New-York tribune., 1919-12-05

him he sought to make up for the loss
in sensuous vocal charm by an increase
in dramatic fervor of utterance Then
he gave US what to the serious opera
lovers of generation ago were ideal
impersorations of Don Jose in Car
men" ana Radames in "AIda." These
impersonations were full OF manner
isms, but nevertheless elementally
powerful and moving.
With a voice richer in color and
greater in sensuous charm he sang
some of the music in which he was first
heard at the Metropolitan Opera House.
1t was only when he began to employ
the tones and the speech of exag-
gerated pathos that he sacrificed to
please his foolish admirers standing
behind the brass rails or seated in the
stalls and boxes that he brought grief
to the judicious. Yet even in this later
happy mood of artistic sincerity
prompted him to give heed and pay
respect to the canons of good singing
he has ever caused a delight like that
which he inspired in early years of his
American career. We have inspiring
memories Of him in aida" where
everything that he sang was in the
highest degree admirable except the
"Celeste Aida" whose ecstacy has al
ways eluded him.
Tries to Suggest Stage Hebrew
In his imnc rsonation of Halevys Jew
Mr.. Caruso shows a desire to make
more of himself than an operate mar
ionette. He succeeds in doing this In
his singing, and strives valiantly tow
ard the same end in his acting. 1t is,
perhaps, an inherent defect in his in
dividuality which prevents him from
sinking himself completely in the part.
He is much too conscious of his mask,
of the need Of suggesting the stage
Hebrew in pose and action. Perhaps
we are blinded in our judgment by rec
objections of at least one infinitely bet
ter actor in the part. Albert ME-
mann's portrait of Eleazeh was one
worthy Of a place beside Henry Irving's
Shy.ock in the gallery of tragic char
acters. Niemann was a rude singer
when he played the Jew to the Recha
of Nine. (then Fraulien) Lehman at
the Metropolitan, but as an actor he
was Of truly heroic mold. 1t is a
tribute to the operate book, if not to
Halevy's music (Which we confess has
not lost all its charms for us), that LA
Juive" was successful at the Metro
politan in the years of the German re-
gime, in spite Of the fact that the
nerves of the public were kept tingling
from the first impact with the later
dramas Of Wagner.
Popular in 1888-'89
In the season of 18S8-'89 it was
fourth in popularity in list Of seven
teen operas, yielding prec edence only
to Gotterdammerung," "Tannhauser'
and "Das Rheingold." In the next sea-
son it was last in a list of nineteen
operas, but that was the season in
which the last three weeks were de-
voted to representations in chronology
in the list from Der Filegende Hol-
lander" to die Meistersinger" inclus-
i've. That "La Juive" more than held its
own for several seasons against the
powerful attraction of Wagner is to be
set down partly to the work itself,
OF course, but largely to the artists who
sang in it. The principal representa-
tlves OF Rachel or Recha were Materna,
Brandt and Lehmann; of Eleazar
Schott. Niemann, Perotti and Kalisch
All of these singers drew their in
spiration from Wagner.
We recall saying something com.
plimentary to Niemann after his first
Appearance with Lehman in the opera
THANK you, he replied in his broad
berlinese, and continued in his char
acteristc style Of comment: "That was
Halevy rubbed through the Wagnerian
sieve"
Could Sing the Lights Out
He spoke of the tremendous power
with which Duprez, who had been his
teacher, used to play and sing the part
and in explanation of his own per.
formance said it had not been con.
ceived to divert the bankers sittinp
in the boxes and digesting their din.
ners," but for the opera lovers in the
higher regions Of the house.
"But we played little circus our
selves to-night-Lilli and lin tn.
finale of the first act" he said. III
you want high B-flat can give yo,
one that will put the lights outl But
that's not art. Halevy deserves some
thing better"
No doubt the bold lines in Niemann'I
impersonation were traced on thos,
Of Duprez, of which the English criti
Chorley has left US a. description
There was the history Of tribe, b,
remarks. in the very timid. ca:.::ik'