Evening star., 1927-04-17
NJ u SIC
BY HELEN FETTER.

cold type, critical testimony to the
effect that the Metropolitan show,
compared TO his representation, is
as a moth to dragon fly"
The afternoon of Saturday, March
so, 1907. Gounod's Faust" was given
with Emma Eames, Plancon, Jacoby
and Scotti in the principal roles.
| Critical comment following the pro-
| duction states that "Eames looked
! too mature for the German maiden: !:
she wore her own black hair coiled
UP on her head and her voice, never
with much warmth, seemed unusually
| cold. The real star was Plancon."
Also, at this performance, an anus
| ing anecdote tells how Eames as
| Marguerite did her swoon too near
the tootlightS. Plancon sang his sa-
tanic song of Mephisto and was about
to make his exit when the curtain
bell was rung, and he saw the quick
curtain dropping and had a picture
OF Eamcs decapitated Leaning
down, he called to her Marguerite
did ground and tumble act that
would do credit to circus gymnaSt."
Half the audience saw and enjoyed
the episode, the other half didn't
seem to notice. The wooden pole
of the drop curtain weighed prob
ably 500 pounds,
That same evening Aida" was
sung by Rappold Tin first time ap-
pearance in the title role), Louise
Homer as Amners, Caruso as
Rhadames, Stracciari as Amonasro
and Journet as Ramhs. The press
comment states that the crowd
echpsed both in point of numbers
and brilliancy of feminine costumes
the previous performances. All the
singers were i'll good voice and gave
their music with excellent effect.
Caruso sang the Celeste Aida with
brilliant phrasing and received per-
hapS the most pronounced applause
of the evening, Journet impressed
as the high priest. Stracciari was
dramatic and effective. Homer's
Amneris showed intelligent dramatic
conception finely worked out"
Throughout all three performances,
given at the Belasco Theater, the
work OF the orchestra was uniformly
praised.
x x
THEN again, in 1908, Heinrich
\ Conried brought grand opera
by the entire company from the
Metropolitan Opera House, New
York, for four performances at the
National Theater The first of these
was Puccini's La Boheme." which
will be sung on double bill Satur-
day afternoon. In this production
l9 years ago the cast as advertised
included Mines. Ca@lieri, Dcreyne,
Messrs. Bonci, Scotti, Barocchi.
Begue, Durriche. Tecchi, Navarini
and Dragoni, with Rodolfo Ferrari
conducting. An amusing comment
upon a substitution made in the
most important feminine role in the
cast is included in the review of the
performances, which says, in part:
"Puccini's La Boheme' was sung
last night to fair sized audience by
cast and chorus from the Metropoli-
tan Opera Company. Miss Bessie
Abott was the Mimi in place of Mime.
Lima Cavalieri, who had been ad-
vertised to sing the part and whose
name was on the program Mime.
Cavalieri, as announced in yester-
days Star, sailed for Europe Wed
nesday morning. A printed slip.
however. inserted in the program at
the National last night announced
that on account of the sudden i'll
ness of Nine. Cavalieri, Miss Abott
would sing Mimi As it was the
second day of her sea voyage. per-
haps Nine. Cavalieri was really ILL"
Another change in the cast which
was not even called to the attention
of the audience. BY the printed slip,
not so much as whispered in conf
dence. was the substitution Of a Ger
man singer of minor Wagnerian roles,
Nina Metheld. for Nine. Dereyne,
advertised to sing the role of Mu-
Setta."
The audience, it was reported, was
deeply disappointed. Also, Geraldine
Farrar is mentioned as occupying
one of the boxes at this performance
and having among her guests Signor
Caruso. 1t also states that there
were a number of distinguished per-
sons in the boxes and orchestra"
Saturday afternoon "Mignon" was
sung. with the popular Gerry" in
the title role. and that night Mas
cagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana" (Which
will be combined this year in the
matinee double bill with la Bo-
heme") was sung in double bill then
with Il Pagliacci." Those singing
the leading roles in the Mascagni
work were Mines. Fornia. Jacoby
and Girard, Riccardo Martin and
Riccardo Stracciari, In the Leonca-
vallo work Caruso was the star, with
Nine. Dereyne. Antonio Scotti, Reiss
and Sarti, Ferrari conducting.
The review mentioned that Miss
Farrar in 'Mignon' and Caruso in
Pagliacci' carried of the honors
easily. but in the former opera Plan
con also did excellent work, while
Bonci surpassed himself, the closing
trio, with Miss Farrar, Bonci and
Plancon, being marvelously sung.
In 'Cavalleria Rusticana, Turiddu
was sung by Martin, tenor new to
Washington, a Canadian, but from
the fire of his singing it would never
be supposed he had sprung from
Our Lady of the Shows Nothing
but praise can be given either his
singing or acting. Stracciari was the
Alto and give his usual hawless per-
formance. Nine. Jacoby was the
! Lola--her second opera for the day
and the part Of Lucia was sung
| by Nine. Girard. Santuzzo was
sung by Nine. Fornia Rita New
mani. Fornia and Martin aroused
! the audience to pitch that seemed
impossible to surpass until it rose
at Caruso. For. needless to say
Caruso was the center of everything
,octerda,- nvor;rU II ,,,,e N be,r