Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-14

Impressed and excited by its
opportunity and responsibility in
the first American perform
ance of Prokof1eff's magniloquent
opera war and Peace" the Ma
tional Broadcasting Co. spared
no expense or effort in its
production broadcast yesterday
afternoon. 1t can well take quiet
satisfaction in the result, while
wiping up the spilled champagne
Of two gorgeous balls and carting
away the debris of Borodipo. for
there probably has never been a
television opera so successfully
achieved.
The technical problems Of tai
loring this most recent habili-
ment of opera were solved as
though television had been ham
ding chalk and scissors, needle
and thread as long as the Metro
politan Opera. For the first time
$50 far as l know. an excellent
balance between orchestra and
singers was maintained through
out. There was a reasonable re-
semblance to the sound'of opera
on a stage, rather than singing
with background music, as in the
earlier productions OF "Boheme
aVl UrTIa Manic Flute ~
Complicated action, involving
large numbers of actors. was
smoothly brought to the screen
by many well-synchronized cam
eras. Viewers who saw it in
color commented on the excel
lence of this medium. A cast
of singers not inferior to any
congregated in New York for
many a day-not only the prln-
cipals were first rate but also
the myriad of lesser charac-
ters-created the unfamiliar and
not too inspiring score with the
enthusiasm and obvious prepa-
ration of a premiere of a late
work of Verdi.
SkillfuIly Put Together
Certainly Prokofieff's War
and Peace" is a major contem-
porary opera that we'll deserves
a hearing. 1t is skillfully put
together. the action Except in
the amateurish battle scenes
has pace, and the music in some
spots is affecting. These spots.
unfortunately. can be enum-
Grated in little space-Kenneth
Smiths aria in the last act. not
dissimilar to "Silver Threads
Among the Gold" the duet be-
tween Helena Scott and Morley
Meredith that follows. and the
quarrel between Beatrice Krebs
and Helena Scott.
Linda Weisbrod, Miss Wash
inton of 1854" appeared in the
cast as Sonia and sang very well.
She sings under the name of
Linda McNaughton.
On the whole, there is not
much that can be said for
War and Peace" as stage en-
tertainment. either unsteady or
dramatically 1t is melodically
commonplace for the first three
quarters of it's length. The &C.
ton is carried on in a monoto-
nous vocal parlando in which
Natasha, Pierre and Napoleon
Bonaparte all hold forth in
lengthy, indiscriminate and un-
characteristic phrases. This vo-
cal recitative is punctuated by
an orchestra that seems far from
the brilliant instrument of many
of the Prokofieff symphonies.
Work Fails Dramatically
Dramatically. the work is
failure The first two-thirdS of
the two-and-a-half hour show
are devoted to the usual amorous
complications of grand opera.
Then we are taken to the field
of battle. in both the Russian
and French camps. and RECALLED
with soldier choruses which make
any in Blue Moon" seem truly
martial and invigorating. Ma
poleon appears, saying you've
guessed it,. Nov the die is
cast and directs the campaign
with the aplomb of the Chocolate
Soldier.
After this nilaSi-rna rtial inter-