The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-10

company will storm the Olympian
hope to have their names blown e
trumpets in A fat and B natural Is
Thursday night provides Donlzettl
intermezzo, when Nine. Hempel,
greatly Americanized by war and mar
riage, will kiss the French flag in the
Daughter Of the Regiment" Friday
evening will be devoted to the revival
of Verdi's la Fora del Destino."
Repositories are seldom logical. II
chronological significance had been
sought we should have had La Fora
del Destino' set down for Wednesday
and Aida for Friday, because it is
one of the immediate predecessors Of
Aida" having been produced in Pet
rograd in 1862.
1t was made known to New Workers
by Max Maretzek and 1t had its last
previous hearings here at the Academy
OF Music In the latter part OF the sea-
son OF 1880 under the direction of
Col. ]. H. Mapleson. There Is a singu-
larry persistent tradition that there
were no "star" casts in this town till
Maurice Grau began to give them In
the famous days Of Les Huguenots,"
with Nordica, Melba or Sembrich,
Mantelli, the de Reszkes, Plancon and
Scott or Maurel.
AS a matter Of fact Col. Mapleson
gave Aida" with Octavia Torriani
Annie Louise Carey, Italo Campanini.
Maurel and Nanetti. And when he
brought forward la Fora del Des-
tino" the cast was composed Of great
stars OF that day--who would have
been stars in this-except the soprano.
Nine. Dotti. as she was known on the
stage (Mrs. Swift In private life), was
an Industrious singer Of conventional
attachments. The others were Miss
Carey. Mr.. Campanini. Mr.. Galassi and
Mr.. Del Puente, the last named the
only real satisfying toreador the
present writer can recall.
La Fora del Destino' will give the
essayists full scope for their powers
OF original and enlightening observa'
ton. In the first place little or nothing
has been written about 1t since its
infancy. 1t slipped away into obscu'
rity when Aida" burst upon an en-.
raptured world. 1t was one oil
several operas composed in a period
la Traviata" dates from 1853, anc
for eighteen years after that Nerd
produced no work of his first quality
nor any that achieved signal success
One writes perfunctorily the titles Of
81 Vespri Sicilani" uSS5), Simon Boo
canegra" 1S57). "Aroldo," a revision
OF an earlier work Qs5O; TN Ball'
in Maschera" GS59), and Don Carlos
GS6). I'm Ballo in Maschera' ha!
returned TO the stage in recent year.
owing principally to the brilliant voca
accomplishments of Messrs. Carust
and Amato. No sincere lover Of opert
is doubtful as to its position in thu
scale of Verdi's creations.
Ia Fora del Destino' will not b,
discussed here in advance. Such dis
cussion might easily come TO lean to,
heavily on the records of a bygon,
period when musical judgments rested
upon foundations different from thos,
occupied now. II may not be neces
sary to enter into any profound exam
ination of the work after its DISCLOSURE
on Friday night. The story of Verdit
career indicates that the operas com
posed in the interval between IL;
Traviata." work in the old style
beautiful and expressive within 9TH
limits Of that manner. and Aida"
magnificent plunge into the ocean O
modern tone color, IA splendid outburs
of new found dramatic eloquence
were the products OF a mind which
was lowering on the verge of new
visions while yet under the spell O
the old. Its outlook was clouded, an
when the clarifying process had com
pleted itself the grand old man O
italy in all the glory OF his renewe
strength strobe forth into the new day
One thing may be said without hes
itation, namely. that anything mad
by Verdi is worthy OF our most seriou
consideration. His poorest scores hav
something good in them. He was al
ways clever il not always inventiv
and in the days when he believed tina
the methods and traditions OF the Nea
politan school, founded by Alessandr
Scarlatti, were equal TO the CROWN
demands OF the lyric drama he had IA
cility, nervous energy and very ofte
A melOdic inspiration of glowing kline
We shall see how much Of these ar
IN the score OF La Fora del Destino,
Meanwhile the majority OF opera
goers will scrutinize this score wit
but one end in view. to determin
whether 1t furnishes field favorabl
10 exercise OF Mr.. Caruso's voice.
d does. its restoration to the roper
tory OF the living lyric drama is as
sured until Samson goes down wit
the Philistines.
Many interesting incidents may Il
expected in the coming opera season
New operas by unknown America
composers. for example, will invit
hopes and suggest fears. But what
IN N