The Washington times., 1925-02-11
CHAL|AP n Is
At HEIGHTS
IN "B0R|S"
Two Russians Join Hands.
The Great Baritone Inter
prets Moussorgsky Score
By JESSIE MacBRIDE.


the Chicago Civic Opera last even
ing at the Washington Auditorium.
before large and brilliant audience.
ChaliapfT1, in his stupendous
dramatic role Of the Car of I'M
pertal Russia, makes OF it probably
the greatest towering portrait that
any stage may rise to-.
Yet the opera as q whole IS u
masterwork. Moussorgsky taxes
the resources OF q cast to the ut
most, demanding three tenors. two
great basses, solo voices Of excep.
ttonal ability, dramatic charActeriza-
ton that makes the drama as great
as the music. These the Chicago
Opera met most notably. with the
wonderfully beautiful score given
rarely by the orchestra under
Giorgio Polacco and a chorus that
was individually great in itself.
Pictures Old Russia.
Boris gives quick flashes Of
nationalistic Russia Of the sixteenth
century, from throne to vagabond-
age, The people are equally pOr-
trayed with this mighty musical
drama Of the persistence Of evil in
the soul OF q n1als, which is the
gripping relnorse OF the Car Boris
who has resorted to murder that
he might attain the throne and
whose conscience is his perpetual
torment
The glory Of Russia and the glory
Of Russia.s greatest singing. actor
might be the fun fresh gloria az
sung by the fine chorus as Boris
makes his imperious entrance. The
sweep of this majestic figure In
the opening pageantry Ii royal
elegance itself. He IL benign, while
he Is yet all-powerfui, as he
pauses to grant q royal blessing on
his march past the kneSIln9
populace.
The drama, which as based on
Pushkin's story, wanders afieId into
monastery where q pretendes TO
the throne, Gregory, Is found. On
to an inn, on the frontier, 1t picks
up the threads of the plot. They
tell separate dramas In incidents
that recall the incompatible art OF
the MOSCOW Art Theater.
Chaliapfn's Dramatic Hands!
But this mighty ChaIiapin!
We find him next intensely
human, a. man Of love and tender.
ness within the royal home. with
a son and a daughter to whom he
Is devoted.
The great artist as singer here, In
monologue, gives an epitome OF
tyrant whose heart has overthrow
him.
Such subtlety!
Such varying "Reminiscences in
voice and in amazing facial mean
ing to his thoughts.
Those hands Of C1aIiapin are az
dramatic as his face. They speak
a thought.
On to the final climax though
we pass q rare choral scene OF
sIIow-clad Russia--We find the
Duma seated In council In. the i'm
vivid coloring, rich in the gorgeous
trappings OF this age.
The Gar is mad! The, cunning
Prince Shuisiy, an also marvellous
portrait Of tricI1eIy and sung rare
1y by the tenor Jose Mojica, brings
the news behind which turks his
aspira tons for the throne.
Then that final great entrance OF
Boris!
Distraught, that mighty body in
imperial robes Of golden hue. sways
into the room bringing consterna.
ton with him. He filings out. IN
voice, his tragic frenzy. lie IL a
figure Of terror and Of love. In
that is one Of the greatest. con-
trasts Of this magic Boris.
Fear, in this masterful mania,
passes as the Car again ascends
his throne. An episode where he
summons the little CZarevltch and
exhorts him to rule wisely and well
is a masterpiece In dramatic con-
10 -
The whole inner turmoil Of his soul
is made vivid and alive, painted in
drama Of such glowing power that
safely may it be said no other may
assume the royal mantle OF imperial
Chaliapin-Czar of singing actors.
This is but half the story Of the
Chicago operas Boris"
Those three notable tenors be-
came three notable scenes. The
pretender Gregory OF Antonio Cortis
was beautifully sunk, youth Of
sweet, appealing voice, forceful as
we'll in character and singing.
To the Shuisky of Mojica fore
most place belongs. Rare in fine
ness Of voice, seldom does one find
more subtle delineation than his
half-foolish, intriguing prince. And
Romeo Boscacci, a street pumpkin,
was the perfect fool" in his COM
edy that yet gave him fine oppor.
tunity for his effective tenor voice.
The drunken roisterers brought
Edouard Cotreuil, basso, into a role
that was Falstaffian and stunningIy
portrayed, with Oliviero a good Sec
ond. In the scene Of the inn, the
inkeeper Of Alice D'Hermanoy was
beautifully sung and notably given.
The scene with the children was
again delightful, the Nurse Of Flora
Perrin being effective; Xenia, the
daughter sweetly sung by Elizabeth
Kerr, and the boy Feodor again
bringing Gladys Swartout into a
charming role. The love duet be-
tween Gregory and Marina. intro
ducing contralto in Augusta
Lenska, was a beautiful niterlude
in music and scene.
Demonstrations COlorfuI.
Lyric this music is as well as a
medium for a potent drama. The
hand of Rimsky- Korsakoff is here,
undermining the original score, max
ing II perhaps more gentle. The
rare choral scene under the snow
Is said to be, almost wholly the work
of Liavine, who, with Rimsky, com.
pleted the unfinished score of Nous
sorgsky.
It's orchestration and the contra
puntal use of the choral voices is
rarely lovely. From the first re-
sounding gong that denotes the vast
Russian land to those who know it