The evening world., 1921-02-05
"JdcQuerie, "
By MGrinUzzi,
First Time Here
u Sylvester Rawling.

&c VACQUERlE," an opera in three
acts, the book by A. Donuudy
and the music by Gino Mari
nuzzi who conducted 1t himself, was
presented by the Chicago opera AS
ISOLATION at the Manhattan Opera
House last night, a first performance
in New York Mr. Marinuzzi was
acclaimed by the large audience at
every opportunity from the moment
he appeared in the orchestra pit until
several minutes after the final cur
tain, when he was on the stage. If
he we're not a sensible musician he
might have been persuaded that he
had created a great work, which he
hasn't. If some modern composer
should be inspired TO write q world
masterpiece, one wonders whether it
wouldn't be received in silence. Per-
haps a quarter OF al century after his
death the acclaim would come.
There is a subsidiary title to the
story. The Peasants Revolt" which
took place in France in the Four
teenth Century. It's a pity that the
author didn't pay more attention TO
that end of it, for one need not be a
prude to protest AGAINST the dour re-
voting tale OF the exercise OF the
Lord of the Nanors privilege to rob
his fiefs-a. particular one in this
case-of his nuptial rights. Gilda in
'Rigoletto" at least was in love with
the hbertine Duke. who had posed be-
fore her as an artist. But in JAG
querie" not only is the offense IN
speakable, but it is paraded without
palliatiou.
Mr.. Marinuzzi's music never rose
to a great height. The orchestral
score made a pleasing cushion upon
which the voices were sustained, and
it was not without some melodic
charm: but in the first act II tended
to boresOmeness; It did not buttress
the pageant Of the second act, with
its pomp and ceremony and countless
proclamations by trumpeters that,
after all, was a shallow spectacle, and
it missed what should have been the
wild delirium Of the revolt The
scenes were attractively set, without
much semblance of soudity, and the
final burning OF the castle was a
tame conhagratiou.
Yvonne Gall was Lsaura, the ill
fated maiden. She sang well through
out and in the telling of her tale OF
horror to her husband Mazurec, who
was Edward Johnson, and dying at
his feet, she was finely dramatic. Mr..
Johnson also sang with distinction.
He vowed after hearing Isaura's pitt
full disclosure to cease being The
Lamb" and become '"The Wolf" but
he didn't, because the librettist
wouldn't let him When his oppor-
tunity came for revenge upon Cor
RADIO, the overload. by subjecting
GloHlanda, COrrudo's bride, to the
treatment melted out to his own dead
wife, he meekly let her go her way
to safety. Carlo Galeffi, the father
OF Isaura, sang with sorority and
acted with fervor. The smaller prin-
cipal characters were in competent
hands.
"Rigoletto" at the Metropolitan
Opera House last night served to in
troduce a new Gilda in Cora Chase
an American girl, who made a dis
tinct impression upon a crowded
audience. Tall and good to look upon,
after her first nervousness had passed
off she disclosed a voice of quality
and gifts Of Interpretation that
should carry her far. Charles Hack
EFT. the American tenor. returned "a
the Duke improved in voice and, a!
always be is. graceful and at east
unon the stage DE TlIca was RipO-