New-York tribune., 1919-01-19

Nm Old Italian Opera Buffa Sue.
cessfuily Revived at the
Metropolitan
By II. E. krehhiel

muse for the patrons of the Metro
politan Opera House yesterday after
noon, when he gave a performance Of
"Crispino la Comare," which had been
postponed from the previous week
because of the illness of Signor Scott
1t was the first time that the old
work, familiar to the oDeragoers Of
fifty years ago as "The Daughter OF
the Regiment" is to those of to day,
was ever given at the big lyric theatre
IN upper Broadway, though it did not
require long memory to recall it's
last performances in New York, which
took place less than ten years ago.
Max Maretzek's patrons heard it at
the Academy of Music in 1868. Then,
though not a novelty in European
lists, It was new in New York, and a
young American singer Clara Louise
AeItogg, sang and played the part OF
Annelta. A year later, the Academy
htaVIng been damaged by fire. Mr.
Mafetzeh took his forces across the
East klVer to the BROOKLYN Academy
OF Music, and Miss Kellogg continued
TO tcss oil its scintilant music with
can remember ROnconi as her COM
pan!on. Who succeeded to this part we
90 not know No doubt there werc scv-
Vral Annei tas who sang it in Italian.
ana PROBABLY some who sang it in Eng
ilsh before the greatest Of them all
came INTO our ken She was bodied
10rth by Adelina Patti in January.
1t is significant, perhaps. that when
we reviewed that performance we in
uulged IN the reflection that it was the
conserving influence Of Nine PATHS
art winch galvanized what we then
iinsousnl ALREADY moribund opera into
NE. ihe Wltchery Of her singing was
so great that the most radical of
progressists was willing to call a halt
TO ear and mind taste and prediction
that what we thought the last echoes
OF a dying but incomparablv beautiful
art might not be lost.
the echoes have continued to re-
NerDelate siAcc in the singing of Gers
YER Lllsson Sembrich and Gali-Curci.
but 'hey have been growing fainter
cacA year Bat there is still lovehncss
IN IN the yolces Of the darkoning twilight
mat Nine. Hcnlpel permitted us to
reailze yesterday afternoon.
Crlsplno la Comarc" had slept
nearly quarter Of century when it
was revived for Nine. Tetrazzini at
me Manhattan Opera House in March.
i9VS. DlVertlng parallelisms seem TO
accompany Is periodical rcsuscitation.
though the Fundamental reason for its
preservation has been the same during
an the history which VIC have outlined;
1t is part Of the evidence of the scanti-
ness of the rcpertory which remains
TOR singers of the tribe for which it
provides Il vehicle of utterance.
When it was evoked by Colonel Maple
son in 1884 twas to aid him in the merry
war which was then waging between
the old home Of opera and the new.
between the Academy of Music, with
its clustering traditions, and the Met
ropolltan Opera House, whose found
crs had resolved that it was to be the
citadel Of fashion. When Mr. Ham
merstein resurrected it, it was for the
purpose of helping a new enterprise
against that which had in turn become
Old. At the present juncture it would,
we fancy. not be a bad guess to say
that Mr. Gatti is hoping with it to
play Nine. lIempe against Nine
Galli-Curci who is at the head of the
hosts from Chicago who are to invade
the metropolis next week. If so, it
Will again be a merry war, for the old
opera is good ammunition for the resi-
utUL dA well us lUf NlHlllUG singer.
1t is. in its style, beyond question
the most brilliant opera-bufa of the
st-Doni2cttian period We should
not wonder if to some who heard it for
the first time yesterday it took on some
Of it's brightness by contrast with the
latest product in its field from the pen
Of Signor Puccini. There is no point
Of contact between the scores Of "Cris-
pino' and "Gianni Schicchi" but the
conviction was forced on us in every
episode Of the comedy yesterday Of
how much more fecund and fancful
the molodic invention Of tho brothers
Ricci was than that Of Puccini. Old
fashioned in form the music yet
seemed amazingly fresh and native to
language and the play. Its appeal to
the ear and fcelings was more direct
and convincing It required no thoughts;
pcrhaps that WAS the reason. Tho mu-
sical humor of "GianNi Schicchi' de-
mands keen intellectual analysis for
its full appreciation That Of "Cris-
pno" bolted through tho ear and at
tacked the seat of enjoyment irrcsis-
tiby.
The story cf the opera is delight
fully humorous and the music charm
ing -scnsuously. ingratiatingly, insinu-
atinglv charming. 1t spikes the heavy
ordnance Of criticism. Much Of the hu-
NOR Of the play is boistorous butloon-
cry. but it dances buoYantly on the
rapid current Of the music.
Nine. Ncmpcl. Ike Nine. Totraz-
2ini ton years ago, introduced Sir Ju-
lius Benedict's "Carnival Of Ncnice,'
hut the pyrctcchnics were sputtcring
pinwhccs compared with tho gay tunes
which arc proper to .hc score We
doubt if the intcrpolated piece was Il
fair excuse for tho eXcision of the
underplot in tho comedy which deals
with the love affair Of Count Del Fiore
and Lisetta, the ward Of Don Astru-
bale. That episode was dropped from
the opera decades ago, but we did use
TO hear the pretty roman2a which the
Count sang through without obvious
proYocation.
Signor Gatti has dressed tho opera
more sumptuously than his predoccs-
sors were wont to do, but the dramatic
point in the eubterrancan scene was
not brought out in the spectacle. In
the vault 10 which he is transported in
Il dream the cobbler becomes proud and
arrogant because Of the success which
the tairy bestowed upon him. discovers
that bis lamp of life is burning low
while that Of his wrong wife blazcs
brightly He asks that some of the oil of
Annctta's lamp be poured into his
own, whcrcupon the fairy reveals her
self as Death and tells him Of his ap-
rroaching dissolution. This brings
him to his knees and forces out Of him
the petition that he might once again
look upon his wife and children. He
wakens from his dream rcpentant and