Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-18
MARY GARDEN WINS
TRIUMPH IN OPERA
"Resurrection" Is Vehicle for
Singing ActreSs-ApplauSe
Is Given Generously.


as a singing actress. came to wash
ington and won additional honors
from q large audience in her newest
role to local operagoers YESTERDAY art
ternoon when she sang katucna IN
the premiere here of RESURRECTION
presented by the Chicago Opera CO.
at Polls Theater.
There was but one moment When
Miss Garden was not on the stase
that she was not missed. ana thaI
was when Antonio Nicolich, baritone
sang the most beautiful solo music
of the afternoon in his one aria IN
he last act, when, as Simonson, ne
tells his rival, the Prince Dimltri, Vi
his protective love for katucha.
Aside from the overlapping rlppies
of applause that recalled Miss GARDEN
herself many times at the end OF each
act or tableau, as the divisions are
called in this opera, Mr.. Nicolichs ar
received the only spontaneous ana
extremely enthusiastic applause our
ing the afternoon.
Based on Novel.
The story of the opera is based upon
the novel of the same title written py
the great Tolstoi. There are rev
changes for the operate production
Katucha, the heroine, whose full name
is Caterina Mikailovna, is first seen
secure and protected in home not hef
own, but that of Nine. Ivanovna, aunt
of Prince Dimitri, and the occasion IS
the welcoming home at Easter time or
the young prince, who has been away
ever since early childhood, when ne
and the adopted little Katucha used
to play together. In the mutual
amazement at the way in which eacn
other has blossomed during that time
and in the voluptuous magic OF the
Spring night, the two young people
fall violently in love.
In this scene Lorna Doone jackson
and Alice d'Hermanoy have compare
lively small parts, but sing them well
and give good dramatic touches to
their Characterization. Theodore Rich,
a young singer, Is the prince. He Is
very good-loolsing. somewhat stin' as
an actor and gives q general appear
ance. both in his role and vocally of
being rather worried ais to what 1t is
all about and entirely ION the surface"
in his work. He is by no means a
match for the genius that is Mary
Garden.
Peasants Add Color.
The second tableau is entirely Mary
Gardens, although she is given sup.
port by Marie Claessens, and a fiuctu-
ating group of peasants coming and
going from the station add much to
the atmosphere. An old peasant pair
give a pathetic touch of real interest
In slight episode. In this tableau
the young Katucha is tasting the bit
terest dregs of establishment, and
she is Respondent and hysterical by
turns. In this tableau the music
seems most effective during the en-.
tire opera. There is the undertone
of Russian folk song and fine back
ground for the frenzy that lis mental
torture to the heroine. Katucha is
at the railroad station trying to catch
Dimitri on his way to a train, but at
the crucial moment she Is pushed
aside and ignored and the prince, un-
knowing that she is there, goes on.
The third tableau presents the
heroine in a brothel. where she is
brooding over the past and sometimes
boasting. The group is bound for
Siberia and exile. katucha is sent
up on a false charge. and the woman
who really committed the wrong for
which Katucha-known in this tab
leau as Maslova--is paying the penal
ty, sends her a small amount of
money and some cigarettes. Prince
Dinitri finds her here and, over
whelmed with the horror of what has
become of his beautiful little Katucha,
he learns of their child, now dead,
and asks Katucha to marry him. She
jeerS and taunts him by turns and
ends with rolling in a drunken stupor
at his feet.
In the final tableau katucha has
gotten hold OF her faculties and looked
the whole situation at last fully in the
face: she is repentant and philosoph-
tcal. She has met Simonson, also
an exile, who is devoted to her, and
she has said she would marry him.
Again, at the last moment, Dimitri
comes to ask her again to marry him
he has pardon for her, too. How
ever. she is firm that she will marry
Simonson and go on with what she
believes is a sacrifice worthy Of her
passion that has all this while kept a
love Of Dimitri alive in her. They ex-
change vows of eternal love-she and
Dimitri-and then separate, she to go
TO Siberia and he left behind.
Music is Italian.
Alfano's music for this opera is
decidedly Italian and gently melodious;
except in the second tableau the stark
realism that Ia Russian and the grip
ping undertow of the powerful story
do not seem TO come through in the
music. Also, there is nothing but the
one baritone air that would seem
transferable to the concert stage. But
Mary Garden is quite as wonderful as
ever and the multiple facets that she