New-York tribune., 1916-02-15
.FARRAR RETURNS
TO METROPOLITAN
As Mrs. Tellegen, Repeats
Former Triumph in
"TOsca."
MAKES A LITTLE
VALENTINE SPEECH
Audience Recalls Her MANY
Times-Amato Sings Well
in Scarpia Role.

Miss Geraldine Farrar Will never
sing again upon the stage Of the Met
ropolitan Opera House. "Our Ger
aldinc" is no more, Convention with
3 Is clammy hand has placed upon her
finger wedding ring, and she who de-
clGred she never would submit 20 the
dictates of middle class society has
acknowledged herself beaten
HcncciOrth We must know her by an
other name. VIII We love her less as
Mrs. Lou-Tcllegcn? viii her smile he
any the less radiant? Her voice any
the less moving? Time alone can tell.
( Yet 20 those who greeted her last night
al the Metropolitan Opera House IL
seemed as If the present Mrs. Tellegen
( is the late Miss Farrar plus only lit
+ tie weight. At any rate, il she has be-
come Mrs. Tellegon she has not forgot
/ ten that she is also Geraldine. And in
that there viii be a world Of comfort
20 ten thousand young and hutterins
hearts.
II, however. convention has at last
claimed Mss Farrar. IL will never claim
4 her Tosca. To Mrs. Telegen. as 70
Miss Farrar. Iosca is ii creation Great
/ ed for the purpose OF showing how an
ingenue can be "A tragic actress. Con-
vontiOn had decreed that Tosca should
/ be tall and stately and all-dominant,
with eyes of smouldering fame. Of tu-
multuous passions and fate clouded
scul. Now, Miss Farrar was neither tall
/ ror stately. and envy even whispered
that She was not all-dominant; her
eyes did not shoulder with fame, they
rather sparkled with mischief; for pas
sion she had cOQuctry; for soul.
.priehtiy intelligence.
Yet Miss Farrar dared 90 slay the
dragon OF convention. and from it's
ashes rose d Phmnix. Give NasSenet's
Nanon an Empire gown, diamond
tiara. q dinner knife and a chief Of
police villain, dover that Manon with
q keen Yankee intelligence and let her
+ sing the music of Puccini-you have
the Tosca Of Miss Geraldine Farrsr.
What sort OF Tosca, you may ask ?
One who draws to the Metropolitan
$4,000 night! And Sardou? Well,
Sardou is dead. Yet perhaps last night,
rs he wandered quietly among the
/ Elysian Fields his companions caught
upon his face the faint ghost Of a
/ smilc-perhaps he was thinking of a
young woman who could turn one OF
+ his own tricks 10 her advantage ge-wno
/ was turning IL at that very moment.
/ SO Miss Farrar returned TO the Metro
politan Opera stage; returned 10 II TO
greet an audience Of tremendous size;
returned 10 il with her old smile, her
old manner, much OF her old voice. a
new name, and several new costumes.
Her Floria Tosca was little changed, q
little more amorous and little more
kittcnish In the first act: as charming
and as unconvincing IN the second; her
last scene the best OF the three. Her
Tosca We have never taken really
seriously. possibly because Miss Farrar
has never taken IL seriously herself.
Charm it has, but neither real warmth,
sincerity nor tragic power She sings
the music we'll. she sang IT well last
night. rnOugn inc knifc edge OF her
voice was with her as Of yore.
But what Of it? Miss Farrar has
interested, Mrs. TolleCcn always will
interest, the great public always I'll the
theatre. TIE reason lies not within
tho tones or critics or philosophers,
but IN her eyes. her smile, her grace.
her audacity. And why should We cavil ?
Just LET as open wide our eyes, and
fhut our cars u little. and enjoy. We
viii then be very happy. We were
happy last night, and with one accord
our hearts shouted, "Welcome, Mrs
Iarrar-Tcllcgen,'
Upon such an occasion why bring IN
purely cxtrancous matters? i rs true
that Mr. Amato made very excellent
and consistent Scarpia. very reminl--
cent of Scott. and perhaps the better
fcl it: IL is true that Mr. Martinclli
sang Cavradossi well. and that Mr.
Polacco infused life into the orchestra
But what Of all this? Mrs. Lou-Telle-
gen, nee Farrar, was returning 20 u.s.
Again let US cry, and bid all cry
with Us, welcome, Mrs Farrar-Telle-
gem
At the end Of the performance
great deal OF enthusiastic applause
brought Miss Farrar before the curtain
several times. Finally she submitted
to the demands for a speech and said:
ct is against my rule TO speak, but
this seems propitious occasion. II
You'll be my Valentine. III be yours"