New-York tribune., 1916-02-18
Ring Cycle Audience Gives
Artist a Happy
Welcome.
CARMEN REPEATED
BY NINE. FARRAR
Lou-Tellegen's Bride Pleases
Large Crowd at Night
Performance.

In voice, style, age, face, figure, or
any one Of half hundred other quail
ties Nine. Ernestine Schumann-Heink
and Nine. Geraldine Farrar-Tellegen
are about as widely divided as the
Arctic from the Antarctic. Yet they
have one bond Of no mean strength
they both interest the public.
The huge audience that was drawn
Yesterday afternoon to the Metropoil-
tan was there, not perhaps because
Nine. Schumann- -Heink was appearing
in opera at the Metropolitan for the
first time in thirteen years, Tor au-
diences at Ring cycles are not made by
stars. yet that udience was most HAPPY
to see her. Erda is not a part 10 call
forth raptures of applause, reithe T
does u Ring audience ever applaud
until the curtains, but Nine. Schumann-
Heink was yet made to feel that her
return was most welcome. Her tones
were not perhaps those of former days,
but much of their beauty still re-
mained, while her diction was a de-
light.
OF the other members of the cast,
Clarence Whitehill made a really re-
markable impression as Der Nanderer;
Il was performance compounded OF
pathos, dignity and the sense OF haunt
ing tragedy, most beautifully sung
Mr.. Whitehill deserves more appear
ances than he has been getting. Jo-
hannes Sembach was an admirable Sieg-
fried, whose vocal emission IS mucn
freer than Is the rule with German
tenors. He gave most effectively the
impression of fearless youth.
Owing TO a slight indisposition Nine
Melenie Kurt took Nine. Gadskis place
as Brunnhilde, and sang the music wei;
Miss Edith Mason was sweet volceu
Forest Bird and Mr.. Ruysdael res
onant voiced Fafner. AS for the Mime
of Albert Reiss and the Alberich OF
Otto Goritz, let US repeat the o1t tolo
tale-they have no equals. Mr.. 30
danzky's reading of the score was again
marked with crystalline clarity.
And as the evening follows the atter'
noon. so did Nine. Farrar-Tellegen fol
low Nine. Schumann- -Helnk. Nine. far-
rar-Tellegen was reappearing as Car
men TO the vast delight OF a large
asscmblage. which NJ doubt loved Car
men much, but Farrar more.
Nine. Farrar Is not young woman
who believes in rest, and her imper-
sonation showed changes II not devel-
opments over her last years appear
ances. The movies, for instance, were
very much in evidence in the first act
Nine. Farrar's fight in her film Gar
men" was the sensation Of the year N
Kalamazoo, Omaha and the other places
where the effete East is belabored, and
Nine. Farrar evidently believes that
what is good enough for Nebraska IS
good enough for New York. Perhaps II
IS, though in the process Blzet ano
Merimee depart on a long, sad jour
ney. II the action Of the. opera
was halted and its atmosphere brought
10 that of Avenue A, Nine. Farrar got
her laugh. and that was apparently
what she wished.
Yet at times in this act hers was q
very interesting Carmen indeed, with
little touches OF real merit and origi-
nality. Above all, she was in excellent
voice and sang the music with ex-
preston and subtle changes Of mood
Later in the opera she was FAR less
successful She made little OF her
scene Of anger with Don Jose; nothing
a. all of the card scene. Here neither
in voice nor in personality did she
strike the note of sombre TRAGEDY SO
necessary to the proper delineatio.n
of the character. Nine. Farrar is
comedienne such she always
has { been. such she is-but she viii
never make her Carmen compelling
bv introdu. ing strong-arm methods.
Mr.. Caruso's Don Jose has improved
in style and in general outline; Nine
Aida is not perhaps at her best as
Micaela, and 'Pasquale Amato is Ger,
tainiy not an ideal Escamillo. All il in
ali, the best performance last nigh' =;
nitv and pure French stvle make
aIiY ali he 1 undertakes worthy of respect
Good words, too, should be said for
mines. Sparkes and Braslau and MM'
Ieonhardt and Bada, as the four SNUG
1-Iors Mr., Polacco conducted with
spirit and authority. The cast;
Garner. .........-........... 'Nii",t'.1 a.
Nfcasla . a. So
Frasoulta ifliN.a sl'
Mercedes 80, Gsr,,ss