The evening world., 1919-01-21
"COq d'Or'' Wins
Fresh Tribute at
The Opera House
BU SUlrester RuiCling.

fxT T. COO DOR" Rimsky korsa-
koffs delicious little fairy
opera. which has been vital
lied. or spoiled, according TO indi-
vidual taste and fancy. by Michael Fo-
kInc's Transforming it into an opera
pant0nime by introducing mines 70
DO the acting while the singers re-
last night at the Metropolitan
Opera House for the first time
this season. You like the inno-
walton. or you don't that is GER
tain. There is no middle ground. The
connUisseurs are divided, so are tho
subscribers: yet. II one may judge
from the demennor OF last nights
crowded audience Ut was the same
last spring when the work was intro
duced here) the public enjoys ~.
There was "a constant ripple Of
laughter during the three acts, and
there was hearty applause after the
fall OF each curtain.
For myself. | encourage the illu-
sion that the pantomimists are also
singing. There is no need to watch
/ the choir lofts on either side OF the
able save when they use their voices.
/ Nor is there need for the singers to
watch anybody but the conductor
, when their cues come. Didur, who
sings the King while Adolph Bolm
/ acts for him, Is perfect in this
! particular. Sophie Braslau, who
( sings Amelia, the housekeeper, while
Queenie Smith acts for her, ia an
exception. She can't refrain from
] keeping one eye on her prototype
and smiling broadly at her panto-
mime. To me the singing. the min
| icry. the dancing, the scenery, the
/ costumes, are so admirably synchron-
| lied as TO be a joy. The whole con-
/ Ccption Is nothing but n fantastic1l,
rrutcsdue, humorous fairy tale, with
% gripping orchestral foundation
/ lovely and often dfiicult music for
! the individual voices. captivating
/ choruscs expert mimicry and charm
| ing dancing.
I Mabel Garrison was the Princess,
I pronounoing the not easy music with
out effort and captivating by the
! beauty OF her voice. Her prototype
was the adorable Rosina Cali, whose
pantomine and dancing are poetry.
II was not difficult TO understand why
I tho opera had to wait for her reCov-
cry from illness. Marie Sundclius
was thrilling in her pronounccmcnts
OF the warnings OF the machine -made
Golden Cock. Sophie Brasldu's rlch
contralto was at its best, and Quccnic
Smith is an accomplished dancer. The
Astrologer, sung by Rafaelo Dinz and
acted by Bonfglio; the General by
Ananian and Ottokar Bartik, the
Prince by Audisio and Agnini, and a
Knight by Reschiglian and loucelli'
completed the fine cast. Didur's sing
ing OF the King is OF his best, and
Bolm is almost unrivallcd as a pan
tommist Mr.. MonteuX's conducting
was a treat.
Before "rhe Golden Cock there
was "Cavallcria,' with q Santuzza by
Claudia Muzio so dramatically I'M
passioned that II will not soon be Tor
gotten. Luigi Montesanto was a coll
orless Alflo. Paul Althouse's Tur-
ridu, Flora PERMITS Lola and Marie
Mattfeld's Lucia. as well as Mr..
Settps fine chorus, are familiar. Mr..
Moranzoni conducted cdpitally.
The two operas together take too
long in delivery. "Coq dor" Is short:
but why not start 1t at $50 o'clock,
Mr.. Gatti, and send us home early?
Anna Case drew a large and en-
thusiastlc audience to her song recital
voice was not always at its best, but
| for the most part she sang with
| charm. Her programme was long
and by her generosity in giving extra
numbers IL became very long. She
was happiest in group of Nor
wegian songs. Beethoven's Faithful
johnnie was one OF her successful
| numbers. Another was Edward
IIorsman's Dreams, and still an
other was Robin, Robin. Sing Me
Song" by her accompanist at the
piano, Charles Gilbert Spross.
Percy Rector stephens. at Acoilan
Hall last night. led the Schumann
Club, a choir OF women's voices,
through a programme OF twenty one
songs transcribed for the chorus by
Deems Taylor. They comprised
Italian songs OF the seventeenth cen
tury, songs by Grieg, old Scotch
songs. French songs, old and modern
and modern English songs. The
choir displayed some excellent quail
ties in phrasing and a tone of fresh
ness that vas enjoyable,
Frances Pelton-Jones gave harp
sichord recital at the McAlpin yester'
day afternoon. The instrument J.
seldom heard nowadays, and as Nils
Pelton- J ones plays 1t we'll the enter
tdinmcnt was refreshing interludo
AftOr a little talk about the old mas
tors. she played compositions b,
Scurlatti, Paradics, Pcrgolese, Mo
Zart and Purcell. Among tho mod
ern adaptations that she played wcr
Etholbert Nevin's "a shepherd
Tale" and Percy Graingers "Shcp
herds Hey" She was assisted b
Louise Hubbard, soprano, and Franci
hoSers, baritone.