The New York herald., 1921-10-02

Meanwhile there are indisputable
evidences of confusion in the public
mind. Wagnerian drama Is undoubt-
edly about to return to the American
stage, where it will be a welcome en-
rlchment Of the anaemic repertory
OF exhausted opera houses. 1t will also
furnish desirable opportunities to pro-
fessional commentators to "restudy"
the famous works in the light Of the
understanding Of the German soul be-
slowed upon us by the recent war.
"Alles! Alles!"
Allies weiss ich.
Allies .wird mir nun frei!"
So exclaims Bruennhade over the
bier of Siegfried. After horrible car
nival Of lying. cheating, sexual compli-
cations and murder she understands
everything. We may hope to follow
in her traces. We shall listen to the
dramas OF the. "ring" with a new in
terest. and we shall enjoy them none
the less because we no longer regard
them as sacred writings before which
we must prostrate ourselves to the
very earth.
The confusion Of the public mind
bearing upon this subject reveals it.
self in the undue Importance attached
TO the doings Of practically defunct
German singers and performers. There
is altogether too much talk about the
comings and goings and sayings of
certain persons who are artistically
dead and buried.
These people were bitter and de-
termined enemies Of our country. They
remained in the said country not for
its good, but to help the cause Of their
own. They are still here for the same
purpose. They should not be held
sacrosanct because they formerly sang
in Wagner dramas In the Metropolitan
Opera House. They will never sing
there again. and all the propaganda
being made for them at this time will
prove futile.
Turning from the sombre and sinister
aspect of operatic art as created and
Interpreted by the dark Teutons, one
may consider the blithesome attitude
of the Italians in the presence Of the
plangent proclamations of the San
Carlo group at the Manhattan Opera
House. OF course, artistic success
must continue to be measured In box
office terms and therefore let it not
only be recorded in black ink but
trumpeted from the house tops and
the four walls of the city that the box
Office in West Thirty-fourth street is
delirious with joy and tainted money.
The performance Of La Forza del
Destino" on the opening night drew a
large and rather too dignifled assem-
bly,. The audience seemed to be over
whelmed with consciousness OF It's
own identity. or possibly it was awed
by the uncommon display of it's own
evening dress. Mr.. Gallo should be-
ware Of evening dress. :, He should al
ways aim to make his opera seasons
safe for democracy.
The type of performance adored by
the San Carlo throngs suggests the
triumphant waving of the red flag
One cannot fail to recall those good
old Casino days when George Lederer
thrashed comic operas to success by
the simple process of whooping up
everything from the rising of the cur
tain to the falling thereof and when
the bass drum was the most influential
instrument in the orchestra.
Now too many OF these evening
dress people are likely to show weak
desires for such antiquated curiosities
as singing and orchestral finish. both
OF which are foreign to the taste and
temperament of a genuine, up to date
operatic infantryman. What he wishes
is vigor. speed, rush, take all the vocal
hills in high at forty per and never
never shift into second. If Mr.. Gallo
falls to polishing up his representa-
tons he will inevitably come to be
called "highbrow." and beyond that
can lie only "oblivious Lethe."
The Monday night performance of
"La Fora del Destino" was very calm
and almost diflnihed at times. Hope
returned on Tuesday evening when
more long sleeves and high necks and
rewer plate glass shirt fronts were on
exhibition. The opera, too was "Rigo-
letto," the ecstatic realm of art into
which contemporaneous opera lovers
OF the pedestrian poletariat love to
rush. The house rocked with applause
and after the second act the cheering
resernpied that Of political meeting
Wncn tilc CduulutlS tlllti
and the band plays Hail to the Chief"
No one seemed to be more astonished
than Miss Josephine Lucchese, the
soprano of the performance. She
smiled. of course, but there was that
ir ner eyes which said like the hero
Ines OF so many melodramas, what
have 1 done to deserve all this?" To
be sure the tenor and the .barytone
wsre among those present, but when
@ pretty girl prattles innocently about
the Caro- nome" and climbs up the
fire escape to her virtuous couch
carrying her flickering little candle
and her more flickering little trill, 1t
Is time to throb with sentiment and
burst into emotional spasms.
And then came Aida" which Maui
rico Grau tried so long to induce New
York opera 0oera IN Iike Thera is n