Metropolitan Opera Archives

It was a thoroughly enjoyable performance of Massenet's "Manon" with which the Metropolitan Opera Company presented Wednesday night at the Boston Opera House. This opera has the advantage of being easy to follow, reasonable in length, and agreeable to hear and makes no heavy demands upon an audience which can relax and enjoy the voluptuously sentimental music without having to struggle to understand the plot. If the principal singers are as satisfying as were Grace Moore and Richard Crooks last night, the occasion becomes especially pleasant.

Miss Moore, whose only appearance this was with the Metropolitan this season in Boston, sang and played with spirit, feeling and a gratifying understanding of her role. A little hesitant in her [first] scene, she was coquettish and charming in her second act scene with Des Grieux, sang her farewell to "notre petite table" with real emotion, made her plea to her estranged lover with such wooing charm that it was no wonder he forsook religion for her arms. Her fourth act gavotte came off with excellent spirit and she made the death of Manon in the final scene infinitely touching by her suggestion of the broken girl's penitence. Mr. Crooks whose vocal qualities are beyond cavil, distinguished himself even more than usual in this respect last evening, and his acting, noticeably in the third act, has acquired a welcome fluidity and ease. For his singing of "Le Reve" and the lovely "Ah, fuyez, douce image," he received and deserved the loudest applause of the evening, and throughout the performance he and Miss Moore shared the honors gracefully, neither one claiming an undue share of attention.

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