COMIC OPERA.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1328, 4 January 1912, Page 6

COMIC OPERA.

"THE CHOCOLATE SOLDIER." "The Chocolate Soldier,".a comic opera in three-acts by Oscar Straus*.; 'Written by Bernaeur and-Jacobsen. ■ English versi"on by Stanislaus Strange. . Cast— .- Nadina, Amy Murphy. Aurelia Rita Presano. Mascha ;....;..:.......' Mabel Graham. Lieutenant Btiincrli Leslie Gaze. Captain Massakroll' .:.......-..-. Frank-Wilson. Katinka , Belle Gorton. Major Alexius Spiridoff ...Tristraut Greeli. Colonel ropoff .....; Albert Kavanagh. Stephen .'....; John' Bernard. : At last a'comic, opera.-,..-For year's ire have waited for a real, upstanding comic opera, soiuctkin; a little'bettor than.the apparently 'endless flood of. musical comedies; . the airy catchiness and slangy flip-, pancy. of which entertain for the mom'-' cut, and then, thank' goodness,, aro heard no more. And it has come with' "The Chocolate Soidier," which ■ reaches us with all the pomp and panoply, of a world's success, and, for once, does not disappoint. To students of George Bernard Shaw it appeared like wasteful and ridiculous excess to transform his "Arms and the Man" into a comic opera, but it must be conceded that half the playgoing world has become hopelessly confused as to what is comic opera, and what musical comedy, and they, with much US3 of the latter, imagined it sacrilege to trail tho exquisite satire and the brutal horse logic of Shaw in the musical conledy mire. Strauss illustrates in two and a half hours in the most delightful and entrancing manlier that the theme is a very happy one indeed, aud (without apologies to Shaw) that a certain degree of the spirit ol tho play Can be • and is retained in the, imisioul version. Leaving Shaw out of it altogether, in "A Chocolate Soldier' Strauss has returned to the legitimate form of light opera, with responsible work.for a quartet, full chorus/ and orchestra, mid in the'doing has •achieved■ a wbrk .that simply gushes'with captivating melftdy. There' is not a number, that could bi fairly classed as trashy or comnionplaco; each' succeeding number surprises iiud delights the car and musical understand-ing-with a grace of tunc aud;virtue-of origiiialitv which places the work .far above-anything of its class since "The Merry-Widow, and even compared with that "popular opera, "The Chocolate Soldior"; would-jiot-siillciv ..Oho-oasily superior factor is its libretto, which is crisp, brainy, anil quaintly humorous without ever becoming- loosely flippant. It is hardly nocfesviry to dilate at length on the story with the popularity that Shaw how .doubtless deprecates. In the opera the Swiss. Bluntsclili, becpnibs Bunicrli, Sergius changes 'to-Alexius, .Kuiiia is transformed to 'Nadina. and the flirtatious lxmka to Jlaseha (who is made >>adina's cousin). The Shiiw idea is well sustained in the first act up to the point where alt three women'fall in love with the Swiss, why elects to-.carry chocolates in bis' cartouche : box rather than hm-.-munition. Then tho satire of Shaw gives way lb broad comedy. All the women bestow then' love and'photographs on tho tired esCapee from the Servian ranks, who lias sought shelter, in Colonel t'opoff's own house, and when they permit- him to leave ha does so in tho disguise, of one of the Colonel's old coals, in the pocket of which the w'oinen have placed their photographs, comprohiisingly autographed. Three months later the war between Servia and Bulgaria is atan oud. and Bumerli comes to return the coat, just.as old I'opoff is making a fuss about its absence. The seine in. which they are all trying'to recover their portraits after the Colonel has donned the coat is one of the most amusing in tho opera. The reappearance of the ass'erlivo Bumerli at the Popoff residence unsettles Nadina's affection for her paragon of conceit, Alexius, and in the end, after a scries of disclosures aud a duel which never becomes a duel, Xadina spurns her Bulgarian dandy, and embraces the Swiss, and all the.hotels ho has inherited.

While "The Chocolate Soldier" is all that is claimed for it, fast evening's performance did not 'clisplhy the opera, to its fullest advantage. There wore vocal and hislriolic. lan.-es caused unforluhatcly ljy tho indisposition of the tenor, Mr. Noel Fleming, whose.place as Alexius had to he assumed at short notice by Mr. Tristram Green. Mr. Green was obviously ill at ease flifoughoiit, and the scenes iii which he was concerned suffered accordingly. Miss-.Amy Murphy, who received u warm welcome, sang tho arduous role, .of Nadina charmingly throughout, and raised quite a furore of applause for her -spirited renderinfi of the infectious ."My Hero" solo, .which recurs throughout ..the opera. She was also heard to advantage in tho duels, "Sympathy" and "The Chocolate Soidie'r," with Mr. :-Leslie Gaze, .and tho quaintly original detter 'song in the last act. Miss Murphy, is .improving as ah actress, nnd has lost, much of tho crudeness which handicapped her in 'The Blue.Moon" days,"but still there is that lack of the theatrical sense, (a thing inborn) or lemporanient. w'hich prevents her becoming sympathetically intimate with her. audience. Her voice is still true gold—in light' opera we have .hcirrd few better in recent years. Mr. Leslie Gaze was decidedly nnd 'emphatically a.success as Bumerli, incidentally as "Int.".a nart as any singing comedian could desire. He does not exactly .sparkle, but he is sound, and never foils to make every noiut '.tell, and he does it like, au artist. He Was admirable in .the bedroom scene, where the Shavian idea gets a chance, and bis-busi-ness in the ducts'with Miss Murphv was vlerer. Otherwise lie has a likable personality, moves and dances well, and ha.s a. pleasant lirtil baritone voice. Mr. Albert Kavanagh made Colonel Ponoff a 'gay old 'dog who loves .the wine-cup and a story better than the battle and the breeze'. It was a consistently good performance, which held throughout. Another good bit of work was_ the Captain Massakroff of Mr. Frank -Wilson, whose make-up, acting, and singing were uniformly .good. Miss Hita Fresano displayed a lively senso of liumour as Aurelia, but is n. little theatrical in her gestures. Maschn was played by Miss Mabel Graham,' who sings perkily, and acts with point, and Miss Belle Gorton danced gracefully as Katinka. The opera is rich in good choruses. The one sung in the bedroom by Massakrolf's men was distinctly inspiriting,' and the finale of the second act was a-splendid crescendo in ensemble singing. The opera is .orchestrated with much grace and charm, and it is-a pleasure (-0 note the beauty of the various accompaniments in which-thc French horns play a prominent part. Mr. Victor Champion conducts with understanding and authority.

; "The Chocolate Soldier" is magnificently mounted, and the dressing in the second and third acts is knloidoscbpic hi the glow of colour and variety of art and style. Needless to say, tho scenery is admirable!