New-York tribune., 1919-04-20

Tor years, and inferior singers kent
IN parts for which the formers oualiA-
cations fit them. Miss Ponselle, who es.
tablished herself at once in the front
rank OF the company's singers, and
whose performances contributed not
little to the success of two Of the
novelties in the list, was aided not a
little by the sagacity of MIR. Gatti in
providing Cor her the opportunity of
eFecting her debut in unhackneyed
operas. No doubt her gifts of voice
and musical instincts would have car
rled her triumphantly through any
reasonable ordeal, for they prevailed
even against the handicap placed upon
her by "The Legend" an opera
"n'ch no singer or combination
Of singers could have saved from con-
demnation. But her singing and act
ing IN La Fora del Destino helped
Mr. Caruso to redeem that opera ESQ
tar as 1t was rcdeemed) and we're a
large factor in the triumph scored by
'Oberon." But that is not all. The
qualification which her present per-
tormances gave was paired with de-
light IN the promise Of future useful
ness in the company which her pres
ence holds out.
Ihat promise IS great and upon its
realization by careful husbandry Of her
artistic resources and wise training, OF
which she stands in need, depends, in
part, the establishment Of a repcrtorv
which shall not rest upon the decay
ing foundation of the popular infatu-
alton for Mr.. Caruso and Miss Farrar
The former is departing more and
more from q standard of art which
makes for the refinement and stabili-
zation of taste, and the latter's vocal
performances in the last two or three
seasons have become more and more
deplorable. In a way, she exemplifes
one of the growing tendencies of the
artistic management Of the establish
ment to make good the lack of in
trlns1c excellence by a parade Of ex-
ternal decoration. Perhaps this is
symptomatic of the period; but it Is.
QoCaV.
A considerable part of Mr.. Gatti's
concern every season is to distribute
the performances Of Mr.. Caruso and
Miss Farrar as evenly as possible be-
tween the subscribers to the d,fforen+
nights of the week and Saturday after
moons and to place the novelties also
IN each of the categores. The for
mer task is not difficult and is rcner
ally accomplished. The second de-
pends somewhat upon the measure Of
success achieved by the novelties, the
attitude of subscribers Of certain
class and the time when the novelty Is
produced. II this date Is later than
five weeks before the end of the sea-
son, it is manifestly impossible to
place the work in all the classes. for
II IS not customary to give two per
formances OF the same opera in anv
week. When this enforced prohibition
does not apply, as in the case of the
operas of NM. Breil, Hugo and Cad
man, the omissions of the novelty NAV
generally be taken to indicate a con-
fession of failure by the management
or recognition of dissatisfaction on
the part Of the public.
The critical attitude of the opera's
patrons cannot be discovered bv the
attendance. 1t might be deduced from
an inspection of the returns from the
box office, but these are a iealous)v
guarded secret of the management.
There is one test, however, which is
generally informative. Monday night is
tradtionally the fashionable night and
that on which the boXholders and sub-
scrlbers exert the strongest influence.
Saturday afternoon is the popular time.
especially for the women. All the
operas in the list cannot be given on
Monday nights, for there are more
operas than weeks in the season; but
as rule it may be set down that the
operas which find no place are those
which are regarded as least attractive;
they may be the best in the repertory,
but Monday night taste is not propitious
to them. The rule is modified only by
''u|0 "a giving HcdIlnSS, Wnlcn snail De
as nearly equal as possible The test
afforded by the Saturday matinees is
of slightly different kind. Here, per-
sonal equation in the matter of the
divinitcs of popular idolatry enters
little more forcibly than on the sub
scription nights. 1t is the holiday of the
women, especially Of the sentimental |
young women, and their admiration 1--WE
wish we knew WHY goes out in par
ticular to Miss Farrar. Mr.. Caruso
sang six times on Saturday afternoons
this year, though heetook part in thirty
two subscription performances; but Miss
Farrar sang eight times out of thirty
"Oberon," LA Forza del Destino" and
the three new works by Puccini were
heard by every class of subscribers, but
the Monday and Saturday afternoon
audiences got along without the Amer
lean naveltics.
The omissions on the different sub
scription occasions were, on Mondays:
LA Figlia del Reggimento," "Manon
Lescaut," "Trovatorc," "Lodoletta,"
"Traviata," Lucia" "Rigoletto," "Thc