New-York tribune., 1918-11-17

muster even to-day. Nero, however, has
been seen in New York in two operate
| reincarnations, and of one of them l
purpose to speak in this chapter of
Metropolitan history.
"Quo Vadis" in Philadelphia.
It was rather singular that the re-
moval of Mr.. Dippel's organization
from the bustling metropolis of the
Middle West to the Eastern city pop
ularly supposed to be extremely de-
liberate of action, seemed to bring TO
it an access of energy. Most Of the
operas in its Chicago repertory were
not new, but needed only to be re-
vamped; but in Philadelphia two
works new to the country were called
into active-being-" "Natoma" and "Quo
Vadis." The latter an opera in five
acts, book by Henri Cain, after the
historical novel by Sienkiewicz, music
by Jean NouguGa, first performed in
the City of Brotherly Love on March
25, was brought forward at the Metro
politan on April 4, 1911, with no sig
niticant change in its cast except the
substitution of Signor Guardabassi for
NJ. Charles Dalmores-a substitution
which weakened the performance ma
terially. Among the actors were two
brothers, Walter and Arthur Wheeler
herculean young Philadelphians. vino
assumed the characters of the gladia-
tors, Ursus and Croton to humor
themselves and the social set to which
they belonged.
Sienkiewicz's historical novel was
tremendously popular when it was
first published and it still holds the
imagination of multitudes in thrall
1t stirred the devotion of religious
devotees, captured the fancy Of lovers
of the picturesque and eXacted an in
terest by no means ignoble of the
students of classic literature and
history. What the pseudo historical
novel did in its way NJ Henri Gains
dramatization repeats by means of in
genious use Of theatrical and lyrical
devices. The romance covers too
large a territory to be embraced in =
single play, even if the play were not
made sluggish by music, and M Cain
has presented series OF incidents
rather than closely knit and logi-
cally developed tragedy But he has
done his work with great skill, large
element of which is exhibited by the
manner in which, while making the
persecution of the Christians under
Nero tho main theme of the opera. he
has blended with it a presentation of
Petronius and Vinicius as heroes of
romantic love. He has not been a
mere transcriber Of paraphrast, but
has disclosed himself as poet and
also a scholar in his use Of classical
and Biblical material. Unfortunately
the desire for vast and varied spec
tacle has persuaded, perhaps COM
PEELED, him to introduce a multitude
of perSonages and incidents worthy of
better treatment as inconsequential
stalking horses, and thus marred the
play in the eyes of historical students.
Some faults in the opera as presented
were que TO the management. For in
stance How came the elephantine
| basso Arimondi to be cast for the mart
Of Nero?
Music Altered for Arimondi.
The composer wrote his music for a
tenor, and it had to be altered to briny
1T within the range of Arimondi's
dracontine voice. Had NJ. Nougues de-
sired to be strictly within historical
lines he would have given the part to a
barytone, for that in greatest likeli
hood was the character of voice which
the tyrant possessed. 1t was naturally
weak and Of rude quality. Ouon,-
guam er'qum rocis ct fusca, says Sue
tonius OF it, but have always fancied