Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-11-27
Splendid Performance Of Doni.
zetti's Opera Given by Metro.
politan Opera Company
L'Elisir fAmore

Presenting of the worlds most modern
operas at the beginning of the season last
week, the Metropolitan Opera Company last
night gave the lovers of opera in Philadelphia
one of the oldest works OF its kind that can
still fairly claim to hold its own. The opera
was Donzettis 'L'Elisir d'Amore," in which
Caruso made his first great success at La
Scala. in Milan, and in which he has ever
since been unrivaled
The story of the opera is simple Adina. is
loved by Nemorino. who is poor. and she is
tempestuously wooed by Sergeant Becore
and promises to marry him. Nemorino, in
despair, goes to Doctor DuIcamara for a love
potion which turns out to be wine. The charm
doessnot work and he applies to the doctor for
more. but has not the money to buy it. To
get the money he ensts with the sergeant
The doctor tells AdinaA OF his devotion, and
she buys his release from the army and con-
fesses her love for him. Then ,Nemorino's
uncle dies leaving him large fortune and
all ends happily BY combination of cir
cumstances all is ascribed to the magic elixir.
1t is claimed by many modernists that
Donizettfs operas are antiquated, but ccr-
tainly work which offers a medium for the
last evening is destined even yet to life
long as there are singers capable of doing
justice to the parts. Unlike many OF the
operas Of its period it is not written around
a single part, but calls for the height of vo-
caization in four of the five characters of
| the cast and for consummate degree of
| acting in three of them. In every case the
| requirements of the opera were fully met.
OF course CaruSo was he bright particular
| star Of the cast, and deservedly so. The music
| is the kind in which he is supreme, and he
exhibited in a superlativc degree every phase
| of the vocal art, besides that marvellous tone
| quality which he alone possesses. His sing
| ing of the romance Una Furtiva Lagrima"
| in the last act was one of those wonderful
| bits Of singing in which sympathetic, ,interpre-
| tation and perfect vocalization combined
| into such rendition it is not given often
! 10 hear. In this number his singing reached
| its highest point, although through the entire
opera it as near perfection seems pos
| sible for the human voice to attain.
Caruso is at his best in comedy and the
| part Of Nemorino calls not only for singing
| of the first rank but also for acting Of a
| high grade. In it Caruso Is in his element
| and he understands the character of Memo
rino probably no other singer Certainly
| none but an Italian) understands it. He
| kept the audience amused from start to
| finish by his exceedingly clever presentation
| Of the part, with its amusing action and it's
| characteristcally Italian peasant buffoonery
| The part suits him amazingly, both vocally
! and histrionicaly, and adding to this his
| marvellous voice it is little wonder that he
gave of the best performances he has
| ever shown here
But Caruso, great as he is did not carry
| away all the honors. Frieda Hempel as
! Adna was splendid both in voice and in
| acting, the Colorature duets with Nemorino
and pulcamara showing perfect control of
| tone and great freedom OF vocallzation. She
| did her best singing of the evening in the
; last-named of these duets and received many
recalls. Signor De Luca gave fine presen-
| tation of the swashbuckling Sergeant Bel
| core The part does not fit his voice so well,
| perhaps, as some others, and this par
| ticulary the case in the first act but his
| duet with Ncmorino in the second act was
| an especially fine bit OF work.
Sgnor Ddur was capital as the quact
| Doctor Dulcamara, a part difficult to sing
| and still harder to act. His buffo song when
| he makes his first appearance on the stage
! and his duets with Nemorino and Adina were
the parts in which he excellcd vocally, the
| last being very difficult piece of cnuncia.
| ton As an actor he has surpassed
| in Philadelphia his work Of last evening.
| Leonora Sparkes gave graceful prcsenta-
ton Of the part of Giannetta, and Signor Papi
| as conductor brought out the brightness
| and humor of the score.
| As an opera "L'E;lisr d'Amore" iseone of
| the best of it's period. It has no omission"
and teaches no lesson. 1t is just a charming
comedy which requires good singers and
| good actors to present acceptably. leaving
| out of the question such a superative per-
formance as was heard last evening. The
orchestraton generally is characteristic of
its time nearly all string except for the
scoring of Nenorino's aria in the second act,
which shows for that day an amazingly sd-
yanced piece of writing for the wood winds.
| Also the occasional melodic use Of the French
| horn Every unusual in 1892 and the bassoon
solo introducing the Romance in the last act,
which sounds in Instrumentation far more
like Meyerbeer than Donizetti, indicate that
| the composer was doubtless modern" in
his day. At the same time the idea is always
to shoys off the voice and the orchestra Is
evex$subordinated to that end. The possi-
biiities of the orchestra in opera was de-
yelopment of many years later Neverthe-
less, the revival was delightful experiment
and gave Philadelphia chance to hear
Caruso in one OF his greatest roles and with
the ablest support that the Metropolitan af-
fords