Evening star., 1953-04-26
News of Music

The amount of research that
has gone into Irving Kolodin's
The Story of the Metro
politan Opera" makes its
timely release by Alfred A.
Knopf. Inc. publishers, all the
more remarkable. For at this
moment in the Metropolitan
Operas history the financial
needs are pressing and only
help from opera lovers the
country over seems to be the
obvious means of saving its
future. Kolodin's story may
prove an incentive to this task
or it may not, depending on
whether the romantic or the
practical is a dominating fac
tor in the reader.
The entire history Of what
is claimed the greatest opera
company in the world is a
magnificent parade Of none
tary largesse, of fabulous tall
ent, of great cultural deeds,
of mismanagement, social jeal-
ousy, and strange lethargy. All
these factors combine to create
a story unmatched in operatic
history. Never before have all
the details of it's life span been
so thoroughly scrutinized and
brought out in consecutive
form. Mr.. Kolodin's book. THE
Metropolitan Opera" published
in 1896, close to the operas
5Oth anniversary, covers the
ground during that period but
in the II years since its publi-
cation many changes have oc-
CURED.
Ends With Bine
Among these are opportuni-
ties that came to Mr.. Kolodin
himself to study the territory
he had covered in his first
book more thoroughly and. of
course, to add what transpired
since. The STORY" finishes
with an up-to-the minute ac-
count of Rudolf Bing's work
as director. THE correct evalu-
alton of Bing's contribution to
the Metropolitan" he says in
conclusion, may be some time
in coming-but his most val
liable contribution may prove
to be, simply his personal force
in charting course and steer
it not by stars or dead reckon
ing, but by sound precepts Of
experience"
The book is divided into
three sections, Patrons and
Purposes, House and Home"
and finally, Operas and Ar
lists" In reading. it is often
necessary to refer backward
or forward among these chap
ters to get the clear, overall
picture. Certainly the first
part. patrons and Purposes"
tells an amazing tale of the
foundation, the glittering pic
ture of wealth and Snobbish-
ness. and it's influence on the
purposes. From the beginning
until the present day, the plans
for a new building run like
a thread through the narra-
tive. What was necessary to
preserve the auditorium as the
home for a social circle" the
author states, was invariably
done; what was necessary to
adapt it to house an artistic
endeavor was never DONE"
Interesting as is the finan-
cial and social background of
the Metropolitan, it is far ex-
ceeded. naturally, in the long
division given to "Opera and
Artists" Here pass in review
the greatest singers the world
has known. Their accomplish
ments form an unwritten COM
mentary on the difference of
artistic ideals and the extent
of their capabilities in those
golden years in comparison to
like standards today.
Notable Records
For instance, there is the
record of Lilli Lehman who
sang Bruennhilde every day
except two between a March
16 and %, and who, a couple
of years later, sang Philine in
Thomas "Mignon." Emma
Eames sang the first Santuzza
in "Cavalleria RuSticana" at
the Met and the next season,
Emma Calve scored a triumph
in the same role. OF timely
interest is the first pairing of
"Cavalleria" and "Pagliacci"
which took place in 1894 with
Calve the Santuzza and Melba
4 L Il i ~ L y