The Washington times., 1925-11-17
Ia TOSCA' HAS.
EXCELLENT
CAST
Washington Opera Company
Scores in Opening Audi
torium Performance
BY JESSIE MacBRIDE

The washington Opera Company
last evening presented an entirely
professional cast Of guest" stars
OF international repute - with one
exception-in a most excellent per.
Torrance OF Puccini's opera La
Tosoca.' = The exception was the
small off-stageN bit sung very, beau
] tifully by ,Thelma Smith, Wash.
/ ington contralto, with also the
chorus Of the first act composed Of
| singers OF the company who formed
into rich church pageant atssthc
close OF this act.
Star, Praised
washington saw and heard one sof
the loveliest "F'Ioria Toscasa that
have come to us. Like Giannini..
/ EIda Vettor is italian though She
came to this country when q child.
Youth, beauty, unusual histriOntc
art and d voice as fresh as the
velvet on q rose in springtifne, Is
the art Of this young singer whom
| yesterday we knew. as 81 debutante
/ In the 2open-air st. Louis opera.
but now we proclaim one Of the
worlds great artists.
Ulysses Lappas, Greek tenor, ~
Mario; Ivan Ivantzoff, Russian
artist. who has made friends before
with this company, a. Scarpia;
George Chesl1anovslky, Giuseppe La
Puma and Joseph Cavadore com.
| pleted the cast that E,douard Albion
assembled for this first opera Of
the season. Again Jacques SamOs-
soud, Russian conductor, was difec-
tor OF an orchestra composed Of
| leading musicians OF the city who
gave the score well.
i And the opera bore all the traces
Of the seasoned interpreters Of the
roles. It was enjoyed by large
audience. It was also very well
/ staged and costumed.
i The drama Of this great play, as
4 well as opera, was given with q
/ vitality and contrast that WAS Inn
pressive. The singers, as actors,
were unusually fitted to their roles.
Wins Real Distinction
| Lappas as Mario won real ac-
claim for his big full-yoiced top
tenor notes. He essayed climax
after climax effectively. He Ii q
fine dramatic artist, though his
| middle voice and his last farewell
solo were lost in tenseness that
4 a
i The Scarpia Of Ivantzoff, too, had
1 dramatically, but this temperament
i aristocrat in his painting OF the
minister OF police.
La Puma was delightful old
/ Sacristan, his gay music being
given with real appreciation, and
i the tragic Angelotti was well sung
by Cheslianovslxy.
But to FlOria Tosca belonged the
real glory of the EVENING"
She is d Tosca Sardeu might
4 have coveted for his drama upon
4 which the opera is based. For the
dramatic portrait was responsive
to every mood, with an elegance
that BELTS the naughty prima, don.
ma, who IL softened by love and
then, who bestirs her woman wiies
and her cleverness to outwit the
| man whom she finally Stays in self.
defense in that gripping second act.
with beauty and without exaggera.
ton. Each half-spoken, half-sung
4 phrase was the test of her musical
speech, for here her color In the
| opera-drama was constant source
/ OF qualification. And she cOstumed
the role as exquisitely as she gave
1t.
So Tosca remains a rich contri-
button to Washington opera lovers,
4 though It has contributed little
i from the Washington Opera Com.
| pany itself. AS impressario, in
| this instance Mr.. Albion has
brought a group of artists to the
city who can and who did give US
good grand opera, which is what
the public evidently wants to judge
by their recalls and appreciation.
Samossoud was a secure and cap,
able conductor. 1