PUCCINI'S NEW OPERA.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1043, 4 February 1911, Page 9

PUCCINI'S NEW OPERA.

"THE GIRL OP THE GOLDEN WEST."-

At last (says the "Theatre Magazine") the operatic tables have been turned on Europe, for on December 10, at the Me-' tropolitan Opera House, New York, there ' was celebrated the iii-st -performanca on any ■ stage of Giacowo Puccini's latest opera, "La Faneinlla del West," more familiarly known in the colloquial aa 'The Girl of the Golden West," Tho libretto is by C.'Zangarini and G.' Civiniui, who have merely mail© an operatio version of 'that successful and-familiar play by David Belasco, seen here years ago with Blanche Bates and Frank*lve&nan in the 1 principal role;.' I;st it be admitted at, the outset that 'lhe Girl of the Golden West" is a success The scenes of enthusiasm attending its first "performance have graphically described in tho daily neVspap6vs— applause, cheers; curtain calls without end for Puccini, Belasco, Gatti-Casazza, Toscanini, and the principal singors. And let a special note of' thanks be sounded to the active members of "the Metropolitan Opera Houso directors, who'Aiada this premiere possibioinNew York, even before Europe had heard a note of tha work.' .... . the result of David'Belasco's work waa ver.v apparent at the premiere, for a/moro realistic production has never been : seen on tho Metropolitan stage. _. Never has an operatio mob- acted with..such spirit-as .uid this gang of miuers and cowpunckers in the last act; and all through the perlorainnce ■;there 1 were just those little touches that stamp a Belasco production. It is-i remarkable production ecehically. _ There are but three acts—one'act having been-sacrificed in the-process-.of - turning the play into ;an- -opera.- - -'-Acts one and I:wo—tho interiors of the "Polka N * .and.of Minnie's J\ut are. almost identical with the'play, but the third act, theitcdwood Forest, is entirely new. There tha Sheriff's posse captiirk Johnsan, and is about to hang him upon a convenient tree when Minnie dashes-in on her bronco and pleads for his life. " She wins, and the two lovers turn their' faces' eastward while singing an Italian farewell to the beloved California. ' : - And tho music? ■ Puccini has garlled this story with the most ambitious score that lie has ever written. It-is often : brutal, it is so fully, orchestrated as to giyo the impression of boisterousness in spots. But these are oases in a wilderness of cleverness. Some of tho l'uccinists will be disap. pointed in tliis music because-they will i miss those saccharine linos of melody that stamp "La Bolicme" and "Madama But.teriiv."-. They exist in "The Girl" but in much lesser quantity. If it . needs be compared to any other of Puccini's writing, "Tosca" will more nearly approach, it in character. . , Puccini's music fits the. Belasco action. It; reflects every mood of : this rough tale, mirrors every sentiment that is loosed by the dramatist. And when it is brutal-it is consistently so, as dictated by the plot. What more can .one ask ? Here, too, there is a sop to musical Chauvinists, for Puccini has used "rag time" rhythm to -indicate tho annroach of Johnson, tho road agent. This "ought to appease those who ceareh lor operatio motes in tile' eye of this scorc. Also are there some of the fine sentimental bursts, for which this comnosar is famous.' And tor those who ween for tho decline of easy Howing melody, they v.-ill find here a Waltz tune that is bound to be really music before the onera is a month .old. .

: More than all these details, there is in this score a big dramatic surge that silences, caption. One of the greatest incidents -is the music accompanying tho :card sceni, the crux of tho opera. Then there is heard iii the orchestra a cont'iii- ! ual thumping which suggests to the listeiier the beat of Minnie's heart as she Rambles wftli. the Sheriff-ior the .life-of the man she loves. That is almost ,ia stroke of genius on the part of tho musician who wrote it. It spreads a ie'oiing of tenso suspense in the;' audience, and then, after Minnie has cheated her way 'tol. success, the orchestra' - joojes all'"its 'forces in one wild, triumphant Ij'irfst,' : a perfect deluge of tonal frenzy. There is one thing about this score,'however,- that must bo admitted, and it is the. fact that this music really demands more than one or even two hearings-before its full dramatic significance is entirely revealed. And, after ail, that is a. virtue rather than a fault ior it proves that the composer has liot strewn all 'his cleverness along the- surface of bis music. The artists fairly outdid themselves ia performing this difficult work. Miss Dostum, in the title role, sang and acted.'.as sho never has here before.. There .- .were none of tho usual • meaningless operatic gestures about her impersonation/ and vocally she.rose to new. heights. Nor has Caruso ever acted as .well: as he did in the part of Johnson—and he sang like a proverbial an;rel, especially his solo in the final act. As Sheriff Jack Eaiice, Amaco gave a startlingly impressive reading—it was- as though Prank Keenan had found himself possessed of a baritone voice. Eeiss,. as Sick, „■and Didur, -as -Ashby—they were 'excellent, and Gilly swaggered about in a-red flannel shirt and a sombrero as though In had been to the cowboy manner born. Arturo Toscanini conducted a performance that was nothing short of masterly. He had_ memorised this score and conducted it with infinite understanding of all its effective possibilities. The orchestra under him played, superbly; .the chorus sang well; ■ the;- stage "business" was flawless—in fact the whole performance was an artistic success.