Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-02-07
BIG HOUSE ATTESTS
POPULARITY OF aAIDA"
Scenic Pageanty and Orchestral
Pomp Matched by Vocal
Performance #

aida" which some OF the operatic cok-
noscenti not only no longer admire but VIII
not even suffer the hearing, was more than
tolerated ii was last night enjoyed with
enthusiasm, eaten up" as they tnot the
cognoscentiD say, by one of the seasons
largest houses" at the Metropolitan. VERDI
In his score Is grandiose not grand, one cog
noscento complains he is too generously
celebrant of the muddy Nile. another critis
cizes, and third, Of the super-cognoscenti.
the illuminate as this degree is called points
out that Aida" Is not authentic and fine art
because II falls between the two schools OF
the olden 1talianate opera and the modern
Wagnerized music-drama.
All possibly true. musical gentles, but u
Is popular, as the recalls of Gadski, Ober,
Martinelli, Tegani, Ruysdael and the other
members of the cast indicated. After all,
while it is no testimony to the genuineness
of art to say that II Is favored by the
mass, it is no argument that a work is not
responsive to the touchstone of art be-
cause II wins the applause of listening
galleries. All great creators have wrought
for popularity; opera composers certainly
have had ii much in mind IL they considered
at all the capaciousness of the auditoriums
in which their works were to be staged, ana
impresarios have gnashed their teeth. rent
their locks and chewed hard on their cigars
because operas were not popular
Substitutions in the cast which brought
Riccardo Tegani instead of Pasquale Amato
for the Amonasro, and Basil Ruysdae In
stead of Giulio Rossl for the King did not
mar the performance. Nor did the fact that
three Of the principals belong to the bell
ligerent Teutons and the others to the bel
ligerent berseglierl. who cheer for the re-
conquest of Italia Irredenta" ruffle the ar
tistic harmony
Johanna Gadskrs Ethiopian enslaved
princess is n familiar impersonation, and
she repeated 1t with wonted clarity and
voluminousness OF voice and admirable
sense of the theatrical particularly In the
Nile and the entombment scenes. Ober
is comparative newcomer as the jealous
Pharaonc daughter, and she proved as
stalwart and vindictive opera-goers have
learned to expect from the majority of her
predecessors, In the haircombing scene
her voice seemed strident and forced. but
there was a gain in mellowness as the
opera proceeded. Minnie Egener voiced
the melodious prisons behind the scenes
very beautifully. Giovanni Martinelli was
in excellent vocal form as Radames. but
though he has the physical presence to de-
note the romantic figure of the librettists
imaginings he fails in the freedom of pose
and largeness of gesture that belong to the
part so that hstrioncally he did not make
the impressive hero that belonged to his
lovely singing. Tegani, new here in the
role, gave a conventional but theatrically
effective Amonasro, and Ruysdaels king
and Didur's high priest were duly resonant.
Gennaro Papi again sat in the conductors
chair and if his reading Of the sumptuous
score lacked impellng velocity it seldom
| failed in sort of grave poetry. w. r.. NJ.