Evening star., 1944-08-27
Life of Grieg
Gives Gotham
Musical Hit
By Laurence Perry.
NEW YORK

Song Of Norway" an operetta =
based on the life and music of Ed :.
ward Hagerup Grieg, presented at =
the Imperial Theater by Edwin
Lester-the Shuberts lurking in the :,
background-is sheer delight.
Persons deeply versed in classi.
cal music tell me that Grieg's am
bition to establish a definite and
enduring Scandinavian movement
was fully realized only in his own
work and that further DEVELOPMENT
died with him. But now, at any
rate, Broadway has been made con-
scious Of 1t to the eternal credit of
the metropolitan theater and the
delectation of music lovers-thea-
tergoers, as well-who, I think, will
be repairing to the playhouse on
West 45th street for many months
to come.
Own Life Lacked Drama.
Here music rules the hour. Very
deftly, indeed, not infrequently with
consummate artistry, Robert Wright
and George Forrest have adapted,
the composers concertos and SONGS,
notably "Ich Liebe Dich," TO
Spring." "Solveig's Lied" ETC., to q ,
homely narrative motive, and the
employment of the peer Gynt"
suite as ballet number, involving
Alexandra Danilova and a troupe Of
dancers recruited from the Ballet
Russo de Monte Carlo, is veritably
tour de force.
Grieg's life seems to have been
quite lacking in those elements of
drama, romance and all the COM
| plexities OF career so often to be
found in the lives Of eminent music
makers Of the past. This being so,
have no fault at all to find with
the simple fable which Milton Laz-
arus has devised Beginning with
folk-tale motive after Hans Chris
tan Anderson, a simple story de-
velops Of an embryonic small town
genius. In love with a local Sirl,
he Is none-the-less lured away to
the larger life and fame by a French
diva. So he leaves the girl behind,
also his best friend, a poet-whose
verse he had promised to set to
music-and in Rome eventually Jus.
tifies his promise.
True love is requited when the
hometown girl turns UP in Rome,
marries her idol and, in the end,
the death OF the poet, whom the
composer has forgotten, causes a
revulsion Of feeling of which the
wife takes advantage to conduct
him back to Norway where the pair
live happily until death parts them.
No great shakes of book. but serv-
ing as 1t does as vehicle for almost
incessant song and ballet, it fulfills
all necessary requirements.
Musical Standard High.
Vocally this operata meets the
demands OF the music. Mile. IRA
Petina, soprano, has been drafted
from the Metropolitan Opera Co.
to play the part of the schem-
ing contatrice, to which she SUD-
plies perfectly gorgeous voice and
a comedy sense of highly divertinR
quality. Lawrence Brooks demon-
strates the possession by the Impe-
rial Theater Grieg of ability to
sing-baritone-as we'll as to COM
pose, while Robert Shafer, as the
poet. reveals soaring tenor voice of
quality no less engaging than Hell
ena Bliss sweet soprano. Comedy
interludes are supplied with excel
lent effect by Sig Arno, as the
|, opera singers husband, and Robert
.. Bernard, an Italian impresario, not
forgetting again to advise you that
Mile. Petina simply radiates comic
relief. Choral effects are stirring
and the decor is lavish and artis-
tically satisfying Just one note of
criticism: The ballet with which
the opera concludes is one ballet too
many.
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