New-York tribune., 1918-12-06
Reprinted from vceterday's late edition
Opera
Mime. Geraldine Farrar Again
Essays ''Thais," and Gains
No New Laurels
By Grenville Vernon

1t is no disrcspect to French opera
to ask why "ThaYs" remains in the
rcpertory OF the Metropolitan Opera
Company. There ere any number Of
opcras-a number, indeed, by Massanet
hims sclf-which would reflect far more
honor upon French musical art than
does this meretricious work--a work
which ISLANDERS alike the delicate satire
of Anatole France and the just taste
which is the finest heritage of French
ait. "ThaIs" possesses in the "Mcdi
tation" one broad popular melody. The
rest of the opera is musically negligible
and dramatically utterly insincere.
When Oscar Hammerstein produced
"ThaIs" he produced it for a reason.
"ThaIs" is an opera which can succeed
which, indeed. can ony become bear
able through bravoura, and bravoura
not of song, but OF action. In Mary
Garden the Manhattan Opera Company
possessed an artist remarkable and
unique, and in Maurice Rcnaud talent
such as comes but once in r generation.
Miss Garden and NJ. Renaud carried the
fustian Of the drama to heights per-
haps never dreamed of by the composer.
Like Sarah Bernhardt in the later
plays Of Sardou, like our own Edwin
Booth in "Richelieu," they proved that
interpretive genius can make an audi
enco believe a chrome q masterpiece.
Now, critical comparisons are always
disagreeable, and are generally to be
avoided, but when the Metropolitan de-
cided also to present "Thais" such n
comparison became inevitable. We do
not believe that the Metropolitan ever
asserted that it produced the opera
either in the name of art or as tribute
to France; we believe it produced it
quite frankly in the name of Nine.
Geraldine Farrar. Nine. Geraldine
Farrar is an exceedingly clever actress,
a woman of Great charm and great am
bition, but she is not an actress who
can convince through sheer bravoura.
She is rather a miniaturist, an artist
who appeals through delicate shadings
not by broad strokes. Her "Manon.
her "Buttert1y," her Goose Girl'-iN
these she was delightful. Let her try
to be primitive, or pass onate, or intel
lectual, and we prefer to spend an
evening at the movies. But, alas, am
bition conqucrs all, and Nine. Farrar's
ambition vaulted her into "IhaIs'
and into direct comparison with Miss
Garden The result was inevitable
Nine. Farrar scored failure.
It has hecn asserted, and perhaps
justly, that Nine. Farrar is excellent
when she becomes a saint, but That's
when she reaches sainthood reaches
boredom; not even the genius of Mis-.
Garden could make the latter part O.
tho opera interesting NJ. Rcnaud'.
about face hellwards alone kept Man
tartan audiences from trapezing hom'
after the second act In short "Thais,
/ TO succeed, must succeed because OF th'
| brilliancy of shining. We may not be
lieve in sin being brilliant, that is un
doubtedly matter of taste, only i
we are to like "Thais" we must believ'
in it, Nine. Farrar makes sin abou
as brilliant as the sheen of a deas
mackeral. The odor may be there, bu
the shine is long departed
Nine Farrar last night dotted tn
coronal of feathers with which she as
tonshcd at her opening "Thais,' am
put in its place the crown OF q Tyr
bird Otherwise her performanc
showed no changes.
/ Her voice was still weak and trcmu
lous NJ Couzenou is a we'll trained
artist and his Athanael was capable
if little more. Mr.. Diaz was eXcellen
as Nicias, as were Raymonde Delaunoi'
and Minnie Egener as the two slaves
Miss Sophie Braslaus beautiful voic'
vas thrown away in the part of Albine
The ballet, with the Intoxicating
Rosina CALI to lead it, woke up thing
in its scene. Nj. MonteuX conducted
effectively.