New-York tribune., 1921-11-15

ically and splendidly supported by Mr..
Gigli, sang with fine dramatic fervor
and compelling eloquence.
There Is SO much warm, pulsating
NE blood in TIA Traviata' that It's
escenic outfit is to great degree mat
ter OF indifference to the lovers of it's
music. That music in it's great mo-
ments (there are such--supremely great
moments, to which generation
brought up on the modern music
dramas can still respond) can quicken
tho imagination and warm the emo
tlons 40 that even tawdry pictures
may seem glorified. Yet 1t was a
pleasure to see propriety and con-
sistency brought into the costuming Of
the people in the play.
Verdi Revised and Revived
Incongruities In this respect have
caused perplexity, IL not amusement,
since the beginning Of it's career The
desire of the authors to have 1t dressed
in the period of Dumas's drama "I.a
Dame aux Camelias" was partly re-
sponsible for it's failure when it was
first produced in 1863. Verdi, it would
appear, thought the fasco due to the
fact that the singers had not. under
stood his music. He rather rudelv told
for himself and his companions when
he offered them, but nevertheless con-
sented to costume the opera in the pc
rlod OF Louis XIV instead of that of
Louis Philippe when he revised and re-
vlved 1T. We imagine that from 1855,
WhSh New Workers first saw the opera,
TIL 1888, when we saw an attempt to
return to the original fashion for the
flrst time, the costumes of temps Louis
Quatorxe prevailed, though in all that
time the prima donna exercised the
privilege of dressing in the style of her
day regardless of what her companions
did.
We can recall an Alfredo in the
white waistcoat and swallowtail of the
latter part of the nineteenth century,
and a Germont pere in the breeches
and ruHles of a century earlier. But
as rule all our Violettas wore gowns
OF the latest cut, and we make no
doubt but that they exemplified the
feminine taste of their time down to
the mysteries of their robe de chansbrs.
Orderly and Harmonious
But there is nothing of this higgledy-
piggledy dressing in the new "Tray-
,ata' Here everything is orderly and
'armonious, as it ought to be, and the
RASS0i iSoAUc, beautiful ana
animated. OF course, Mr.. Urban had to
be allowed his extravagances of walls
and foliage in his depletion of Violet
ta's country place, but they did not
ootrude themselves sufficiently to de-
tract from the enjoyment of the play
and music.
Care had been given. also, to the
ballet, and if what Mr.. Gatti means by
ensemble is expressed in these out
ward things, he must be credited with
a successful achievement.
The musical honors of the evening
we're easily carried off by Nine. CALI
Curci and Mr.. Gigli, and only mention
for the sake of the record need be made
If the rest of the others in the cast.
which was as follows:
Violetta :.......-... Amelita Galli-Curct
(Her first appearance with the Metro
poitan Opera Company
: iora 6efVolSe Minnie Tgener
ttuiiiiA .-.'...'- Louise Berat
AiVeuo Beniamino Gigli
Georgia Germont- ...... Giuseppe de Luca
'Iastone -. '..-........ Angelo Bada
5arone Douphol. Milo Picco
MARQUIS ObiSny. Mario Laurenti
Or. Grenvli s.....-........ Paoio Ananian
Conductor. Roberto Moranzoni