The New York herald., 1922-03-19

IldlNG COAlCdy VI ihti looO ihi hi5hSo
least uncongenial to Mozart's facile
mind. He was at work on the score
in 1889 and finished it in time to
have the first performance on Janu-
ary 26, 1890. According to the faith
full jain it was successful, though 1t
did not hold its place long in the
repertory. jain does not record a
high opinion of the libretto. In fact
he intimates that the great Da Ponte
had no originality, but merely dexter
ity in the treatment of his subject.
story Not of New Ideas.
His story is certainly not made of
new ideas. The title of the work in
extenso is "Cosi Fan Tutte Ossia la
Scuola degli Amanti. dramma giocosa
in due atti" Which. being translated
somewhat freely, means THUS every
thing goes. or the school for lovers;
joyous drama in two acts" "Cosi fan
lutte" is perhaps best accepted as an
equivalent to our Its the way of the
world"
The plot might have been taken
from "Boccaccio.' except for the fact
that it is somewhat more discreet than
the revelations OF that admirable Ital
ian. OF the thousand and one tales of
the tests of lovers constancy and mis-
tress's fidelity Da Ponte had his choice
OF incidents all the way from the ex-
periences of Jupiter to those OF Guido
Cavalcanti or Buffalmacco. His in
trigue would make a modern Broad
way dramatist blush for very shame
because of its badness; but 1t fur
nishes excellent food for opera buffa
music, and that is what Mozart re-
quired.
There are three women, one of
whom is tie clever maid so dear to
Mozart. There are two lovers and a
third man. who is the manipulation Of
the wires. The game is simple-on
the stage. Fiordihoi. a soprano lady,
and DordbeHd, also inhabiting the
treble clef. are betrotLed to Gu0lielnao,
barytone. and Fernando, tenor. Al
fonso, buffo, declines to believe the
ecstatic praises of the women by their
lovers and allows that in almost no
time he can make both angels unfaith-
ful.
With the help of the smart lady's
maid he gets the two lovers sent off
10 a fictitious war and instantly re-
turns in disguise to lay siege to TIE
women in the supposed absence OF
their lovers. The stage DISCUSSES are
OF course successful. but the first at
facks on the fair citadels are failures
But the subtle enemy does not aban-
don the siege. The lovers, disguised
as Albanians, take poison and fall in
convulsions. The doctor (the maid in
disguise) is summoned He makes
the women hold tie sufferers heads
The sufferers like it, rave in their
bliss. and try to kiss the women. They
are repulsed The maid and her en-
ployer prepare a new assault.
Heroine In Male Attire.
II would be tedious to carry the
reader through the remaining details.
1t Is worthy OF mention, however. that
Fiordiligi dons uniform and prepares
10 follow her lover to the wars. How
strange 1t must be to behold a comic
opera heroine in male attire! Indeed,
there is nothing new under the grid
iron. About the music little need be
said till after the performance. But
about Mr.. Gatti-C Casazza's venture
some spiri. something should be said
The Metropolitan is a devouring in
stitution. II is not well suited to the
performance OF comedy OF intrigue
in which shades Of expression arc Of
so much significance. In Munich
"Cosi Fan Tutte" used TO be given in
the Residenz Theater, which is about
the size of the Little Theater in West
Forty fourth street. When the work
was done there. with Felix Motif con
Quoting an orchestra Of about thirty
five players. and with all the advan-
tages of the revolving stage, To say