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Musical Courier 1927-11-17: Vol 95 Iss 20, 1927
80 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. Printed page 5. See the scan on archive.org.
1MUSICAL COURIER
3METROPOLITAN PRESENTS NORMA AT LAST AND AUDIENCE WAXES MOST ENTHUSIASTIC
5Bellini's Great Drama Revived After Thirty-six Years—Rosa Ponselle Finds the Title Role Her Best—Telva and Lauri-Volpi Also Distinguish Themselves—Other Operas of the Week
7Bellini's Norma, which has been catching cobwebs in the library of the Metropolitan for a little over thirty-five years, this season was taken down from the shelves for revival by Mr. Gatti, and last Wednesday night the younger generation and many of the older opera habitues heard the work for the first time. What a beautiful performance it was! And with what favor it was received! It may have been the masterful hand of Tullio Serafin, who imbued the lovely old score with every atom of himself during the performance, which was the culmination of more than a year's preparation for this occasion; or the carefully and finely chosen cast or even the combination of the two that has now reinstated Bellini's great tragedy at the Metropolitan. One thing is certain, Norma is here to stay—for a while at least.
9WORLD PREMIERE IN MILAN
11The opera was given its world premiere at La Scala in Milan a little less than a century ago, when it was coolly received even though the cast included such artists as Patta, Grisi and Donezelli. England had hardly turned an uncharmed ear from the opera when Bellini died; but forty years after Norma's premiere, never to know that with the passing years the opera was to achieve favor and fame.
13Richard Wagner, as a young man in his twenties, thought so much of Bellini's work that he chose it in 1837 for a first performance at Riga, where he was director of the opera; and the great German spoke of Norma as "uniting the richest flow of melody with the deepest glow of truth."
15In 1840, Norma's score was carried across the Atlantic to receive its first American performance at the Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. The next year New York heard an English translation at the Park Theatre, and it was not until two years later that Norma was sung in its original language, this time at Niblo's Gardens.
17AT THE METROPOLITAN
19After that, its melodious measures were silenced until 1891, a period of nearly fifty years, at which time the first Metropolitan presentation was given. Mme. Lilli Lehmann was the last to sing it there, although some time later one or two performances were given by the Chicago Opera Company on its annual visit to this city. Singing with Mme. Lehmann at the Metropolitan were her husband, the tenor Kalisch as Pollione, Mme. Pettigiani as Adalgisa and the bass, Serborlini as Oroveso.
21Now, thirty-six years later, we have Norma again, wonderfully preserved for all her ninety-six years. Neither does her age make Norma's music antiquated nor her drama limited. She is permeated with melody and floridness. Her story by Giuseppe Felice Romani is forcefully impressive, being founded on the book of that name by Alexandre Soumet and Louis Belmonte.
23To us, the music accurately typifies the text and action; its keynote is always melody in the broadest sense. Scarcely has one thought "Here's a lovely theme" and tried to memorize it, when the orchestra with a stunning, crashing series of chords, or possibly a few long drawn passages of exquisite effect, introduces a new melody, richly embroidered and sensuously pleasing to the ear.
25THE STORY
27There is a beautiful overture before the curtains are drawn aside to disclose a spot in the forest primeval where the Druids are gathered for the purpose of sending forth their armies to combat the invading Romans. There is not much choral work in Norma, except in this act and the final one, but what there is of it is strong and arresting. Norma, the Druid priestess, who has fallen in love with Pollione, a Roman soldier, has secretly borne him two children, thereby breaking her vows. Fearing that harm will befall her lover she persuades her people that the time is not yet ripe for battle with the Romans. In the second act, she learns of the love of another young priestess for Pollione, and in fury denounces both. In act three, the pinnacle of dramatic action, Norma decides to kill her two sleeping children in what can be called the biggest scene of the opera, but finally overcomes her frenzy and spares them, just as Adalgisa, the young priestess, comes to tell her that she can never be happy with the betrayer of Norma's love. At this point in the opera we have some fine duet singing by the two principal women's voices, and the dramatic climax is superbly grand. The last act finds Norma confessing her guilt to her people, as well as rekindling the love of her easily swayed Roman, with the two going to their doom, a pyre.
29VERY DRAMATIC
31The opera, as said before, abounds in drama from start to finish, yet it never becomes monotonous, the music is so alive and so characteristic of the mood of the singers and the entire action. The first act is very long, however, and it seems that it should have been cut into two scenes, the first ending with the exit of Norma, and the second short scene opening with the meeting of Pollione and Adalgisa. The entire opera is excessively long, and the cutting out of a scene or so where possible would tend to shorten it.
