New-York tribune., 1922-05-14

sist their desire to, as they hoped
wound the feelings of the reviewer
For seeking to preserve the respect of
their acquaintances by conccalinc their
identity they are entitled to this praise
which VIC give them. But why did they
/ ignore the obvious, and we think justi-
fable. criticism Of the popular and man
agerial attitude toward opera as a
cultural form of art?
Critics Critic Provided
With Evidence
The Metropolitan season came to an
end and as usual was reviewed in The
Tribune by this writer, who spoke in
necessarily hurried manner of two of
It's lncldents-the death Of Caruso and
the resignation of Miss Farrar. On the
latter point, after saying that other
artists greater or equally great had
gone from our opera without creating
an irreparablc loss, we observed: "She
(Mlss Farrar) leaves behind her a rec
ord of which all lovers of opera may
we'll be proud, but also one which has
its deploraole features. Those who
appreciate most intelligently and keen
ly what her good instincts and fine
talents prompted her to do in such
operas as 'Konigskinder' and 'Madama
Butterfly will regret that other
2romptings led her to do what she
did long ago in Romeo ct Julictte,
Faust That's and more recently in
lara Some Of them, while inclined
TO forgive, will find it hard to forget
her utterances in Berlin when Germany
proyohed the war, which has all but
left the civilized world in ruins"
There we're also few observations on
the possible promptings to her step in
the TACT that new singer had been
successful in q role of which she had
nc1cr enjoyed a monopoly.
This cs7led out only one letter. It
was signed and signature and address
were obviously genuine. Moreover. il
vas written by man, but it was ad-
dressed TO the writer personally and
not to the editor OF The Tribune. Pur-
SUNG our custom we wrote to the
writer and asked him whether it was
intended for The Tribune's reviewer
as such or was merely an ATTEMPT to
be personally insulting. There came
no reply. After ten days or a fort
night we wrote again, with the same
result Obviously our letters had
reached their destination, for they were
not returned. Having indicated that
we now felt JUSTICE in making the
letter public, we 20 so. But the
author h"s made himself personally
negli@i and we use his letter simply
because it affords an opportunity to
explain the points on which the writer
and possibly a few others of his in
teilectual caliber may be in the dark.
or inspired by like sentiments of per
sonal animosity and narrow minded
ness:
"April %.
"Mr. II. f. Krehbel,
New ork IrlDune.
Slr: 1t seems rather a shame that
a large newspaper with an intelligent
4o!lo"ing should print the personal
spleen Of people employed By it to
.criticize' music and the other ar.e.
Your resume of the opera season has
no particular value, but it becomes
something offensive when it contains
a paragraph like the one about Miss
Farrar's career at the METROPOLITAN.
Only a dotard would have unearthed
at tins particular moment her sup
posed utterances in Germany at the
outbreak Of the European war. You
mention the deplorable things in her
career. Essaying new roles and fail
considered by you as something dcplor-
able Which of the imports at the
metropolitan is capable OF sustaining
a career Of sixteen years therc in
principal roles. Your young Austrian
artist, par example? Your placing this
young Austrian in juxtaposition to the
old, faded. retiring, discontented Amer
lcan woman is ludicrous in the cx-
IRENE. | have an English friend, now
IN Cape Town because of his physical
condition. and teaching voice there. who
sang with said Austrian prodigy in
Vienna between fifteen and sixteen
years ago, and he recently expressed
the greatest surprise and amusement
over her being TIE debutante wonder
OF this season.
"Your old line of criticism has been
the comparing Of every singer of our
day with the truly great OF sixty or
seventy years ago. Since few are old
enough to dispute the talent Of the
stars of three or five generations back,
this brand OF criticism has got bv as
something very knowing. and there are
.l2ny gullibie souls who cordially dis
like everything contemporaneous be-
cause you tell them how bad it all is.
How sad, indeed. you could not have
passed On with the imln ortas you so
we'll remem Der,
Miss Farrar and the rest Of the
poor multitude you so ru5a1essly fin-
sh with your acidulous pen should. |
indeed, bow their heads in abiect shame
over the measerness Of their attain
nents when considered in the light Of
III you have done in your very long
ifetime. That is. OF course, I take It !
or granted you are un savant supreme, |
md that you have scores of truly great /
'chlcvcments TO your everlasting
redit. To estop disrespectful Young i
people from wasting their time and |
ours In this mannsr wish you would !