[Met Performance] CID:52500



Orfeo ed Euridice
Imperial Russian Ballet
Metropolitan Opera House, Mon, December 25, 1911




Orfeo ed Euridice (25)
Christoph Willibald Gluck | Ranieri de' Calzabigi
Orfeo
Margarete Matzenauer

Euridice
Johanna Gadski

Amore
Lenora Sparkes

Happy Shade
Alma Gluck

Dance
Marcelle Myrtille


Conductor
Arturo Toscanini


Director
Jules Speck

Set Designer
Paul Paquereau

Costume Designer
Blaschke & Cie


Imperial Russian Ballet







Glinka: A Life for the Czar: Mazurka
Bronislawa Pajitzskaia, Alina Schmolz, Stephania Plaskowietzkaia, Geanina Mezkowskaia, Stanislava Kun, Miss Schuber, Elizabeth Gluck, Franciscek Markowski, Alexis Trojanowski, Veronine West, Geanina Mezkowskaia, Kyprian Barboe, Mr. Barboe


Chopin: Nocturne
Ekaterina Geltzer, Mikail Mordkin


Variation
Ekaterina Geltzer


Grieg: Anitra's Dance
Bronislawa Pajitzskaia


Saint-Sa?ns: Gypsy Dance
Mikail Mordkin


Russian Dance
Ekaterina Geltzer


Chopin: Les Papillons
Alina Schmolz, Stephania Plaskowietzkaia


Czibulka: Variation
Alexandre Volinine


Anton Rubinstein: Valse Caprice
Ekaterina Geltzer, Mikail Mordkin


Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
Bronislawa Pajitzskaia, Alina Schmolz, Stanislava Kun, Stephania Plaskowietzkaia, Geanina Mezkowskaia, Alexis Trojanowski, Kyprian Barboe, Veronine West, Franciscek Markowski, Mr. Mashat


Conductor...............Vittorio Podesti"

Review 1:

Review in The New York Times:

Gluck's "Orfeo" achieved its place in the season's repertoire at the Metropolitan Opera House last evening, when Miss Matzenauer was heard in the role of the poet-musician, a part which she assumed for the first time since she has been in New "York. Miss Matzenauer's noble figure and commanding presence were of vast assistance to her in presenting the character to the eye- She wore a long rose-colored robe, and over this a purple mourning mantle. A laurel wreathe reposed in her hair. The effect was very fine.

Of course there is much music to be sung in "Orfeo," and even .the casual operagoer must consider that as Important as looking well. The music, of course, is admirably suited to Miss Matzenauer's voice and style, and she sang most of it well, the music of the first act especially so. She seemed to have some difficulties of breathing in the long phases of the second act, but she was again admirable in her air in the Elysian Fields scene. Like Mrs. Homer she chose to sing the " Divinites du Styx" from "Alceste " at the close of the first act.

A Gluck purist might object to this juxtaposition of two of his styles. Mine. Gadski again sang Euridice, a role which lies very far out of her best talents and yet into which she manages to project herself to some extent. Her costume, however, is absurd, and should be remedied. Mme. Sparkes is excellent as Amore and Mrs. Gluck sang the one air allotted to the Happy Shade in a commendable manner. The scenes are those which have been made familiar at this house during the last three seasons, each set suggesting the peculiar style of some notable French painter; the first act, with its deepening shadows failing from the tall trees. and the deep blue garments of the women, has perhaps more to commend it to artistic eyes that the others. In the Elysian Fields scene footlights are dispensed with and the lighting is all from above. The amount of artificiality taken out of a scene by this simple device, advocated by Gordon Craig, can scarcely be estimated.

Miss Myrtille, who is very pretty. but who does not know the rudiments of dancing, disported herself in two of the scenes in scanty attire. Mr. Toscanini conducted the orchestra, and to him, after all, the greatest amount of credit is due for the pleasant effect always associated with recent performances of this work at this house. After Gluck's opera had run its course the Russian dancers appeared in the same ten divertissements in which they had been seen on Saturday afternoon. Most of the audience remained to see them.



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