New-York tribune., 1918-02-10
Opera
Galli-Curci and Stracciari
Win Success at the
Lexington
"Rigoletto" (in 1talan). Opera in
four acts, by Verdi.
CHARACTERS
Conductor. Giuseppe Sturan

Conductor. Giuseppe sturani.
Another huge audience gathered yes
terday afternoon at the Lexington The
atre to hear Nine. Amelita Galli-Curci.
The opera was "Rigoletto," Mue CALI
Curci appearing as Media for the first
time in New York, and in it the Italian
soprano won an instant and deserved
success. Every singer has her de.
tractors, and Nine. Galli-Curci is no
exception to the rule.
These detractors have apparently
two cards, each of which they believe
a. trump. In the first place, they de-
clare that Nine. GalliCurci is not a
coloratura but lyric soprano; in the
second, that she frequently sings fiat.
The first charge is easily answered.
Nine. GalliCurci is certainly lyric
soprano, and one who has no peer to-
day. But Nine. Galli-Curci can also give
forth staccati, and runs and trills, if not
with the brilliancy of a Melba or a
Tetrazzini, yet with grace and a
taste and an ease which is altogether
satisfying. She does not, perhaps, dec
crate the ceiling with the arabesques
OF toratura, her florid passages being
fformed, rather as the drops that rise
from the main stream of fountain,
which seemingly float upon the air and
are shot through by the sun into a
thousand shifting colors. This floating
muiti-colored voice is the voice of
Galll-Curci, a voice unique and unap-
preached in our present generation.
1t is also true that Nine. CALI
Curci does at times sing fiat. She did
yesterday once or twice in the "Caro
Nome" Yet, these departures were
trlf1lng, SO trifling when taken into
consideration with her virtues that
we simply didn't care. They were the
flaws which prove the singer human.
we are not ready yet for Nine. CALI
in the celestial choir. We need her
too much on earth! And it was good.
too, to have Gilda who looked and
acted like Gilda. Nine. Galli-Curci
neither bounced nor rumbled about the
Stage. She was young, charming
and an innocent girl
The Rigoletto was Riccordo Strac-
carl. who once was a barytone with a
wobble and member of the Metropoli-
tan Opera Company. That was ten
years ago, and the wobble has disap-
peared and the barytone has grown into
a matured and finished artist. The
voice itself is not sensuously beauti-
tul one, as it has throaty quality
which destroys its richness and reso-
nance. He uses it, however, with great
skill in phrase. AS an actor he is ex-
cellent, ard in his great scene of the
"Vendetta Tremenda' is really suburb.
That artists of his quality and Of that of
Nine. Galli-Curci should undertake to
repeat this scene robbed Of its power
and sincerity. The Chicago Opera Com
pany is not a circus. Encores are we'll
in their place. but their place is not in
the climatic scene of an opera; not, in
fact, in an opera at all. Mr.. Campo
minis company has for this purpose
been provided with the Hipp .drome on
Sunday nights.
The less said about the Duke of Juan
Nadal the better, but Vittorio Ar-
mondi, despite his more than sixty
years, sang Sparafucile with the voice
of man of thirty. With the excep-
tion of the tenor, the performance was
! more evenly rounded than any the Chi
caSo company has yet given, with the
exception Of "Pelleas" and "Monna
Wanna"
The evening opera was "Aida," with
Lamont, RimVi, Arimondi and God
dard.
The huge audience which went to
hear Nine. Galli-Curci did not prevent
an equally huge one going at the same
time to hear Mr. Caruso. The Metro
poltan opera was Marta" with Mr.
Caruso at his best, and ably assisted
by Mr.. De Luca, Miss Hempel and
Nine, Perini In the evening saint