New-York tribune., 1921-12-02
Marie Jeritza,
As Tosca, Wins
!; !. Great Triumph
Viennese Arouses Audience
at Metropolitan to New
Heights of Acclaim With
Her Art in Puccini Opera
. Thousands Join inTribute
/. Dramatic and Musical Equip
nlent Of Newcomer Make
for Perfect Performance
By H. E. Krehbiel

The. persons who attended the per-
formance of "Tosca" at the Metropoli-
SS..san Opera House last night did not
merely see and hear drama-they
experienced tragedy. 1t was Nine.
Marie Pcritza's debut as Floria Tosca
1t began with an exhibition of curios-
.--ity. which on the part of the knowing
who had seen and heard the artist in
-"sDie tote Stadt," and therefore felt
Justified in a warmer feeling, was
mixed with keen interest, Many no
doubt, felt that new revelation was
ssSmpending. There were those who, de-
spite the shallowness of the character
in which she has hitherto appeared,
recognized that current of bot dra-
matte blood coursed Through the veins
ssof this newcomer from Vienna.
The revelation, of which there were
-forewarnings in the scenes with Ca
varadossi and Scarpia in the church,
came in the climax. 1t came like an
:. avalanche which swept thousands into
frenzied demonstration of enthusi
:. asns. We can not recall similar scene
in all the history of the opera house,
which has witnessed many great
~~artistic triumph. II was not applause;
1t was an emotional tumult; a tempest
Different from Predecessors
We have had a number of fine
= representatives of the Tosca of Puccini
- kindly with them sll-wth Ternina.
Esmes, Fremstad Farrar. Nine. Je-
= ritza's impersonation differed from
Them all. 1t was more than an EN-
e. bodiment of the operate heroine dra-
- matically and rsusically; it was an in
'carnaticn of woman far greater than
: the one conceived by the creators of
~ he opera. 1t was Illica, Giacosa and
Puccini, plus the soul of Sardou 1t
= was Sardou sublimated by the subtle
and powerful alchemy of music Pose
and gesture of infinite variety and
~ grace, vocal utterance of irresistible
eloquence, gave meanings to phrases Of
which perhaps neither dramatists nor
~ composer had dreamed. The line of
seemed to have beer eliminated, and
- the clogs which music places upon
action seemed non-eXistent. The en-
ss tire gamut of vocal color was played
upon to intensity the musical declama-
;. tion, yet there was no hint at studied
The emotional stimuli seemed
spontaneous, unvolitional; they came
= from within.
i Yet it was manifestation Of art,
of lofty conception of the province
of art, and a marvellous capacity to
embody that conception. The climax
=. of the second act did not come with
s, the vulgar killing of libertine it was
II reached When IoSca, perpleXed IN the
extreme, poured out her agony in
- heartbroken wall, which rose to pas
- sionatc supplication and ended in the
~ broken accents of despair.
Tragedy Inspires Singer
"vissi d'Arte" has generally been a
~. concert intermezzo, embarrassing to
the progress of the tragedy. 1t has
~~been sung so that the prima donna's
admirers might applaud it, might even
Pr demand a repetition. Last night it
was the despairing cxhalation Of a
= crushed heart, and on it the drama
= SCARED to its psychological height 1t
- was sung as Nine. Bernhardt might
have spoken it, yet it was song 1t
was dramatic song. like every word of
- dialogue which Nine. Jeritza uttered,
-. the song of an actress who was q
trained and gifted singer, OF singer
- inpelled by the spirit of a great
tragedienne.
It was small wonder that Signor
Scott felt the inspiration of such a
companion and revivified his always
superb -impersoration of Baron Scarpia
Gracefully, galiantly almost reveren-
italy. he made his homage to Nine.
Jeritza every time the torrental ap-
plausc summoned the pair before the
curtain
=. There was new tenor in the per-
formance, Signor Aureliano Fertile,
who made his debut as Cavaradossi.
s He was received with many signs of
. favor. More may be said of him when
> the occasion is more favorable