The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-16
NEW VOICES HEARD
IN OLD VERDI OPERA
Two Singers Make Debut in
'La Fora del DestinO" at
the Metropolitan.
VETERANS ARE PLEASING
Gatti-Casazza's Revival Of
Song Drama After 80 Years
Is Entertaining.
VETERANS ARE PLEASING

Thirty-eight years ago Verdfs la
Forza del Destino" was sung in the
Academy Of Music, under the direction
OF Col. ]. II. Mapleson. Such was the
force OF destiny that 1t fell asleep and
never arose til last night when MI.
Csatti-C asazza, "a snapper-up OF I'M
considered tribes" awakened Its tuneful
breathings at the Metropolitan Opera
House. There was a large audience, OF
course, and the spectacle Of Mr.. Ca
russo and Mr.. de Luca once again en-
bracing each other as loving brothers,
Just as they did in Les Pecheurs de
PEERLESS" moved tho tirelees doughboys.
Of the standing room to glad acclama-
tons of fraternal triumph.
New operas arc scarce. Good ones
are much scarcer 1t IT, therefore, not
astonishing that an impresario, who war
deprived of a large section OF his roper
tory, should explore the caves contain
ing the buried treasures Of the past.
The revival of Ia Fora del Destino"
will be remembered as one of Mr.. Cat
It's interesting experiments. and tho,
disclosure of the voice OF Rosa Pom
celle. the new soprano. will be regarded
as one of his most successful ventures.
A9uk OF that ldLeT. bOWlHB a. biiV SaiiA''
OF sacred convention. we begin with the
story of the drama.
In n World of Desperation.
Opera land is the world of despera-
ton. It is the very whirligig of time.
What happens in La Fora del Destino'
Is akin TO the dire misdoings IN III
rrovatore" and "Ernani'' and later in
"CavaIleria," "Pagliacci'' and "A Basso
cumming. stick to the bloomin
orf'cers, Mulvaney.' advised the judi
cious Ortheris, "Commissariat sergeants
Is low" Verdi sticks to the bloomin
aristocrats and no matter what horrors
are wrought we are at least in smart
society.
OF course It all turns upon the deli
cate question of ladys honor. and we
all know that in the theatre not even
the gossamers that enmesh the wander
ing sunbeams of early morning are SO
fiiiamentous, so destructible. as the
honor of high born danes. The low
born. as in 'Cavalleria," are besmirched
in candid vulgsrity. in both words ana
music.
Because the papa Of Leonord (dread
operate namely finds her In the com
rany of her parentally disapproVeo
lover. Don AlUdro, her honor Is instantly
tol to the father. The weapon falls on
the floor goes off and kills Papa, Who
according to the best traditions OF the
stage, curses his daughter with his last
phrase.
The love match is or. Leonord re-
tires to a solitary retreat under the pro-
lection OF the clergy. Don AlrGrO be-
comes the sworn companion OF Don
Carlo, brother OF Leonord. who does not
know that this is the slayer of his sire
s. Discovery cumpels a duel No one dies,
and naturally there has TO be another
in the last act. Alrdro mortally wounds
Carlo, who in turn mortally wounds
. Leonoru. For once the last act deaths
are not caused by some mysterious
disease
Right in Middle of Opera Land.
This is not quite all OF It, The de-
tails are almost as much mudoled as
those OF I'll Trovatore." Not that II
matters in the least So long as you
have a tenor and barytone at swords
points and a soprano screaming out fu-
tile intercessons. you are right in the
middle of opera land and know you are
going to have a pleasant winter.
The opera was welcome despite its
curious shortcomings. Its chief weak
ness Is It's burden OF extraneous matter.
For instance, there is a young woman
called Pre- giosilId, a member of the Car
f1cn- Con chitu- MGliolia family, whose
connection with the story OF the opera IL
entirely pictorial And there are solos,
choruses, dances and even a clarinet
solo. whose only purpose seems to be to
make the lyric drama drag its slow
length through four weary hours, where
rs. IL these irrelevant matters were ex-
clsed, the whole affair would be over in
two hours.
We have been >solemnly told by his
torians that in this work we find Verdi
in his transition period. We should be
glad 10 verify this statement. but the
score forbids il. The truth is that ia
Forza del Destno" reveals Verdi as the
familiar composer OF "Ernani," I'll
Trovatore." "Rlgoletto" and la
Traviata" There are pages unmis-
takably in the style or each.
1t was formerly the fashion to make
catalogue OF the gems OF an opera.
One puzzled critic in this town even
tried TO do this after the first perform
ance OF Tristan und Isolde" 1t would
be easy enough to make a card index
az the principal numbers of La Fora
del Destino," but even the monograph
record makers would probably neglect Il.
The first act is In the very best of Verdi s
early manner, strenuous rampant In
certain moments. but full OF good, red
operate blood and Opulent In vocal
melody. 1t is admirable melodrama.
And here one selects as 4 gem" the
broadly lined solo OF LeOnOrG. 40 non
amarlo."
Familiar Scenes in Opera.
In the inn kitchen Scene Of the sec
ond act we are entertained by sacred
music from the invisible choir 30 familiar
to opera land, dances OF the merry viii
lager type and the perlpatetios OF the
previously mentioned Carmen lady. In
the scene before the church In the same
act we have matters dear to Verdis
muse, a mOonlit church. a cross, a sup
pllcating maiden, chorus OF monks
with lighted candles. One thinks OF III
Trovatore," but the young lady's invoca-
tion to the virgin is In Giidd's worst
style. However most OF the. music In
this act is extremely good, Verdi en-
.oyed writing It. that Is plain. He prob
ably did not care greatly for Brother
MIitone, the silly monk. Verdi's humor
was prone to be grim. and the comic
Keller OF melodrama did not attract
him powerfully. 1t was not till In his
ripe old age he burst into the matches
song OF immortal youth In his glowing
-Falstan" that he found the shrine oi
folly and deftly shook the bells upon the
testers cap.
The camp scene OF tho third act holds
, the action In suspension, but introduce,
- AEhNH l..