|
|
Bob’s
|
|
Reviews — The New York Times
From the New York Times November 12, 1908
MASSENET "THAIS"
AT THE MANHATTAN
Miss Garden and Mr. Dalmores
Make Their First Appear-
ances This Season.
MR. RENAUD AS ATHANAEL
A Large Audience Hears the Opera
with Approval - Good Work
of Old Chorus.
Thais Miss Mary Garden Crobyle Mlle. Trentini Myrtale Mlle. Ponzano Altine Mlle. Ponzano Athanael Maurice Renaud Nicias Charles Dalmores Palemon Feliz Vieuille Music Director - Mr. Cleofonte CampaniniThe second evening of Mr. Hammerstein's season at the Manhattan Opera House brought forward one of the operas that made one of his last season's successes, Massenet's "Thaïs," and in it reappeared for the first time two of his most popular artists, Miss Mary Garden and Mr. Charles Dalmores. They, indeed, in the parts of Thaïs and Nicias, with Mr. Renaud in his remarkable impersonation of Athanael, were the chief factors in the success of the opera.
It can scarcely be called one of the most brilliantly inspired of Massenet's very numerous works for the lyric stage, notwithstanding a few taking passages which please the audience mightily; for it has extensive strata of dullness and of slow solemnity, when the action proceeds with the utmost deliberation or halts entirely. Yet the opera, interpreted as it is at the Manhattan, seems likely to continue in the favor it met last season.
Miss Garden returns with all the potent force of her personality undiminished.
The part of Thaïs is evidently one that has strong attractions for her - it was the one in which she chose to make her first appearance before an American audience a year ago, and it is one in which her individuality can most characteristically express itself. That individuality, in its dramatic essence, is brilliant, lithe, intensely alive and active and wonderfully versatile. It dominates the stage in this opera, both in the scenes of the lightness and gay raillery of the Alexandrine courtesan and in the later ones in which she is the contrite penitent.
It is easy to understand the fascination that this personality exercise upon the public, and there are destined to be many more manifestations of it in the season that is now in its course. Miss Garden's voice is likewise much the same as it was last season. the music of her part in Thais does not display it at its best, but rather brings out its more unfortunate qualities - its shrillness and acidity in its higher tones, its unsteadiness and the imperfect control she has of it in them. These are often strangely contrasted with the much finer quality of her middle tones, which have at times richness and the searching expressiveness of a dramatically colored phrase, and an innate musical beauty.
Mr. Dalmores was heard again with great pleasure and his fine tenor, with the virility of the baritone quality that makes itself evident in it from time to time, was again the object of just admiration. He sang with splendid fervor and power, and he makes of the comparatively minor part of Nicias something of positive dramatic value. Mr. Renaud's Athanael is a most finished impersonation, absolutely consistent in its portraiture, studied, like everything that he does, with the most minute care, and composed with the art of a great actor. His singing was admirable and his voice seemed to possess more richness and volume than it did last season.
Mr. Félix Vieuille, who made his first appearance in the very minor role of Palemon, appeared to be the possessor of a excellent bass voice.
The chorus did good work in the comparatively few passages with which it has to deal, and Mr. Campanini brought out the characteristic richness and transparency of Massenet's score. The interlude between the two scenes of the second act was much applauded, but Mr. Campanini would not consent to a repetition. the audience was again a large one, that filled the house.
Last updated December 29, 2006