The New York herald., 1921-10-07
Gali-Curci to
Open the Opera
in "La Trapiata"
Gatti-C Casazza Gets Coloratura
for Early Season, Owing
to Carus0's Death.

Nine. Amelita GaIli-Curci will make
her first appearance in the Metropolitan
Opera House as a member of the Metro
politan Opera Company at the seasons
opening performance OF La Traviata"
on November IA with Beniamino Gigli,
one of the newer Of the Metropolitan
tenors. and Giuseppe de Luca as her
costars In a presentation Of Verdf's
opera that is to have a completely new
nise-en-scene by Joseph Urban. This
announcement was the most significant
of many made yesterday by Mr. Giulio
Gatti-Casazza, the general manager OF
the opera company. in an outline OF
the coming season at Broadway and
Fortieth street.
In Mr.. Gatti-Casazza original plans
Nine. Galli-Curci was not to have sung
until the latter part of the winter Be
cause of the rearrangenent Of the sea-
son In the Metropolitan. made necessary
by the death of Enrico Caruso. who for
many years was the star Of the pre-
miere, the noted soprano will sing for
about six weeks from the opening into
December and then after an interval Of
rest, she will be heard again in January
and February. Roberto Moranzoni will
conduct the opening performance, which
will be prepared with all the care
usually bestowed by Mr. Gatti- Casazza
upon a novelty.
Negotiating With ChnIiapine.
Mr.. Gatti-Casazza also announced
that he is in negotiation with Chaliapine,
THE Russian basso, who was heard In
the Metropolitan years ago. I'VE ex-
pect to come to a favorable conclusion"
he added. The basso has been In Lon
don since he left Moscow. where he
was director of opera under the Boil
shevik Government. If he should sue
ceed In reaching America he may be
heard in the Barber of Seville" "Mefis-
tofele." Boris Gudonoff" and Don
Carlos"
The other announcements Of the gem
eral manager We're mainly ampliflca-
tlons OF the outline Of the coming sea-
son he gave just before he started for
Europe. The chief novelties, aside from
the new production of La Traviata,"
are to be Die Tote Stadt," by E. Korn-
gold, the youthful Austrian composer !:
La Navarraise," "Ernani." lie Rois
DYs." by Lalo, and die walkure."
MIR. Gatti-Casazza attended per-
formance of Die Tote Stadt" in Vienna
and described i: as "a most difficult
opera, strong but melodic. realistic and
fantastic" 1t will be sung in German
during the second week OF the season,
with Nine Marie Jeritza and Johannes
Sembach as the principal interpreters.
Artur Bodanzky will conduct.
Miss Geraldine Farrar will sing the
title role in the revived La Navarraise,"
which will be given in the third or
fourth week Of the season. The next
novelty to be given will be "Ernani,"
with Giovanni Martinelli in the title role
and Titta Ruffo in the part of Charles v.
Mime. Frances Aida and Mr.. Gigli will
be heard In lie Rois DYs"
Other novelties new to New York to
follow will be "Snegourotchjka," by
Rinlsky Korsakoff, to come in January,
and "Cosi Fan Tutte." by Mozart, and
''Loreley.' by Alfredo Catalani. which
will come with the later. weeks Of the
season and which has not been heard in
the Metropolitan.
Die Walkure," Tristan and Isolde"
'and die Tote Stadt" will be sung in
German and ''Lohengrin" and "Parsifar'
in English
"Pub1ic Opinion Must Decide"
Az to the passing OF Caruso. Mr..
Gatti-Casazza said:
"As it is still being insisted from some
sources that say something regarding
tho succession to Caruso. I can only
repeat what already said, and that is
that there are but two elements, public
opinion and time, which can decide. who
win be the successor or successors to
the great artist" And then ne added
THE modern theatre has ceased to be a
theatre of stars, but theatre Of tout
ensemble. What we aim at Is per-
fectly rounded production"
AS to the future of the operas in
which Caruso had been prominently
identified he said:
There are some that have already
been sung by other tenors. Others will
he omitted for the time being ITO leave
room for the presentation of new
operas"
While Mr.. Gatti-Casazza did not COM
NIT himself. his interviewers took 1t for
granted that lie Prophetic" La Juive"
and Samson and Dalila" will be omitted
from this seasons repertoire.
In addition to new members of the
Metropolitan previously announced. Miss
Suzanne Keener has been added to the
list of American sopranos and Aure1iano
Fertile, tenor. from La Scala in Milan.
Finally Mr.. Gatti-Casazza said with
evidence of much pleasure that the sub
scription for this year s equal to that
OF last The few remaining seats avail
able will be allotted during the week
OF October II.
Mr. Gatti-Casazza brought back the
Interesting Information that Giordano is
composing an opera based upon Sem
Benefits THE Jest: that Montcmezzl
is at work on an opera inspired by the
story of Paul and Virginia and that
Zandonai is composing Romeo and
juliet opera. These will not. reach the
public for about two years.
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