Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-10
BRILLIANT OPERATE
SEASON ASSURED
Metropolitan Company Will Give
First Performance Here
on November 20

Grand operas appeal in war time is sim
cere. not frivolous. Noble music Is an In.
comparable stimulus in tragic times. Every
great European capital can attest the truth
of this assertion Philadelphia will realize
it more keenly when the season of lyric
drama scheduled to begin here on Novem.
Der % at the Metropolitan, starts to exer-
else Its esthetic and vitality soul-cleansinG
sway
In the autumn of 1914 Paris tried to
abandon grand opera. The Comique and
the Academic de Muslque were closed When
the immediate pressure of the German peril
had passed, calls for the higher forms OF
lyrico-dramatic entertainment became in1-
perative. To begin with. many superbly
gifted artists-men beyond the war age and
women of all ages-were in urgent need Of
employment. Secondly, the public. satiated
with the hideous facts of the times. de-
manded It's glimpse of idealism Grand
opera properly done is an artistic monu-
ment. Its influence far from when
the curtain falls upon "A particular per-
formancc Memory of the peaks of radiant
beauty attained abide In the auditors souls
Artistic as well as food rations es-
sential to the well-being of any civilized
people. in war epochs as in happier periods
Paris reopened her opera houses in 1915
and regular seasons have been given there
ever since Often with the streets of that
capital, once joyously called ia villelum-
iere." plunged In darkness there was still
light enough within doors for an exquisite
"Manon" a throbbng Louise"
1t Is therefore a cause for intense satis-
faction that an opera season rich in artiS-
| tio interest and scaling exalted pinnacles
| Of loveliness may be forecast for this city.
symphony concerts and the lyric drama
| have now virtually the same mission.
! Lyric drama in the German tongue has
! been abandoned this season. Only two
| artists born within the territory of the
| Central Powers, are now members Of the
1 hatr s,t. rIAS. ID,
ers are Frieda Hempe who is about to
| marry an American. and Margarete Matzen.
| auer, who Is now an Italian citizen. With
| the removal of the Teutonic wing. a bril-.
| liant array of operas will nonetheess be
available for production. There are about
| fifty of such works in Mr.. Gatti.Casazza's
present repertory.
! Chief among the novelties will be the en-.
chanting spectacular Arabian Nights opera
| "Marouf Saveter du Caire" CMarouf. the
cobbler of Cairo
The story is taken directly from j. C.
Mardrus'S translation of 'The Thousand
and one Nights" and the libretto itself Is
by Lucien Nepoty Henri Rabaud, the
| French composer, one of whose admirable
| symphonies is agreeably familiar to Phila-
| delphia Orchestra patrons, wrote the music.
| The score is modern in design. richly or.
| Chestrated and graphic To some extent the
| style is a blend of Debussy and Massenet.
| informed of course by NJ Rabaud's indi'
vdualism. Upon the purely dramatic stage,
| the nearest parallel to the piece is Knob
lauch's ''Kismet," in which Otis Skinner APP
| peared some seasons ago. 1t is probable
that NJ De Lucca the excellent baritone
| will be heard and seen as Marouf. the poor
cobbler who wins the princess of khaitan
when the work Is produced IN Philadelphia
later in the season.
other new works on the list are Cadman's
| American opera, "Shanewis' CThe Robin
Woman), Rimsky-Korsakows effective mer-
ger of the styles of pantonime ballet and
lyric drama. lie Cop dor" (The Golden
| Cock) and Nascagni's "Loeloletta," in which
Geraldine Farrar will be heard. Lisxt's
saint Elizabeth" originally written as an
oratorio. will be done In operate form and
in English for the first time in this couatry.
The rest of the repertory will be made up
of standard Italian. French and Russian
works. De Koven's THE Canterbury PHI
Erms' will be sung in English and Guck's
"Orfeo" in Italian. Among the notable re-
vivals will be Faust, with Joseph Urban
scenery and Meyerbeer's "The Prophet"
The company includes nearly all the
favorites of the French and Italian wings OF
last season. Among the newcomers win
| be Olive Fremstad Cecil Arden. Julia Claus
sen, Vincente Ballster. Thomas Chalmers.
Louis D'Angelo, Helen Kanders. Ruth Mil
Ter, May Peterson, Hipolito Lazaro, the
much -heralded tenor John Mccormack, who
re-enters the operate field. and Jose Mar.
dones, the admirable Spanish baritone.
Roberto Moranzoni. formerly of the Bos-
ton Opera Company. will be a new leader oi
the Italian operas. -.
The Metropoltan's New York season
opens on Monday night with "Aida." with
Caruso and Claudia Muzio in the cast. Ths
Philadelphia bill is not yet announced TherC
will be sixteen performances here as usual
| on Tuesday nights. H. 7. G.