The New York herald., 1920-12-24
Not Impressive Musically. but
Ballet Is Attractive and
Staging Is Elaborate.

. "Don Carlos" a forgotten opera b.
Giuseppe Verdi. was revived a. the Met
ropolitan Opera House last evening with
the customary trappinrs o. scenery. COS
tune and ballet The work had not been
heard here within the memory 90 most
living opera goers. It has survived On
certain parts OF Europe but sc exist
ence has been OF the hand % mouth
type. II was first Performed on March
IL. 1867, at the Grand Opera, Paris. FOR
which 10 was composed Il was received
with some favor. but was not entirely
to the satisfaction OF Verdi. who rcwrote
some portions of the score IN isss.
Without doubt this revival win be tho
occasion OF many learned essays. and
history will be retold In microscopic de
tail. Since the opera going public OF
the present day in New York appears
| to be entirely devoid OF curiosity about
the origin and nature OF art works and
interested only In mediocre singers and
their mediocre doings. no more space
will be wasted here in grave cons!dera-
tions than the occasion imperatively de-
mands.
The libretto OF Don Carlos" was
made by Merry and Du Locle from the
drama by Schiller, a production OF the
poets immature mind. showing some
progress over his early and prcpostcrous
Robbers" but not constituting one o.
the props OF his fame. which rests
chiefly on "Wallenstein" and William
Tell"
The story has all the faults OF the
historical play. political wirepulling.
court intrigue, shadowy yet distracting
references to foreign complications and
the stilted manners and uttcrancc OF
stage royalties. 1t Is not without the
warning OF human passions essential 10
q tragic drama. but It is lamentably
artificial. after the manner OF the ro-
mantle tragedies Of the Schiller period.
Don Carlos I'm Love.
The agony arises from the fact that
after Don Carlos, heir to the Spanish
throne. has fallen in love with the
French princess. Elisabeth of Valios ca
good old operate dynasty). her father
decides to wed her TO his father. which
puts the young man in most unhappy
position. that OF loving HIS step-mother
and dishonoring his august parent
Don Cqrios would like to fly TO Flan-
ders to help the people OF that country
throw off the yoke Of an oppressor. but
his father will not let him go. The
opera is occupied with the successful
struggles of the unhappy lovers TO be-
|
the strutting old King, who sees infidel-
ity In every one. and even causes Rode
ri0o, his best friend, to be shot. The
dea ex machina of the plot is the Prin-
cess Hnl6oli, who loves Don Carlos in
vain, and thirsts for revenge on some
one. she does not much care who it is.
1t is a rielancholy tale. without any
moments Of relief. 1t begins In misery
and ends in ghost walking. It's action
is carried on through two long scenes in
semi-darkness. in sombre woodland and
funereal church. Not till the third scene
! is reached are the green lights turned
off. Even the injection Of a ballet in
consequential in every detail. eniivened
| chiefly by the graceful art of Miss
Rosina CALI and uplifted by the pres
ence Of lissome young women garbed as
oysters on the half SHELL does not dts
guise the moods of dar<ling jealousy and
| flaming hate which constitute the emo
tional scheme of the work. Only the
oysterettes seem happy
The music creates mere astonishment
Many ponderous commentaries on it
have been written. We have been
gravely informed that IL belongs TO
Verdrs transition period. that which
gave ,us also "Un Ballo in Maschera."
and that its pages contain many fore
| shadowings of that later aid more
glorious style which broke Unexpectedly
upoh the world in the vivid pages Of
Aida"
Prophetic Phrases Indistinct.
One must have an ger desire and a
! vivacious imagination TO discover the
| prophetic phrases. The historical facts
ought to suggest better conclusions.
After la Traviata." the last truly
great work In Nerdfs early manner. the
composer for years was engaged ia
intellectually and wanting wholly the
spark of inspiration.
He wished to break into the charmed
circle OF Paris. He wrote LES Vepres
Siciiennes," produced in the French
capital on June 13 1855. II was fail
ure Then he returned to the Italian
stage and wrote "Simon Boccanegra,"
produced in Venice in 1851, work
which had a good prologue and one
good scene. Then came 'Un Ballo" and
La Fora del Destino," preceding
Don Carlos" which was again an at
tack on the French citadel.
The style Of the Partisan grand opera
OF the time had been set by Rosslni who
In his William Tell" had made a desper-
ate attempt to reconcile the Italian
ioridlties OF his musical architecture
with the heavy lines and solid pedments
OF Spontini and Cherubini. The whole
OF this singular artistic ragout was dis
tasteful TO the Verdian palate. He tried
to digest 1t. but without good result The
music Of Don Carlos" Is strained and
unnatural. The giant in the robe of the
ordinary mortal Is muscle bound Worse
than that when Verdi in 1888 rewrote
the score he introduced a new element
into the amalgam. n faint trace Of the
influence OF Wagner
Indisputably the struggles of Verdi in
these various experiments ended in the
ultimate liberation Of his spirit In the
splendid utterances Of aida" He re-
turned TO the pure Italian manner with
a broader outlook and a finer vision and
gave us a masterpiece which lives be-
ca Use Il is triumphantly individual But
with that we need not now concern our
selves Tho music OF Don Carlos" is
our present affair and may be easily dis
missed.
Ponderous Recitntive.
There is altogether too much pom
| derous rhcitative There are too many