San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-19
By PIERRE V. r. KEY.

lAdl.t AhO hAAA ~
I. stantly apparent; the love Italians
bear for children and for opera. &c
where You will in this land Of sun
shine. and discover for yourself. SONG
seems TO be in the air one breathcs,
And there is constant evidence Of the
consideration Of the Italian for his
ieiiow man Tin those little matters OF
life which come w every hour III the
day.. Ii Is all very nOticeabl"
even the more busting Milan reflects
these latter qualities; III Florence and
Naples they prompt constant COM
ment. We still retain Il mental pic
ture of drive through the streets in
the poorer quarter of Naples. which
skirs the shore line of the beautiful
bay. The ruins of Pompeii lie only
a few miles beyond; Nesuvius smokes
steadily, seemingly. but a stones throw
away; Sorrento is not so far to the
south. The motor ear in which you
ride swerves ever 10 right and left
over the large blocks of stone with
which the streets are paved (when
they are paved. 4 fine dust is every
where, TO be kicked into the air by so
slight a cause as the feet of a brisk
walker. Carts-big. medium sized,
and small-roll slowly along with
their loads. donkey-drawn, most OF
them. On every side roam the chill
dren. They are in the streets, the
doorways of the tenements, and on
the sidewalks; and, with perhaps a
single exception in a thousand, all are
grimy.
But what children they are, Fine
little bodies (most of which the eye
can readily see), tan-coated, and
. many lovely little faces. How they
thrive! And how the men love them.
That You will see every minute or two
during the 50-mile drive TO Pompeii
and Sorrento: along the country road
ways no less than in Naples and the
villages through which one goes.
The Italians insist upon children
and opera, and. while the latter-in
summer tine-may not always be of
the best, il is 10 be found. We heard
= and saw one of the latter a few even
ings ago in an amphitheater scarcely
mile from what is left of the old Ro-
man Coliseum. The value of such per
.formances is open to question. An in
. ltIlbT OECltSll anu NubA u.s. III
cipals of the fourth rate class cannot
always suggest, even what opera mu-
sic is like when properly interpreted.
For, after all, there are Just two kinds
of opera. no matter what prices are
charged for seats: good opera and
bad.
Mentality in Art.
On this occasion-the opera was
Aida-Tcofilo de Angels conducted.
He is well routined. but in this in
stance he was too heavily handicap
ped by The resources Mt his command
to do much. Once he rebuked loud
ly an offending member of the orches-
ira for false entrance during the
singing Of the soprano aria. o Patria
Mia. Generally he found impossible
the task of keeping musicians and
singers together in ensembles.
The setting was picturesque. From
the amphitheater one saw the stage
picture against n background of dark
trees. An audience of perhaps TWEEN
ty-five thousand sat in parquct chairs.
and on cushions placed upon tiers of
solidly constructed benches. IT was
not discriminating assemblage !:
there was too much lily bestowed ap-
plause, and too little dis approval OF
what was downright bad.
One member of the cast. however.
. attracted attention. She is Sara Ce-
sar; and what n stunning dramatic So
prano voice. Often ii was snlendidly
produced, with n "high position Of
the tone. which brought into use all
the necessary resonance Of the he'd.
She served TO illustrate how essential
{, mentality is in art, for her lack of
restraint was responsible for her fail
IRE to reach the standard which other
wise might have been hers.
Emotionalism is imperative 70 an
opera principal, but it must be con-
b irolled. Nine. Cesar permitted her
temperament 10 run riot. She was
admirable in those ensembles in
which Aida figures; in the solos she
lacked the repose, the legato line. and
the smooth delivery that distinguish
an artist.
We could not refrain from compar-
ing. mentally, this representation of
Aida with the kind of opera Chicago's
Ravinia Park knows.
A Woman Impresaria.
Before leaving Rome we had long
chat with Nine. Emma Carelli, inpre-
saria of the Costanzi Theater. Nine.
Carelii was once a celebrated soprano !;
now she is regarded as one Of the
most capable directors Of opera in all
Italy. She admitted, as Director
Scandiani, of Milan's La Scala admit
ted-vand Lusardi and other authori-
ties, too-that great artists in Italy
are few. She also stated that foreign
singers are considered only after Ital.
Jams secure their opera contracts.
Nine. Carelli has presided over the
Costanzis destinies for many years.
Her husband is Walter Mocchi. who
directs the seasons at the Colon in
Buenos Aires. SO she is qualified TO
speak. She sat in her office the hot
afternoon we met her, with a huge
bull dog snoozing at her feet. Lusardi
has a pet cat, black and white ami
NAL that hops upon his desk when
he writes and rubs against the artist.
agent without rebuke. Nine. Carelli
glances, as she talks, at her canine
friend.
She is busy now on her plans for
the coming season. although il will
not begin until mid-Decembe- next
She was enthusiastic over two of her
principal artists: Mercedes Capsir. q
Spanish Tyre soprano, and Sigismondc
.Zalewski. Polish bass baritone. who
will sing Boris in Boris Godunuff
Nine. Carmen Melis, whom New York
ers heard when She was a member o
Oscar Hammerstein's Manhattan On
era COmpany. is 70 be the Snlnnne II