33LEHMANN AS NORMA
35Lilli Lehmann was over forty when she sang Norma at the Metropolitan (she is approaching eighty now) and she sustained passages, and if the breathing be faulty or short, calamity is inevitable. Norma demands a voice of great
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39REVIVAL OF LORELEY WINS THE APPROVAL OF CHICAGO OPERA PATRONS
41After Lapse of Thirteen Years, Catalani's Masterpiece is Brought Back to Win Acclaim of Large Audience—Muzio the Star—Other Operas of the Week
43CHICAGO—After thirteen years of complete retirement from the Auditorium boards, Alfredo Catalani's Loreley was revived with a cast entirely different from the one heard more than a decade ago and with scenery and costumes made up during the summer months.
45If it were only to give Muzio an opportunity to appear in a role new to her as far as Chicago is concerned, the management erred not in reviving an opera which made a huge fiasco when first presented in this city. Muzio finds in the title role a vehicle on which to ride to fame. Her triumph left no doubt as to the pleasure derived from her singing and her acting by an audience that was otherwise extremely unresponsive.
47Musicians, especially those in whom Italian blood flows, will continue to proclaim Catalani's opera a masterpiece; and at that, they may be right when the interpreters are such as those heard at the Auditorium on Tuesday night. The plot is so tedious that this opera is doomed to have but few repetitions here after opera-goers have had opportunity to hear Muzio in the revival.
49Since Muzio became a member of the Chicago Civic Opera, she has been heard in many and diversified roles, but her Loreley may be pronounced a classic. Indeed it was a classical figure that one saw standing on the rock—a figure of great nobility such as a Minerva is pictured in Athens of antiquity—a goddess of such magnitude that her entourage seems to belong to a race of dwarfs. Regal to the eye, her imposing appearance was matched only by the eloquence and nobility of her singing. Mere words and phrases would give but a faint idea of the marvelous vocal display that made Muzio's performance nothing short of a revelation showing what a brainy artist possessing a lovely voice can accomplish. It remains, therefore, to report solely the reaction of the public, which at times could not restrain its enthusiasm and applauded at the wrong moment—that is to say, before the close of an aria.
51Antonio Cortis made his first appearance this season on our stage and was given the heavy and ungrateful part of Walter, which he sang splendidly and acted with conviction.
53Eide Norena, as Anna, made a great deal of her lone scene, revealing anew the full gamut of her art, the beauty of her flexible and voluminous voice; and her angelic appearance aided materially in making her presentation praiseworthy in every respect.
55Luigi Montesanto made his first bow this season in the garb of Herman, a role of great importance and difficulty. Handsome, Montesanto was a heroic Baron, one who wears with distinction the velvet togs of the sixteenth century. His singing calls only for superlatives, as Montesanto has returned to the scene of his former successes in glorious form; and his appearances in more sympathetic roles are awaited with anticipation of many pleasurable evenings at the Auditorium.
57Chase Baromee is a basso to be reckoned with and should his performance of the small role of Rudolph be taken as a criterion, he should rise to stardom before the close of the season. Here is an American singer who puts it all over his Italian confreres in the bass department in the way of elegance and vocal resources. Resembling Baklanoff, he has also the same stage deportment as the Russian baritone, who, unfortunately is no longer a member of the company.
59The chorus sang the commonplace music with the same enthusiasm manifested in Wagner's Tannhäuser. The ballet distinguished itself and it is not at all improbable that the young men and women who make up the corps de ballet, although too few in number, will rebuild the terpsichorean department of the Chicago Civic Opera, which for the past
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63LEON SAMETINI,
65internationally known violinist and teacher, who, at a recent annual meeting of the directors of the Chicago Musical College, was elected vice-president of that institution. Previous to his affiliation with the college fifteen years ago Mr. Sametini was prominent as a soloist in practically all of the music centers of Europe and Australasia. In addition he was concertmaster of several leading American symphony orchestras. He is universally recognized as a violinist of the first rank and a teacher with few equals.
67RETURNS MUSICAL WANDERERS
69(Ship News by the Special Musical Courier Quarantine Reporter.)
71New York, November 14—If accounts brought back this week are taken at face value, Europe must be the most restful place in the world.
73Serge Rachmaninoff, arriving on the United States liner Leviathan with General Peching and a host of distinguished company, declared that after his summer abroad he comes back for his tenth American season more rested and ready for work than ever before in his life. With him were his wife and two daughters, Princessess Volkonsky and Tatiana, and granddaughter Sophie Volkonsky, two years old.
75While resting Rachmaninoff found time for concerts in England, France and Germany. His concert tour here will continue until May.
77Yvonne d'Arle, formerly of the Metropolitan, who created the role of Princess Maritza, told the same story of being rested. She bought a villa at Cap d'Antibes on the Riviera
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