Metropolitan Opera Archives

Puccini's "Manon Lescaut" was sung at the Metropolitan Opera House last evening. The audience was one of the smallest seen in the theatre on a Caruso night in many moons. It would be interesting perhaps to know the causes behind this, but they can only be conjectured. Massenet's "Manon" was given last week with Miss Farrar and Mr. Caruso in the cast and the auditorium was crowded. Now it is a well-known fact that these two singers are the most popular in the company. Here again there need be no inquiry into causes, nor any implied depreciation of the art of others.

But Miss Bori, who sang Manon last evening, is rapidly acquiring a position of influence with the public, and her appearances as the volatile heroine of Prevost's story ought to command wider attention. It is a very charming impersonation and last night the young prima donna sang admirably. The strides which she has made in vocal art are large and she is now a singer who may almost always be heard with delight.

The field of conjectures narrows itself down to the opera itself, and without doubt Massenet's "Manon" is more popular than Puccini's "Manon Lescaut." Whether this state of affairs ought to exist or not is another question, but the American habit of deciding what is best and rejecting everything else is to be deplored. Puccini's "Manon Lescaut" is his most successful achievement in the opinion of many music lovers, and those who refuse to listen to it merely because they prefer the Massenet creation make a mistake.

Mr. Caruso, who was in very poor voice in "Manon" last week, was in good condition last evening, and sang his music with plenty of vigor, though not always with that amount of finesse which could have been desired. Mr. Scotti was the Lescaut, and as usual his command of stagecraft and his authoritative style in the delivery of his music gave pleasure to the audience. The minor roles in the opera were generally well done, and Mr. Polacco conducted with a light but firm hand.

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