New-York tribune., 1919-02-12

from one who had seen her in company
with Antony. The tongue which was
IAN instrument of musicke" is at least
one of the attributes which an oper-
attic Cleopatra ought to have. Bernard
Shaw denied that she was anything
more than chip of the old block, cher
father, the Flute Blower" but even
from such 81 father. the operate Cleo
patra might have been expected to in
MERIT some musical charm. Mas
senct may have tried to think of this
but even if he had written less pow
erty-stricken score than he did, it
would have availed him nothing with
Miss Garden as the singer. There is lit
Tie melody IN any part of the opera, but
by stimulation of human passion in
acting and in the defamation of their
hectic lines MISS Gardens companions.
Alfred Maguenat (Marc Antoine) and
Charles tontaine (Spakos). won our
interest in their characters because of
the art employed, while Miss Garden
had to rely, as usual, upon the merely
sensuous appeal of physical beauty
In her stereotyped n.annerisms of pose
and gesture we could find as little
illustration Of the woman devoured by
animal passion as in the explosive and
soughlng cadences of her musical and
dramatic diction. But by the pictures
which she presented in the gorgeous
ralment of the first scene, her disguise
as an Egyptian youth in the second
scene of the second act and through out
the opera she held her admirers in a
thrall.
The argument of the opera has been
published in this paper and we shall
not repeat it. The elements drawn
into 1t from history are few and are
treated in the manner which may be
said to mark the greatest decadence
OF the lyric drama in France. Even
the death scene in which the best of
tragedy is brought to the fore is filled
with the odor of depravity. Cleopatra
Kills one lover because his passion had
led him to stand between her and
Antony in the moment OF their com
mon destruction, and Antony kills him
self because he hears rumor Of
Egypt's death. Octavia, though a mere
foil TO Antony and Cleopatra, is not
strongly enough limned to win mo-
weakling who falls at The feet Of the
temptress a moment after he first
meets her and denounces her, and on
his marriage day intoxicates himself
with the odor of Cleopatras veil and
rushes to her arms. The textual and
dramatic expression is bombastic and
superficial, and there is no warmth even
in the ashes of Massenet's burnt out
genius.
A circumstance to be associated with
the representation Of last night was
that with the inclusion of "Cleopatre"
in the local list. MMassenet was put
ahead Of Wagner in the number Of
operas which have been performed in
New York. Beginning with "Rienzi,"
which died an early death in the Ger
man regime thirty-five years ago, and
"The Flying Dutchman," which never
won the hearts of opera lovers, partly
because it came at time when their
attention was engrossed by works of
has been represented in lyric theatres
with eleven works. Massenet, whom
some Partisan wag once dubbed
IN Mademoiselle Wagner" has now
twelve to his credit. "Manon" had its
Introduction at the Academy of Music
under Mapleson in December, 1885;
"Werther," at the Metropolitan Opera
House in April, 1894; "Le Cid" at the
aMetropolitan in February, 1897; LA
Nay,arralse" in the season of 1895'96
subsequently it had a resurrection at
the Manhattan Opera House). The
operas which Mr.. Hammersten brought
forward at the Manhattan Opera House
were "Thais," "Heroiade," "Sappho,"
""Griselidis" and "Le Jongleur de
Notre Dame" On subsequent visits
OF the Hammerstein company, when it
was leading a double life in Chicago
and Philadelphia and Juggling with its
name according to its point of depar-
ture, we heard Don Quichotte" and
"Cendrlllon." Wagner's operas-nine
OF them at any rate--are at present in
a state of suspended animation, but
only to be ready for joyful welcome
when the prejudices against German
art aroused by the war shall have been
allayed. How many of Massenet's
operas have retained sufficient vitality
after the ordeal of metropolitan per
tormances to make it likely that thew
viii be IN the current repertory in say
tive years from now? We shall ven
ture no prediction beyond this, that
the works which have been upbourne
heretofore on the shapely shoulders
OF Miss Garden will not be among
them-not even "Thais," which has un-
der 1t the props Of both the Metropoli
tan and Chicago companies. But we
believe that the Massenet of "Manon"
and 'Werther" will outlive the Mas
senet of "Cleopatre" and all it's com
p2nlOnS of the noShlv echool