Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-19
n. Y. CRITIC SAYS
"COS| FAN lutte"
IS ABOVE AVERAGE
Company to Visit Great Falls
Has Its Final Rehearsal
in Metropolis.

The AI-American Light Opera COM
pany, headed by the celebrated prima
donna SOPRANO, Miss Irene Williams,
which will present Mozart's opera
eomique, 'Cosi Fan Tutte" ("Ths
School for Lovers") in English at the
Grand theater in Great Falls next
spring. had its final dress rehearsal in
New York city a few days ago. The
music critic OF the New York Tribune
says it is "a delightful, irresistibly
funny light opera that should please
all those who want something above
the average musical comedy"
The Tribuae's review follows:
Many speak of Mozart and Beetho-
ven in the same breath. but few, if
any, have compared Lorenzi da Ponte
and Mozart with Gilbert and Sullivan.
But those i~nseparable geniuses of light
opera were irresistibly suggested by
Cost Fan lutte In it's new English
version, reconstructed and with the
dialogue written by Fl. f. Krehbiel,
the form in which it is to be given by
the company directed by William Wade
Hinshaw on n 20 weeks tour from
coast to coast. The tour should be
highly successful. to judge by the dress
rehearsal held Wednesday afternoon
at the Princess theater. Mozart's nu-
sic aud a text in English-not libretto
English-made q delightful, irresisti-
bly, funny light opera that should please
all those who want something above
the average Musical comedy.
Many Humorous Situation
The general impression was one of
constant effervescence and movement.
with a continuous succession of good
tunes, as the plot vas briskly and log
ically developed. After all. ever with
the more elaborate trappings of the
performance at the Metropolitan, Cost
Fan lutte is the grand opera. Some
thing is lost il the plot can be gath
cred only from the printed libretto and
its development is concealed in reel
tativo secco.' There are several op-
eras, of course, in which the text is
better concealed in the decent rcticence
Of a foreign language, but Cost Fan
lutte is not one of these. The Eng
lish dialogue brought out a continuous
stream Of humorous situations and
witty exchanges, while in.the songs the
words tripped off the tongue as if they
had been those originally set. What
might be called the 'leit-motif' of the
story was obvious: Ills woman's ma
ture." There was also q discerned
gain in the more intimate atmosphere
of the smaller theater.
wednesdays performance was well
done, especially. from a vocal point of
view, by Irene Williams as Leonora
lFiordiligi in the Originally. with Phil
inc Falco "a her sister, Dorabella, aud
Lillian as the ably intriguing servant,
Despina.
Music and Words Fit
"The two lovers. Judson House and
Leo de Hierapolis. Ind q thoroughly
comic manner. amorous or mock-he-
roic. in contrast to Pierre Remington,
who, as Alfonso, their bachelor in
structor in the ways of ome was
the dryest of dry humorists. The sing
ing was very creditabie. for the music
is far from easy, with elaborate con-
certed numbers. part songs and "ns
four-part canon, all typical Mozart.
One wondered at the fertiliay with
which he could pour out good tunes:
Cost Fan Tutte' had enough for half
a dozen musical comedies. Stuart
Ross. seen through Il thing screen play
ing the piano in costume. represented
the orchestra. A piano. it is expected.
will be used for most OF the coming
performances, though an orcheSt~l
may be employed in the larger cities.
In either case the opera should be thor
oughly enjoyed. as it was at this re
hearsal. The story and action are hui
morous. the words and music fit each
other perfectly, and the latter, besides
being good music. is easily understood.