Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-03-09
OPERA LOUISE"
BRILLIANTLY GIVEN
eirs, Philadelphia Performance
by Metropolitan One OF the
Best It Has Ever Presented
TIE CAST

THE CAST
roulso..,...,..I..''''''''"nrviTiie roulso. "nrviiie Harrold
julien Leon Rothcr
rpS mother. ..,....'.'''''' ipaoio hnanian
rag pieIErr In me cast: Rafaelo Dia1 Mari"
Othcts :" uiordano Paltrinieri louis |
dNnselo vincenSo ReSchlsbl,Srt' Rsbort i.eonhardt,
gS%pllI2 oai.io Msl''fTiia sisn psiSsss % Mary Elis
pI%N,nrHIo GI Egencr, Flora Perrin Mary n.niin ne,,i
Marie Marie Tiffany Alice Miriam r,6Hs Nn" Cecil % Arden
Tnaio Right giuseppe SterSih'' Altar, volg
Eonductor ctor.................'''' 'N'oe'' "''"
with Geraldine Farrar heading up
cost which taxed oven the enormous
-ocol resources Of the metropolitan
orcro Co.. there being no fewer than
forty singing parts demanded by the
comnoscr, the company last evening gave
most brilliant performance OF Char
nsnticr's opera Louise" at the Arad-
amy Of Music, the first time that this
orcanization has ever presented the
work in Philadelphia.
Tho opcra is probably one Of the
rreatcst piccps Of ensemble ever writ
ion for il depends about equally upon
tbo development Of the somewhat socio-
tncicaI theme. tho acting Of the various
nprts both principal and subordinate,
tbc stage settings. which were exCep-
tionalIv fine. making Paris appear both
ss city Of beauty and OF terror. ana,
last the music. There is not a purely
singing" part in the opera, althougl,
tho role Of .Julnen comes closer to 1t
than any Of the other chief ones. one
npruliarity of the opera is the enormous
imnortonCe of the subordinate parts, any |
ann of which badly done would put the
effect Of the whole in danger. But TINS
"a ono Of the main sources of strength |
"f thc Metropolitan Opera Co.. for 1t
prt in these comparatively minor parts
q host Of singers capable Of taking H.
most any Of the principal parts on the
operate stage.
Miss Farrar. in the title role. has
frequently appeared here in far better
voice than she was last evening, as she
did not display her usual tiexibility OF
voice and the high notes in "Despuis lc
Jour-" the chief soprano song OF the
oppra. were plainly taken with some
effort. She did her best work of the
evening in the duet in the third act.
Her acting was powerful and convinc-
ing. as it always is, being especially fine
In tho strong closing scene. Mr.. Har-
roId also was evidently not in the best
Of vocal condition and seemed to lack |
topal mower in the climaXes.
Mr.. Rothier as the father and Miss
Bernt as the mother were superb rs to
voice. acting and above all in charac-
terizatiOn of the roles. Much of the |
success Of the opera depends upon tho
manner in which these two great parts |
are performed, and nothing better than
the presentations of Mr.. Rothicr and |
Miss Rerat could be asked.
OF the many minor parts. all were so
we'll done that it is difficult to select |
those especially we'll performed from so
many. But Mr.. Ananian in the sombcr |
role of the Rag Picker, Mr.. Diaz as the
King Of the Fools. Ellen Dalossy as
Irma and Mary Ellis both in the part of |
a street Arab and as the apprentice in |
the dreSsmaking establishment, were es-
peCially good
There are NOT many ensembles in |
LOUISE" but the one at the close of |
the third act. where the heroine is
crowned as the Muse of the Mont
msrtrc. was magnificent, the chorus
being enriched by many of the finest |
voices Of the Metropolitan which np-
peared in the cast. This was also one
Of the most gorgeous stage scenes which |
the company has ever presented here.
the costumes of the rcvelers, with the |
lighted city in the background, making |
magnificent picture. Miss Farrar
made the mistake which she has done
before in other operas Of overdressing
the part Louise" is story Of |
PariSan poverty, which is the main
cause Of the tragedy into which the |
opera resolves itself. but any of Miss
Farrars gowns after the first act |
would have kept the average PariSian
workiugmans family in comfort for
the remainder Of their lives, with a
roupl" Of Juliens thrown in. To any
one who remembers the plain shirt
waist and skirt in which Miss Garden |
dd IN" part years ago. the contrast |
was stirling. Miss Farrar's dresses
were more redolent of the Faubourg-
St. Germain than of the Montmartrc.
Mr., Wolf did one Of the best bits
Of conducting that any director has |
achieved for long time. Familiar
both with the atmosphere which the
music depicts, as well as with the score
ltSelf, he gave "A mastery reading. The
musi" is far more Partisan than Puc-
cini's 'Boheme" of I'll Tabarr0" and |
Mr. Wolff brought out its orchestral
CHARACTERISTICS with great skill, but |
never allowed the voices to be sub
merged.