New-York tribune., 1920-02-29
Reflections on the
Chicago Opera Season
And Cigars Variations

26, endured FIVE weeks Within this
period there were thirty-eight evening
and afternoon representations and in
them thirty-two operas and two ballets
received total of forty-four perform
ances, the list including one triple
and few double bills. The list may
| be set down for the sake Of the rec
ord, though with it there might go
the announcement that the operas were
more remarkable for their number than
the performances we're TOR their ex-
| cellence. This was the repertory in
the order of production: "L'Amore del
ire Re" (three times); "Pelleas ct Nell
sande," "L'Heure espagnole" (twice),
"Pagltacci" (twice), Madame Chrysan-
theme." Grip Van Winkle." Gun Ballo
in Maschera" (twice), "Madama But
teriy." ia Traviata." Norma" (twice),
lie Jongleur de Notre Dame," "La
Sonnambula," "Falstaff," Louise"
LA Boheme." "Thals," Lucia di Lam
mermoor," I'll Tabarro," "Suor An
gelica," "Gianni Schicchi," "L'Elisir
d'Amore," "Herodiade," "Hamlet"
(twice) Don Pasquale," "Boudour'
ballet, twice., "Dinorah," "Rigoletto"
(twice). "Cavalleria rustcana," Car
men," "The Birthday of the Infantan
(ballet), III Barbiere di Siviglia," sI4a
Gloconda," "Aphrodite" and "AIda"
Four New Operas Produced
The promises made In the prospectus
by Cleofonte Campanini. director, who
dled before the company came to New
YORK, respecting the production of nov
elites were not kept to the letter.
Slgnor Montemezzi's new opera, ia
Nave to witness and direct the pro-
ductlon of which the composer came to
America, was found to be a failure on
It's performance in Chicago and was
abandoned. To the admirers Of Monte
mezzi's "L'Amore del tre Re-" which
| has held its place in the repertory of
the Metropolitan Opera House since
1914 (save for an interregnum of three
representative of the heroine in the
ccmpany), this was disappointment.
There also was somewhat vague
promise OF an opera entitled "Jac-
querie," by Signor Marinuzzi. who
made favorable impression as con-
ductor. but the failure to produce it
seemed to excite no comment. The new
operas heard were Messengers "Ma-
dame Chrysantheme." Ravel's "L'Heure
/ eespagnole," the late Reginald De
Koven's rip Van Winkle" and Camille
Erlanger's "Aphrodite." Concerning
the last Of these we have spoken so re-
Gently that it would be waste Of time
to add to the discussion. Its presenta
ton was little less than disgrace to
the company and left stencil in the
ncstrlls OF every lover of the lyric
drama. The righteousness of Ravel's
little opera boutfo, If it could be pal
mated at all. was atoned for by the
sparkling humor and ingenuity of it's
music; but its place in the scheme of
All organization like that of the Chi
cago company (or like that of such
company as this ought to be) is ques-
tionable, to say the least. 1t is said
that the public protested against its
barefaced salaciousness in Paris, where
even "Aphrodite" was accepted. But
perhaps there was less bestiality and
mere beauty in the performances of Err
langer's work at the Opera Conioue
than at the Lexington Theater. En-
pectations and hopes that Grip Win
W'nkle" might prove a durable contri-
button to English opera were grievous
ly disappointed. We fancy it might be
fitted for the operetta stage and there
till purpose for while at least.
The writer's assertion that the mys
terry which Sir Edward Elgar thought
he had buried in his Theme and Vari-
ations" to which he gave the sub
title Enigma had been solved by the
discovery that the unheard super-theme
OF the composition was the motto