New-York tribune., 1918-11-16
I h e Opera
BY H. f. Krehbiel


mere ought to be small blame if the
revival OF an old pera chances 10 stir
up ancient memories in the mind OF an
, old reviewer Least of all should there
De condemnation OF record Of the
! recollections are in some degree
maine to the subject A generation
ago there was a restaurant in Third
Avenue near Fourteenth Street which
was favorite rendezvous of the opera
singers of that day. It's keeper was
'oignor buchignanl who had seen pros
perlty and enjoyed social distinction,
had married the daughter Of one of the
urst families of Virginia, held Office in
Washington by appointment of Pres-
dent Lincoln, been a prosperous mcr-
chant IN New York and suffered re-
verses through the rascality OF bust
ness partner. Along with his food and
othr creature comforts he dispensed
much pleasant and profitable discourse
about the music OF his native land and
much gossip about the singers at the
Academy of Music, around the corner,
which was then in the throes of dis
solution because fashion had decreed
that its home must henceforth be in
the new house in upper Broadway.
Memory deals gratefully and gently
with him, for he was a genial and ac-
, complished gentleman, and it was in
his parlor that we foregathered in 1882
to celebrate the obsequies III absemtia
OF Garibaldi and shook the hand of the
last surviving friend of that patriot
who had been his associate Oh Staten
Island
But why rehearse these memories
now? Only because of an association
of ideas provoked by the performance
at the Metropolitan Opera House last
night. Behind Buchignani's bar, fanked
by wickered TASKS and dusty bottles,
stood a clock upside down. Never came
stranger into the place VINO did not
ask why the timepiece stood upon it's
head. ut tells my patrons the hour
in Rome was the answer. Signor
Buchignani's patrons liked to be kept
in mind of the time of day in Rome.
Now, like the kindly restaurateur,
Signor Gatti seems to be keeping an
inverted clock in the directors room
at the Metropolitan Opera House, so
that he, like the denizens of the old
operate district in New York, may
keep the musical time Of provincial
Italy. Last night he brought out his
first novelty of the season and it was
Ncrd's "La Fonza del Destino," which
..xl.
enterprise brought it across the At
lantic some time in the 7os and
Maplcton tried to revive it in 1880 has
| belonged exclusively to the cphemeral
companies organized every year or two
on the East Side for the delectation Of
the erstwhile customers of Signor Bu-
chignani, their compatriots and their de-
scendants. In 1886 the patrons of
Colonel Mapleson, who clung to old
was tottering under the assaults of the
metropolitan forces. rallied around the
! banner Of Signor Angelo, the doughty
coloncIs ex-haggage master and sue
cessor as operate consul. The banner
bore the revercd name of Verdi. and
those who followed it were reealed
With "Luis@ Miller," "I Lombardi,"
chera" and Pctrellas "Ione."
Are the hands OF Sgnor Gstti's
topsy-turvy clock pointing to these
works? Probably not; but if we were
TO venture guess we should say Shat
they might if Signor Caruso showed
disposition to sing in them. Sienor
Caruso must be the raison d'etrc of the
revival of "La Forza del Destino":
We can think of no other. 1t was COM
posed for st. Petersburg i'll 1862, but
was received with only the modicum of
hp of itc
commanded, "a cordial reception which
did not assume in any way the pro-
portions of success" says Pugin.
It's book was revised by Ghslanzoni
and its music touched up by Verdi for
La Scala in Milan in 1869, and there it
Jared little better. New York was
Indifferent toward it, if not worse,
about 1875, and Paris gave it the cold
/ shoulder in 1876, though in all these
artists of the day were employed in
its representation - Tamberlik, Gra
ziani. Debassini Angelini and Mines.
Barbot and Nantier-Didiee, in the Rus
sian capital Mile. Borghi- i-Mamo and
NM. Aramburo, Pandollini and Nam
netti in Paris. We do not recall other
casts, but that is immaterial; outside
of the country whose musical time is
indicated by the upside-d down Ameri-
Destino" has been that suggested by
J. its title. The power of destiny has
operated against it, and if fate should
now cast propitious eye upon it it
will be because the aesthetic teachings
of n generation are as nothing. Yet,
against the lure of Caruso's voice, the
great tenor did not save Julien" LA
Franciula del West" or even "Armidi,"
and is not likely to turn back the clock
now. Meanwhile it is 2 woful refec
tion that the institution which cannot
give US "Otello" or "Falstatf" should
expend large energy upon an opera
which can only be said not to have
outlived it's day because that day never
dawned on it.
1t is not its age or the fact that its
style has been outmoded which mill
tates against "La Forza del Destino."
In time of composition it falls between
the period of the great trefoil "Travi-
ata,' ''Trovatore" and "Rigoletto,' and
its immediate predecessor, we believe,
was "Un Ballo in Maschera," Those
! operas are old fashiincd, but their fires
! have not wholly paled even before the
etfulgence Of "Aida," to which it is pos
sible to discern an occasional and dis
tant approach in few moments of the
work khch was heard for the first time
! at the Metropolitan last night. There
/ are, for instance, occasional refine
! r1entS of orche Stration alternating with