The evening world., 1919-02-18
GaLLi-Curci
Holds Her Vogue;
TreUisan Scores
Bg SvlUester RdUling.
,~RIsPINo e LA CoMARE,"


was the Chicago Opera Com
pany's Offering at the Lexington The
atre last night. Because Amelita
Call Curci sang Annetta in the near
ly seventy years old work of the Ricci
brothers, the house was crowded, the
enthusiasm was unbounded, and for
the little lady who is credited with
being one OF the worlds greatest COL
orStura sopranos, there was an ova-
tion. She is the vogue. May she re-
tain 1t. She is worthy
only recently at the Metropolitan
Opera House Mr.. Gatti-Casazza re-
vved "The Cobbler and the Fairy
with an admirable cast, fine stage
setting, and a performance that won
public approval. Why should Mr..
Campanini, whose auivcrful of operas.
new and old, approaches the illimita-
BILE, invite comparisons? one Is
forced to recall the CCicCtable days OF
the consulship of Mr.. Conried st the
Metropolitan, and or MIR. Hammer
STEMS dictatorship at the Manhattan,
when Mr.. Henderson typified the rival
protagonists as Fafner and Fasolt.
The parallel doesn't hold. except vi
Cariously, because both Mr.. Conried
and Mr.. Hammerstein were OF Ger
man extraction, and Mr.. Gatt ana
MIR. Campanini are Italians. But. let
the new merry war wage. The pup
lie profits.
The consensus OF opinion among
the Italian group in last nights au-
oience was that Mr.. Canpantnfs 3
production was the superior in that
10 more nearly approached the spirit
Of the original buffo work In the
composers mind and reflected the
M nHNnrnriatinn Of tina time
IL was plebeian. os il should be, they
said. Vittorio Trevisan's impersona-
ton OF the Cobbler. that was purely
ccmic, excelled Scotti's. because the
latter's was too aristocratic. CALL
Curci's conception OF Annetta was
better than Frieda Honpcfs. they in
sisted, because she maintained all It's
artifciality, never approaching 10
anything humanely womanly. Friedi
Hempel was present and | talked with
her. but she neither volunteered nor
was | rude enough to ask what she
thought.
Scenically the Metropolitan pro-
duction was superior. Musically tho
Lexington presentation held the ad-
vantage, mainly because Mr. Cam
panini conducted. The maestro i'm
posed his masterful authority upon
all concerned, bringing to light every
detail of the score without dctracting
from the composition as a whole. He
Justly shared with the principal sing
ers in the curtain calls and won for
himself in the orchestra pit a splen-
did tribute to his efficiency.
The scene in the apotheCary's shor
was admirably done by Stracclari as
Fabrlzio, physician; Arimondi as
Mirabolano, the Apothecary. and
Trevisan as the Cobhler William
Rogerson made his debut as Count
del Fiore, disclosing all the charac-
teristics OF the present day Italian
voice. Nicolay was Asdrubalc, the
Mser: Maria Claessens was tho
Fairy, singing and acting well, and
Oliviero was Bortolo, the injured
Mason, whose cure by the Cobbler
thanks 20 the Fairy. started the fake
physician on his road TO fortune,
Frances Aida returned from con
cert tour TO tho Metropolitan Oper
Company's fold last night as Mimi, In
fine performance of La Boheme,
in which she maintained her artistry
SCOTT. who was Marcello, one OF IN,
characters in which ne il inimitable
sang his farewell for n month befor,
his annual trip TO Palm Beach. Mar
garet Romaine was Musetta, Grim
was Rodolpho, and Didur and De Sc
gurola were in the admirable cast
Mr., Papi conducting.
Serge Prokofieff the Russian com
poser-pianist. gave a recital at Aeo
\ Ian Hall yesterday afternoon. Hi
programme, all Russian, was large,
OF his own compositions that includcC
his fourth sonata, and ten piano
pieces visions Fugitifs." Besides III
played Tohaikovsky's sonata in {
His power and lucidity Were. a
ma rtrAA n yuh hn thnp
dered TO the limit of the pianos pos
sfbilitieS. He may try TO startle b.
tS,as means and by others: but his mu
steamship is unquestionable and hi
inventive faculty in composition some
thing TO be remembered and watched
Fernando Carpi. an Italian tenoI
who has been heard at the Metropoli
tan Opera House and with the Chi
caSo Opera Company. gave a rccita
AT Aeolian Hall last night in whiC
he disclosed unexpected qualities {
voice and Interpretation. Italian
French and English songs were o
his programme, all of which he eN
plotted with artistic taste lucid cN
preston. and clear cnunciation. Th
dream song from Massenet's "Manon
was the only operatiC aria ne offere,
His selections ran from old Pergoles
TO up-to- date Henry Il, Burlcigh, an
he gave pleasure TO an dppreciLtiv
audience.
Changes in the Chicago Oper
Company's bills at the Lexingto
Theatre this week include the subst
tuition OF "Werthcr" for III Trova
tore" tonight. Carmen" with Mar
Garden, instead OF Fedora" will /
sung on Friday night, In the pei
formance OF Bzets work the Andrea
Pavley and Serge Oukrainsky ball,
will take part.
Publicity agents, press agents the
were called not so long ago, usual
mood music editors with literature r,
counting the trumphs OF their prir
cipals IN oklahoma, or Toxic, or LoT