The New York herald., 1922-03-25

some other of it Is carried forward on
the steps and amid the draperies which
connect the Metropolitan stage with that
of Mozart
Trayesty on Manners.
But whatever disillusionmcnt may
come from this confession of make be-
lieve is easily forgiven for the sake of
the charming effect given to the rest Of
the action by the use or the small stage
and By the scale OF perfect adaptation
on which Mr. Urban has planned the
hanSings the scenes and the accessories.
The whole of each picture presented to
the eye Of the spectator is engaging, and
since the Old fashioned artficiality Of
the story and the action cannont be dis
guised the comedy. which il IN effect a
polite. though somewhat bold travesty
of manners proceeds without loss OF
character or entertaining quality.
In this capricious world Of artifica and
over elaborate manners Nine. Easton as
Fiordiii0i moves with ease and conf
dence. accompanied by Miss Peralta.
whose Dorabelid will raise her in the es-
TEEN of thoughtful observers. Miss Bori
impersonates the forward maid. She Il
not yet entirely certain in her drawing
of the outline of the character nor in
her painting OF all its lights and shad-
ows but she is charming. as she has
never faile,l to b. and in the scene of
the disguised notary she displays skill
III tone colorirg and impersonation Of
which perhaps her fondest admirers had
not suspected her.
MIR Gatti-Casazza was fortunate In
having in lis company three such
capable men as Mr.. de LucN. Mr.. Didur
and Mr.. Meadcr. Tho first OF these three
has not now u demonstrate MS ability
as an actor or 4 singer. but the Mozart
requirements arc special Mr.. de f-uca
met them triumphantly Mr.. Meader.
who has in sorg recitals proved HIM
self to be a competent interpreter of the
classics. was generally successful ~
Fernando. the adcrer Of Dordbclln.
Mr.. Didur had d corgenial role IN Don
Alfonso. and his impersonation had unc-
tion and pronounced Individuality The
general musical treatment Of the opera
was elastic and vivacious Mr.. Bodanzky
had his heart in the thing and doubt
less it was due TO him that there was
so close an approach TO homo6eneity Of
style. The orchestra sounded somewhat
too ponderous al times. but il would
be difficult indeed 70 reduce il 10 the
proportions suitable 10 the score and al
the same time make ii sound potent IN
the metropolitan opera HOUSE.
Uses the Original Music.
AT this moment the opera itself must
be discussed swiftly and inadcquately
The libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte who
at the time OF its making was court
poet at Vienna, Is rather sorry stuff
Mozart was commissioned by the En-
peror to write the score and received
the libretto from the imperial hand
or the many later attempts to turn
this book into something really human
and dramatically cohesive nothing need
now be said. Mozart's music has had
numerous libretti The metropolitan n
ses the original. but there are fire.
quent cuts In text and music.
The business OF betting on the con-
stancy Of two betrothed women nnu
setting out to prove IL by pretending
TO go off to war and Immediately re-
turning In disguise TO lay siege 70 the
tender hearts Is wholly without illu-
sion. You must accept the premises
with infantile simplicity of mind be-
fore you can begin to enjoy the con-
ventional comedy At the Metropolitan
some of the action Is marred by over
emphasis IT was not necessary 10
make the pretended phials OF poison
the size OF champagne bottles nor 70
label them with skulls and cross bones
designed to be visible in the top gallery.
The success OF the performance IS that
IL hesitates on the safe side OF buf-
foonery. which might easily be admitted
by Da ponte's nonsenscal book The
beauty of this work Is 20 be sought IN
Mozarts extraordinary music. And
here also the operagoer must put him-
self in the right frame OF mind BY
deliberately sacrificing all expectation
sfa., to-. Sc 10
skill in characterization which glorifies
the score OF Don Giovanni There Is
no psychological material in "Cosi fan
lutte" for great musical expression.
The people are farcical puppets, the
emotions are shallow. the moods are
monotonous. Therefore Mozart was
thrown back upon the necessity Of en-
phasizing every point in the text rather
than attempting to make broad utter
ances OF underlying feeling.
Ills recltatives are In the old fashioned
italian style with harpsicord support.
They are generally conventional. though
the composer sometimes develops fresh
ness OF character by the employment Of
two voices in simultaneous recitative.
The trios, duets and ensembles arc
saturated with the Mozartian spirit and
here indeed we receive In its fun meas
IRE the readiness OF his invention and
the opulence Of his musical fancy For
instance. In tho very beginning or the
opera the men sing three terzetta ID
succession and yet Mozart has almost
bewildered MS with the variety ~ his
uttsrances.
Disclose straits Of Mozart.
The arias disclose convincingly the
straits to which Mozart was driven IN
his attempt to breathe vitality into the
book and the manner In which he sought
20 surmount his obstacles by the apt em-
ployment of musical device. FiordiHoi
Is the moro stable character OF the two
sisters. DordJoHd the more volatile.
Tho latter publishes her personality in
the air. "Smanic impacabile" and Flor
diIi0i makes herself more clearly known
in the air Come scoglic immoto rcsta."
bravura air In contrasting movements