo" in the original Italian;
why "Iphigenie" in German? Prob
ably because the German singers at
the Metropolitan Opera House are the
only singers there able to sing it. If
co, the greater the pity, since we hear
so much about the enlistment of Amer
lean singers by the Metropolitan man
agement Are these singers maturing
at the institution, or are they doomed
TO a novitiate which shall never end
so long as the places above them can
be filed with mediocrities from Italy?
Bizet's "Pecheurs de Perles" was
promised in LIST years. prospectus. 1t
was not given, nor wss it profoundly
regretted by those who remember how
even the genius and beauty of Emma
Calve failed to make the two acts of
it interesting when they were given
at a matinee on January II, 1896.
Few operas have a more variegated
American history than "Lakm6." 1t
was quite new when it was first heard
in New York but it had already given
rise to considerable theatrical scandal
The first performance took place in
Paris at the Comique in April, 1853,
when Miss Van Zandt, an American
girl, the daughter of a singer who
had been actively successful in Eng
lish opera here and in London, created
the part of the heroine. The opera
won a pretty triumph, and so did the
singer. At once there was talk of a
New York performance. Nine. Gerster
studied the role with the composer,
and as a member Of Colonel Mapleson's
company at the Academy of Music in
1Ss3-'S4 confidently expected to pro-
duce The work there in the first sea-
son Of the rivalry between the Acad-
envy and the new Metropolitan Opera
House; but, though she went so far
as to offer to buy the American rights
from Heugel, the publisher, nothing
came of IL, probably because OF a
quarrel between Colonel Mapleson and
Heugel concerning unauthorized use
of other scores owned by the pub
Usher. During the same season, how
ever. Miss Emma Abbott carried a YER
sion, or rather a perversion, of the
opera for which the orchestral parts
had been arranged from the piano
forte score. into the Western cities
and brought down a deal OF unde-
served criticism on the head of NJ
Delibes. In the season Of lSsi-65
Mapleson came back 10 the Academy
with vouchers Of various sorts to BACK
VI his promise 70 give the opera
There was Miss Emma Nevada, who
had also enjoyed the instruction OF
the composer and who had trunks full
Of Oriental dresses. There were
Gorgeous uniforms of the British sol
dierv leach with a history and
models for the scenery all open to the
inspection of doubling newspaper re-
porters. When the redoubtable Col
onel came it was TO be only matter
Of a week or so before the opera
would be put on the stage in the finest
of STYLES: IL was still matter OF a
week or so when the Academy season
came TO an end. When finally De
libes's exotic music reached a hearing
in the metropolis it was sung TO Eng
Hsh words. II was on March l, 1856
the company was that of the American
Opera, the conductor was Theodore
Thomas, the representative OF the
heroine. Pauline L'Allemand. who
achieved her most pronounced success
BY the manner in which she rolled
down the temple steps in her death
scene. and the place the Academy OF
Music.
Nine. Patti was the second Lakm'
seen and heard in New York. Ii wa:
after the fifth season Of German op'rs