Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-24
'MANON LESCAUT" TO
BRING BACK CARUSO
PuccinIs Opera Listed for Tues
day-Stokowski and Dam
rosch Concerts

| lOSCH concerts
The Able Prevost's touching and classit
tale OF feminine frailty will be inusically
set forth at the Metropolitan on TUESDAY
| evening when Mr.. Gatti-Casazza's singer,
VIII interpret Puccini's opera, "Manon Lee
Scaut'' Five musical versions of the ia.
| nous story are eNtant. ITalevy's thrce-act
| pallet on this theme was performed at the
Paris opera house in 1890 Balfe's opera
followed four years later in the same Eu.
! ropean capital Auber's three-act opera
| was produced at the Paris Opera Comiquo
| in 1886. Massenets "Manon" had its first
hearing in the same temple of lyric drama
| in 1854. Puccini's "Manon Lescaut" was
| given its premiere 1893 Phladclphians
| tlrst heard the opera under the IInrchs
banner. For several years afterward It
dropped out of the rcpcrtory. Within the
iaSt decade it was revived by the New
YORK metropolitan Company and also by
the Philadelphia-Chicago organization.
Massenct's treatment Of the subject is
more exquisite than the younger COMPOSERS,
more distinctively Gallic and sympathetic
ally attuned to the spirit of Prevost's eigh-
teenth century masterpiece. puccni's work.
ON the other hand. has moments of signal
dramatic power and follows much more
closely than the French "Manon" the ac-
tual incidents Of the tale. Massenet's Ii
brettist ends his action with the journey of
prisoners to Havre. puCCini's presents the
death of the heroine on the "prairies" of
Louisiana in faithful accordance with the
original narrative.
To obviate confusion concerning these
TWO operas, both Of them illustrative of
fine inspiration, it should be emphasized
that MaSsenet's music drama is entitled
simply "Manon" "Manon Lescaut" is the
correct title of Puccni's work. In certain
respects this opera as worthily represents
the composers ability as any of his better
known products. With the tenderness of
la Boheme," the tragic force of Madame
Butterfly and the vivid melodrama of
"Tosca' is combined a sincerity OF musical
characterization that Puccini has seldom
surpassed.
Tuesday nights production by the Metro
politan Company will be headed by Enrico
Caruso as Des GrieuX, Antonio Scott as
Lescaut and Frances Aida as Manon. Gen.
naro Papi will conduct.
After a weeks tour Of the Middle West
the concerts of the Philadelphia Orchestra
Will be resumed on next Friday afternoon
and Saturday evening These concerts are
in the nature of musical events for
they mark the appearance on one program
of three Of the most distinguished pianists
in the musical world, Nine Olga Samaroff
Harold Bauer and Oss'p Gabrilowitsch
Bauer and Gahrilowitsch will play the T.
fiat concerto of Mozart. Nine Samarcff
Bauer and Gabriowitsch will perform the
major concerto of Bach
for three pianos.
The purely orchestral works will be the
first symphony of Haydn, which begins the
concert and the "Leonore" Overture of
Beethoven. The symphony, which curously
enough. has never before been PLAYED by !
the Orchestra, is the one commonly known
as the symphony with the drumroll" as |
it begins with pause with a long roll of |
1t is not to be confounded |
with the Surprise" symphony which is |
Jften entitled with the drumsttole" The |
entire program, it will be noted, is made up |
Of classics.
Walter Dlmroschs admirable New Yorl,
symphony Orchestra will begin its series
If concerts here with an attractive Tschai-
iowsky program on Wednesday afternoor
If next week in the Academy of Music. The
'athetique symphony will be played The
oloist will be Percy Granger, the eminent
omposer-pianist, whose laudable patriotism
las recently given him almost as much
publicity as his fine art. Mr.. Granger
nilsted last summer as an oboe player, and
renee a private, in the Fifteenth New YorI,
'olst Artillery Band at Fort hamilton
lie will be heard on Wednesday i'm Tschai
.owsky's superb piano concerto in fiat
major
The twelfth season of the Phiadelphia
)peratic Society will open next "Wednesday
light in the Academy of Music with Verdis
Aida" Base hospitals organized in Phila-
elphia will be the benefciaries of the per-
ormance. A dress rehearsal of all the I6O
will be held in the Academy
4 Music on Monday night, when Conductor
Vassili Leps will put the finishing touches
n the performance
The east of principals includes several
ewcomers. notably the dramatic soprano
lillian May Ginrich, who will fill the title
ole of Aida, and Winnifred Gross ,vbo |
,ill be the Amneris George RothermeI
'ill be the Radames; Horace ~ Hood |
he Amonasro William o. Miller. the King
twenty-five members of the PhiladeIphia |
rchestra will be under Mr. Leps's baton
he concert master win be Emil Schmidt
Margaret Ashmead Mitchell will pive .
,ctal for the benefit of the French Anes-
letlc Fund in Witherspoon Hall on Tues.
ny evening Her program will include
Imbers by Spohr. Haydn. Handel, John A
lrpenter, Edward MacDowell Cyril Scott
I'd Sidney Homer. Edwain Evans will
ay the accomplishments. The Orpheus
ub will be heard in its first concert OF |
e season in the Academy of Music tonight.
nong the choral numbers listed are Ma |
ruch's war Song" from the cross ~
re-" Songs Of the Fleet" a setting OF
ewbolt's poems by C. Villiers STANFORD
I'd Turner Halls Land of Freedom :"
sorge B. Nevin's setting OF Tennyson,s
ting Out, Wild Bells will also be
ature. Madame Boye-Jensen, contralto.
d Louise Il Bel Jensen. pianist. viii
2 rse'ss y Nltherspeen Han en Nom