The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-14
BY w. J. HENDERSON.
r SOCRATES adviseth Demonicus

WucI ne Culilc " q elEduSo
city by all means to worship
The gods of the place."
This profoundly wise remark is to
be found in Mr.. Burtons delectable
composition entitled THE Anatomy of
Melancholy" To apply it appropriately
one must make note that the season
of opera at the Metropolitan Opera
House will begin tomorrow evening,
when Mr.. Caruso will impersonate the
Jew that Halevy drew. The rising of
the curtain on the opera season of
1920-21 will disclose the gods of this
strange city before whom the citizens
bow daily in pious alteration and at
whose shrines the strangers within
our gates will do we'll to deposit their
tributes to the extent of $40 each.
The first week of the season dis
closes the fact that Mr. GattiCasazza
intends to continue his laudable GUS
tom of producing novelties at matinees.
Some people object to 1t; but among
them certainly are not those who by
reason Of their trade have to write
more or less critical comment on the
productions. They joy in the prospect
of five or six hours Of evening In
which to ascertain whether they have
anything to say.
The first matinee Is to be devoted
10 a revival of Richard Wagner's
Tristan and Isolde" which will be
sung with English instead of the orig
final German text. Mr.. Gatti-Casazza
does not wish to venture into the field
of conjecture as some of the concert
singers do. Thus far no perceptible
evidence of objection to the singing of
German lieder with the original text
has been noted. Whether an entire
opera would in the end irritate the still
sensitive nerves of a patient public
is an open question, and the astute
impresario wisely evades the issue.
The writer of this column has asked
many persons how they felt in regard
TO the matter OF German, and the sum
of the responses indicates that Ameri-
can singers may sing what they please.
but that Germans would do well to
keep quiet. This information is pub
lished for the benefit of those whom
1t may concern.
Mr.. Gatti-Casazzas choice of Tristan
and Isolde" was probably prompted by
several considerations, but chiefly by
the fact that this is the most potent
of all Wagner's creations with this
public. But we may dwell with some
satisfaction on the equally indisputable
fact that it Is the least racial or ma
tional. The story is Irish. the incidents
universal the emotions elemental, the
whole conception freed from every con-
sideration of time, place and peoples.
When 1t Is given in English 1t should
cause us to forget its creation in
Teutonic land. The story certainly was
never conceived by a German, but was
accepted by Gottfried Won Strassbourg
after it had been created by other
masters. Beroul. an Engllshman, put
together the first scattered fragments
Of the legend in 1l5o. Later a German
named Eilhardt Won Oberge made a
very poor version. That on which Gott-
fried leaned was written by an Anglo
Norman, Thomas OF Brittany, about
1910 and was called "Tristram de
Leonois."
Interested in Singers Only.
However operagoers care nothing
whatever about such matters. They will
be interested in the singers. as they
elways are, and therefore. referring to
the numerous interviews before men,
toned we may feel assured that Eng
lish is the safest language for the i'm
personators of the hero and the heroine
TO be heard in on Saturday.
new opera called THE Polish Jew"
will be produced in the course of the
season Verdfs Don Carlos" win be
revived. Louise" will be introduced
into the Metropolitan repertoire. For
this much thanks. The opera ought to
have been there long ago. but It's belated
arrival will perhaps assure II a warmer
welcome. Why Miss Geraldine Farrar
did not devote her talents to the imper-
sonation of Charpentier's heroine several
seasons ago instead OF parading her in
ability to realize on the screen such per-
sonalities as that OF the heroine of 1.-THE
Riddle-Woman" (who can forget Ber-
tina KalischO must continue to be an
unanswerable' question.
There is little reason to doubt that
Miss Farrar will be an interesting Louise
albeit IN a manner radically different
from that OF Miss Mary Garden. The
real question for Mr.. Gatti-Casazza to
answer is. Who will be a satisfactory
J1tlenf Cruel fate will not condemn
Mr. Caruso to write the preface to his
sorrowful tale OF the mature julien. One
remembers Mr. Dalmores In this role
IL will not be easy to efface that memory
but doubtless Mr.. Harold or Mr.. Hack
EFT or even Mr.. Crimi will make the
gallant attempt.
Boito's "Mefistofele' is on the list.
The public has never fancied this ad-
mirable work. Not that people dislike IL.
but it's fortune resembles that of a GER
tain highly useful tenor who once be-
lonEed to the local opera company. When
he bewaied an enforced silence the i'm
presario Of the time said: You never
90 anything badly but when you sing
the audience always wishes II was some
one else"
given the audience wishes Il was Gou-
mods Faust" Audiences wished II even
when Chalapine went at the impersona-
ton OF the devil stripped to the waist
Which reminds us that on Friday even