Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-11

,YIN1E 0ne.week season OF Inc OnlcdBV
L Opera Association In Philadelphia,
which closed n week ago tonight, was
undoubtedly the finest thing OF Its kind |
that this city has ever known. not only
in the amazingly fine repertoire which
Miss Garden put on for the week, but
in the performances themselves.
A comparison Of the week Just closed
with the week Of the same opera az.
sociation three years ago under the
late Signor Cleofonte Campnnini
shows a number of interesting things.
In the first place the company itself is
stronger In q number of places, AMI
surprisingly in the work OF some
singers who were with the oreaniza.
tion then, but did even better work
this season. The orchestra is better
and the scenic effects are fully as good
IL not better than when the company
played mt the Academy Of Music. There
is, of course, no comparison In the mat
ter Of repertoire presented, for Miss
Garden gave the opera lovers Of Phila-
delphia a treat. which they. accustomed
to a surfeit of Verdi and Puccini, have
not had before in many years. If at all.
Three years ago the Chicago Com
pany gave Philadelphia its first oppor-
tunity OF hearing Nine. Cali -Curci In
opera, and she filed the house to the
doors on both occasions. But she sang
in Lucia" and "The Barber" two
operas which have been done almost to
death here. This year there was no
Cali -Curci, but there was also no
! "Iucia" or Barber Instead was a
list of operas which made every one
here addicted to that form Of indoor
snort desire to 20 every evening-and
n good many of them did go.
TT IS also worthy Of mention that
i Philadelphia fully appreciated the
list Of operas which the Chicago COM
pany gave by showing an attendance
for the week. which, all things consid.
cred, was large. The time when 1t suited
together nuspicious, but the New York
engagement had just closed and It was
the only practicable time which could
! be allotted to this city. Nevertheless.
the first week Of Lent In a city where
the denominations strictly observing
this period are unusually strong Is
not the best time that might be chosen
for an operate week.
In spite of this. the attendance was
GOOD. As might have been expected.
"Salome" was n sell-out and all the
other performances with the exception
Of '"rapnhaeuser' on the opening night,
were largely attended.
! Miss Garden appeared four times her
self, more than might fairly have been
expected in Il season of seven operas,
and AT least two Of them presented ex-
ceedingly trying roles. 1t is a tribute
70 her amazing ability and versa
tility that within. six days she was able
to assume such highly divergent roles
as Salome. the Juggler, Melisande and
Monna Wanna, each requiring a differ
ent dramatic atmosphere. and each por.
traying emotions OF as different ma
ture as it is possible to imagine.
MISS GARDEN is, probably the
IN greatest actress who ever graced
the operatic stage and she depicts also
the human emotions equally we'll, with
the possible exception Of humor, which.
50 far rs the writer remembers. she has
never attempted. But in the very
greatness Of her dramatic ability there
is more or less Of a disposition to
underestimate her vocal powers, as Is
apt to be the case with the lesser
talents of one who possesses superla
tive one.
It is true that Miss Garden was
not blessed with the natural voice of q
Pasta or q Melba: combination OF
: such q voice as this with the dramatic
genius which Is hers has never been
!, known in opera and probably never
will be. It would be too much to ex.
pect. But. II you will notice. the
quality of Miss Gardens voice and the
color which she uses in 1t always cx-
actly fit the dramatic situation which
she portrays so powerfully. For the In
tensity Of the emotional parts in which
she is Mt her best mere vocalization or
tonal beauty would be an anachronism
and the golden tones of Melba would
be utterly out of place, for example, in
the blood -curdlins finale of "Salome.
But. within certain tonal range,
Miss Garden is easily the greatest oper-
attic singer Of her day. and perhaps of
all time, because within this register
her voice is exceedingly fine, and she
can do with it whatever she pleases.
There have come about In the opera
certain changes in favor of drama
which have demanded that acting take
q place at least on level with singing.
This has resulted in n totally different
type Of operate stars, especially in the
sopranos.