Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-27

served the cause of grand
opera amazingly well IN
a Washington last week. Re-
membrance of that most famous
and glittering of all the world
opera houses, the Paris Grand
Opera House, was brought to mind
when one watched the crowds of
smartly gowned Washington wom-
en- and their escorts from con-
gressional, diplomatic or resident
circles descending the graceful
stairways to the orchestra floor of
the Fox Theater last Wednesday
night at the opening of the Met
ropolftan's Washington season.
With a background of graceful
marble pillars and the rich red
OF the draperies, a perfect setting
for a grand opera audience was
supplied. New York itself could
not present the equal with the
narrow foyer corridors of the
Metropolitan Opera House, that
always suggest the passages in
state room sections of a huge
steamer. Acoustically, too, the
house is admirable and the stage
seemed adequate for the produc-
tions brought to 1t at this time.
TN still another way did the COM
1nercially much more success
full art of the motion picture give
assistance to its older sister in
the entertainment world. The
success of Lawrence Tibbett in
his first sound film, 1.-THE Rogue
Song" screened here several weeks
ago, undeniably created an addi-
tional audience for these grand
operas. Tibbett was booked in
two performances, the opening
opera and Friday afternoons
opera. On all sides one heard
the comment, I'm going to hear
such and such an opera because
] want to see Lawrence, Tibbett."
Grand opera authorities have
been rumored to have first cast
q glance most aSkance at the
"talkies" and their employment of
the stars of opera who are fitted
physically as well as vocally for
appearance in sound films. lib
belts personal success as a draw
ing card for the performances
here last week should put all their
fears at rest and be cause, instead,
for great rejoicing. There is no
doubt that the order of old-fash-
toned grand opera is passing rap
idly. The artistic strides that the
motion picture has made in the
matter of handling mobS, for in
stance, Is but one example Of the
change that must come about.
Even with the most famous COM
pany in America playing Puccinis
score, la Boheme," Wednesday
night, the mob in the second act
was as artificial and wooden as
the most amateurish company
could produce. The ease and poise
Of Tibbett's every action, often
with him singing while only half
turned to the audience, made the
old-fashioned, restricted hand and
arm gestures of the other operate
starS-StarS supreme in the field
Of vocal Cart. but unschooled in
the histrionic beyond the very
limited traditional motionS-Seem
all the more awkward and out of
date.
FORTUNE GALLO, who first won
worldwide repute as impre-
sario of the San Carlo Grand
Opera Co., has directed the first
sound film production of an entire
grand opera. The opera chosen
was the very logical one, 81 Pag-
nacci," by Leoncavallo. It is said
to have been staged with careful
consideration of the traditions and
with elaborate settings and much
care as to the recording OF the
voices. This impresario always
has stood for the democracizing of
grand opera. He is quoted in this
instance as saying, 1.-The opera
houses could not bring the masses
to grand opera; now we are bring
ing grand opera to the masses"
TT Is evident that the authorities
responsible for the Metropoli-
tan Grand Opera Co. have no
worry as to the immediate shelv-
ing Of grand opera as done by
them in the grand manner. A
recent news dispatch states that
Ciulio Gatti-CaSaZZa'S term Of
office as general manager of the
Metropolitan Grand Opera Co. has
been extended until May /, 1885.
His previous contract was to con-
tinue until May, 1888. Signor
Gatti- CaSazZa has been associated
with the Metropolitan since 1908.
II 4
THERE could be no better proof
- of the valued assistance that
mechanical musical instruments
give in creating musical audiences
for appreciation of artistic actual
performances than the new list
of standard and operate records
Just issued by a leading phono-
graph house. There are IL record
ings of art songs and operate
airs-workS by Schubert, Beetho-
ven, Gluck, Handel, Wagner, Mo-
cart and Puccini-sung by Chalia-
pin, Maria OlSzewska, Frieda Lei
der, Elizabeth Schumann, Zena-
tello and the chorus Of Covent
Garden Opera Co. There also are
IL recordings of piano and organ,
solos of works by Schubert, SINE
tana, Moszkowski, Saint-Saens,
Bach, MendelSsohn, played by
-