The New York herald., 1921-12-01
BY w. j. HENDERSON.


Massenet's snort opera la Navar-
raise" was revived at the Metropolitan
Opera House last evening after long
silence. It was produced in the game
theatre on December IL, 1895, when the
chief interpreter of its passions was
Nine Emma Calve, FOR whom the work
was written. Its career was very short,
and it was not heard again in this city
uEtil Oscar Hammerstein brought it for
ward at the Manhattan, April 10, 1907,
with Nine. Calve again as the heroine.
Three SUBSEQUENT performances took
place in the same season with Nine.
Gerville-Reache as the prima donna.
Mr.. Gatti-Casazza has introduced the
opera once moro to the local stage as a
medium for the art of Miss Geraldine
Farrar la Navarraise" may be re-
garded as a particularly timely propa-
ganda against great armaments, since it
contains considerable shooting and not
much music.
The tale may be briefly recounted.
anita and Ardquil love and wish to
marry. The youths father will not give
the consent necessary under the French
law. The girl pleads. The father i'm
poses an apparently impossible condi-
ton. She must have dot of 1000
douros.
Despairing, she overhears the Royalist
General offer fortune to any one who
will capture the Carlist chief. She leaps
at the chance and offers to get him for
the 1000 douros. She does to the camp
and murders the chief. returns and de-
mands her pay. Her lover, who is NOR
tally wounded, hears that she has been
In the Carlist chiefs tent and come back
with a lot of money. He charges her
with infdelity, dies and she goes mad.
AS for the music, it can be said with
out reservation that there is much ac-
ton in the work and what most people
will carry away with them is a recollec-
ton of chaDeeful stage pictures, move
ment and an atmosphere of gloom.
La Navarraise" is a melodrama
rather than opera. The incidents fol-
low one another too rapidly to permit
the clear development OF n musical mood.
In vague manner the composer creates
an Instrumental agitation in which the
low register of the orchestra stands for
misery and the bleat of the trumpets
for war.
Only twice does Massenet have oppor-
tunity TO expand moods in definite musi-
cal forms. When the hero and heroine
first meet there is a duet. Mon Sou
veni.. ia Protege,' which is true Mas
senot There Is a solo for ArcqWil,
'Vo,M. que Roster la Bas," and THE, too,
has ,usical beauty, and there is good,
but very short, trio.
Between the first and second scenes,
while the soldiers, through the magic
of the theatre, sleep eight hours in two
minutes, there Is an orchestral nocturne.
slight in texture but appropriate and
pretty. There is one merely incidental
song. "Jai Trois Maisons dams Madrid"
delivered by a character named Bfssfd-
wente, and chorus which has no organic
connection with the drama. The rest OF
the work is rapid. feverish movement
ending with the vision of demented
girl falling upon a dead mans body and
shrieking maniac laughter In his face.
However. these are feverish times and
audiences like their opera highly spiced.
"La Navarraise" had rapid fire sue
cess. Every one In front of the foot
lights seemed to be joyfully excited and
filled with admiration for Miss Farrar
as the triumphant occupant Of a ma
chine gun nest. The popular American
soprano achieved a genuine success in
her new role She was beautiful to see
in her humble black frock and her glo-
Iious blacl; hair. She looked like
vision among the rude soldiery. She
was in excellent voice and sang her
music with loveliness of tone and feel
Inc. In the coloring Of her voice she
ranged with facility from the softest
accents OF tenderness 10 ths sharpest
harshness OF insanity.
Doubtless 1t would have been easier
for her 20 Indicate the tempestuous
character of the girls passion had she
been more vociferous In some or her
uttera noes. but Miss Farrar this season
is making special efforts TO preserve
beauty of tone IN all situations, and Gil
admirers OF good singing will hope that
she will continue 20 do so. Dramatic
ally her Anita was consistent, well
Planned and theatrically effective That
it carried the audience with IL has AL
ready been noted. Mr.. Wolff conducted
the opera capably.
Giulio Criml gave n very good account