Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-01-12
MAGIC FLUTE PLEASES
IN SPITE OF LIBRETTO
Mozartean Melodies and Elab-
crate Settings Eclipse Me-
lange of Masonic Mysteries

Philadelphia has to take its operate
mama when and where 1t falls. To be
sure, the crumbs from the Metropolitan
table are sometimes of exceeding rich
ness and delicacy and sizable enough to
be musically sustaining to public
hungering for the lyric drama. But, after
all, II is case of the beggars lack of
choosing and of dependence on the bounty
OF Mr.. Kahn, Mr.. Gatti and their COM
peers. Yet there is no reason why n
season which Is guaranteed by advance
subscriptions and supplemented by paying
patronage should put an appreciative
clientele in the position of beneflciaries of
the Associated Musical Charities.
The local season was revived last night
at Broad and Poplar streets where the
German wing of the New York company
presented THE Magic Flute" There Is
an apparent reduction, though, of course,
no Actual dminution. What was a seem
night social and musical function has
become fortnlghtly for the next produc-
tions are dated January % and February
8. What they will be and who will sing
are still on the knees of the managerial
gods. But
For what We are about to receive from
Mr. Gatti. let us be duly thankful, since
we cannot dictate.
At least we have much to be grateful
for i'm retrospection of Der Rosen-
kavalier" and for last nights memories
Of n splendid representation of Mozart
masterpiece. 1t was all that, scenically,
musically and dra 'atically, so far as is
allowed by the farrago of masonic sym
bolism and Oriental apologize. which
Emmanuel Schickanaeder contrlved into
libretto. Set amid the fantasies of an
alleged ancient Egypt and moved by an
unconvincing necromancy, the symbolism
of 1t all is vain to n modern audience,
since there Is no Maria Theresa reigning
at Vienna to convince concerning the
legitimate status of the brotherhood from
whose rites II borrows and for which IL
is plea and justification. The Stiffness
and unintelligibility of the book" were
borne with admirable equanimity by the
large audience, though at times even
patience was sore tried by the old-fash-
ioned comedy which the librettist fattened
for his own role of Papageno: the equally
antiquated fiorid music which Mozart
wrote into the score to accommodate his
own sister-in-law, who was a marvellous
soprano leggiero, with voice of almost
unbelievable gamut; the outmoded senti-
ment and the nonsenscal symbolism.
There is no worse book in opera, not
even that of "Fldelio." to take another
instance where immortal music is by no
means welded to immortal verse;
Those who witnessed the performance
will see the reason Tor tewness of re-
vivals of the work. An extraordinarily
large cast Is needed, requiring special
vocal abilities on the part of the princi-
pals, particularly the coloratura soprano,
the basso and the buffo baritone, as
well as ''maennerchor' distinction on the
part of the male chorus. Next, marvels
of stagecraft are needed to make illu-
sive the quickly shifting scenes which
keep the story in motion and disguise
its absurdities to an audience fed on the
narrative constituencies of the modern
music drama. Finally the mind has to
dwell for edifcation and enjoyment on
the wonders of Mozart's score.
For the sake of that music. as it was
given last night, with singularly unified
feeling by choral. instrumental and solo
forces, much can be forgiven both the
rattle-pated liorettist and the bad taste
of the times, which imposed on Mozart
the necessity of writing some highly ar
tificial music. "Mozartean" has become
a word to define other mems music. and
indeed itself-music that has the grace
of curvilinear melody for its line of
beauty and the graciousne5s of ex-
trinsic simplicity, but essential pro-
fundity for its temperament: music that
Is fluent and flexible despite all the
canons of the contrapuntal schoolmen.
10 tnelr beCkIneSSeT hOZdTl pldyeu a tTl-
umphant Walther. observing rules, but
soaring beyond them. This was the mu-
sic Mr.. Bodansky read with loving dis
cretion for it's melodic loveliness. Its va
riety of folksong, operatic aria, part song
and fgurated chorale was the real treat
of the performance.
Pamina, a role which at previous local
productions has been graced with the
beauty of Eames. the great voice of Cad
ski and the dramatic power of Destinn.
had a new incumbent in Marie Rappold.
who, II she did not rise to any of her
predecessors distinctions, still made a
very satisfying heroine. Frieda Hempel
finely declaimed and "colorated" the music
of Astrafiamente. Edith Mason was a
"chipper'' newcomer, as the blithe Papa
gena, associated here with Schef and
Alien. Henri Scott made his local debut
as Sarastro. and. though not a genuine
basso profundo, was impressive and
sonorous. Urlus sang the imperishable
music of Tamino with rare expressiveness.
Goritz. the op-ratic humorist. vas the
life of the show as the frolicksome bird
catcher, and Reiss. who has a pretty wit.
displayed 1t in the comedy of the Ethiop
Monastatos. w. r. NJ.