The sun., 1919-11-02
TOSCA' WILL OPEN
SEASON OF OPERA
Metropolitan's Most Popular
Artists Here for First
Night, Nov. IL.
REHEARSE NEW OPERAS
Albert Wolff Reads Score of
"L'0iseau Bleu" to Have
Worlds Premiere.

"Tosca" is the opera chosen by Gem
eral Mana ger Giulio Gatti-Casazza to
open the Metropolitan Opera season two
weeks from tomorrow evening. Three
of the company's most popular artists
will take part in the performance-Mis
Farrar, who has just returned from a
concert tour in fine healtn and spirits (;
Caruso, who has not been heard in this
opera recently and who is due to arrive
this week from his successful season in
Mexico city, and Scott, who returns to-
day from his four weeks tour of the
country as ist-impresario of the
Scott Grand Opera Company. Roberto
Moranzoni will conduct.
Opening nights of the opera do not
usually provide favorable occasions for
the presentation of new works or the re-
vival Of old or comparatively unknown
works. The public. In Gatti opinion
regards the opening night more as an
ANIMAL reunion of musical and social
New York. 1t prefers an opera that is
not too long and with which 1t is famil-
lar, and especially likes to have the OPP
portunity of welcoming back to New
York as many as possible of its lyric ia
vorites. And 1t doesn't want the per-
Torrance to begin too early-S :15 is the
hour fixed-but does like the intermis-
sions to be as long as possible. Hence
"Tosca" for Monday evening, Novem-
Der II.
In the last weeks the Metropolitan
Opera House has buzzed with activity.
Tho new French conductor, Albert Wolff,
has had a pref minary reading of the
orchestra score of his new opera
"L'Oiseau Bleu," the musical setting of
Maeterlinck's charming fantasy, which
will have ITS worlds premiere at the
Metropolitan during Christmas week,
with MaeterlnCk present, 1t is hoped.
Gatti-CasaEza has been passing long
hours during the evening and late into
the night eNper mentine with the numer-
Gus sets Of new scenery with which he has
enriched the decorative" side of his pro-
auctions. He Is very\ enthusiastic over
the scenery which Boris Anlsfeld has
PAINTED for "L'Oseau Bleu," and not
less so over the work done by Joseph
Urban for La Juive" (Which will be
sung during the opening week of the
ssason), Eugene Onyegin" and "Parsi-
| far; by Norman-Bel Geddes for Henry
| Hadley's "Cleopatras Night" by James
Fox for "Zaza"; by Pieretto Blanca for
the Cours-lu- Reine scene in "Manon."
and by willy Pogany for "LItaliana in
Algeri"
! It is Gatti's idea to have as great
! diversity as possible of scenic artists,
Few persons know that in order to get
| Just the right light effect the scenery for
/ an opera has to be "rehearsed" as con-
scientiously as the artists, chorus ano
orchestra Were It not for that, there
would be missing that mysterious thing
called atmosphere" TO secure which the
director must know Just how to coordi-
nate this means at his d sposal
During the last week the barytone
| Pasquale Anlato, whose health prevented
! his singing with the company last season
arrived from Italy in optimistic mood
with him was Giovanni Martineli. who
during the early summer was leading
! tenor at Covent Garden. Miss Claudio
Muzio reached New York from Buenos
Aires after a season there in which She
! established herself as n great popular