The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-02-05
CHICAGO COMPANY PRODUCES
CONDUCTOR MARINUZZPS OPERA
'Jacquerie" Has First Per-
Torrance at Manhattan and
Agreeable Reception.

Hldriuu1zi' was performed py tne Iii
cago Opera Company at the Manhattan
Opera House last evening for the first
time in this city. Mr.. Marinuzzi Is prin-
cipal conductor of the company. For
brief period he writhed uneasily on the
throne or state. now more gracefully oc-
cupied by Miss Mary Garden. Mr.
Marinuzzis opera was produced in Chi
cago in the course of this season and
received with those acclamations which
hall every act of the opera company In
its home town. Whether New York will
discover as much in the work to admire
may reasonably be doubted.
Mr.. Donauty. who prepared the Ii
bretto Of this lyric drama. found mate
rails to his taste in an uprising of
peasants. as the title informs u.s. But
behind this revolt of rustics lies a most
unpleasant history. 1t has already
been noted that there Is some resem-
blance between the motive of the drama
and that of Marta of the Lowlands."
but the likeness is only slight Mr.. Do
nauty has resurrected for his purpose
particularly offensive feudal right and
| upon its exercise has striven to rear a
| tragedy of emotions.
| MdSurek and IsdurG are married. but
| the feudal despot claims his right to
the first embraces of the bride. The
husband makes a frantic appeal to the
lord when that estimabe despot returns
from visiting his flnacee. The appeal
might be successful were IL not that
note of threat is permitted to sound in
1t whereupon the lord declares that he
| will insist IInon his claim,
| Has Unhappy Heroine.
So far the play moves tolerably well.
But in the second act the observant thea
tregoer will surely begin to ask ques-
| TONS If all these people were trained
| from childhood to recognize this feudal
right, then why such a tempest? The
unhappy IsdurG becomes quite demented
and wildly beseeches Mdsureh to protect
her from the destroyer whose work is
already done. The experience through
which she has passed has robbed her of
her reason and presently she falls dead.
Naturally Magurek vows vengeance One
/ would suppose from witnessing a per-
formance of this work that this was the
only time in all the middle ages or in
the neighborhood of Nointel that this
brutal violation of marriage sanctities
had taken place.
! I1oWeNer, III tnlS same second act are
other exhibitions of feudal tyranny in
the collection of the tributes due the
lord. In the third act the "jacouerie"
! (uprisng of peasants) takes place. The
rustics assault the castle and set it
afire. William, the father of Isaurn
drags forth Giortdftdd, the bride of the
feudal lord, and hands her over to
MdSurek. the unhappy husband He
| finally embraces and kisses her. but she
begs for pity. Mdgureb suddenly pictures
Isdura in the same plight. He 4: over
come and liberates GIoriandn. Here at
least we have human and genuinely
dramatic touch.
The materials of the libretto, DESPITE
their unpleasant character are not I'M
suited TO musical treatment, but 1t is un-
fortunate that there Is not more oppor-
| tunity for contrast of moods. The agony
| begins almost the moment the curtain
rises, and from that time on the COM
poser is compelled to sing misery, de-
spair and rage. Mr.. Marinuzzi is
young opera conductor, but he has had
considerable experience. He has oi-
rected many performances and is ia
miliar with the scores of numerous
operas. We might therefore expect
from him something in the nature Of
conductors opera, score fashioned OF
we'll tried patterns and put together with
skill.
Performance Has Merit.
Something OF this sort is indeed the
result. but Mr.. Marinuzzi has succeeded
in imparting 10 his work a melodic
flavor which is not palpably a borrowed
one, but seems at first hearing to have
a certain quality of its own. Prepara-
tion for an adequate review OF this new
work was not possible, and all that can
be offered to-day is a very sietchy inn
| preston of 4 work worthy apparently
of more serious consideration. Mr.. Mari
nuzzi's score, il neither strikingly origi-
nal nor eloquent. has some excellent
pages. some vigorous defamation. some
admirable ensemble writing, and some
/ good orchestration. The duet in the sec
ond act is very dramatic. What the
score seems to lack Is the vital melodic
note which is the keystone OF true
opera. But more than one hearing is
needed TO give a definite view of the
work
The performance was one OF respect
able merit. There are only three i'm
portant roles, william. who Is a his
torical personage by the way: Mdsurck
and Tsdrrd. Mr.. GaIefh made as much
as possible out Of the first OF these
Edward johnson sang very we'll indeed
as Mdsurek, and Miss Yvonne Gall as
Isdurd was equally praiseworthy. The
choruses were sung rather weakly, but
the orchestra played excellently. Mr..
Marinuzzi conducted his own opera and
received abundant applause from an
audience of moderate size.
Among those in the audience were
Mrs John Ames Mitchell, Miss Beth
Martin. Mr.. Ricardo Martin. Mrs. WILL
lam II. A. Stafford. Miss Fellowes Cor
don, Messrs Charles Hartman. Frederick
Phillips, Harrison G.. Rhodes. Purdon
Robinson. Rawlns L. Cottenet and
George whitley.