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course, might possess a sure-fire ap- with the story. It had qualities that be Cesare Angelotti,George Cehanovsky By ROBERT BAGAR peal, each might be a tried and true considered nervc-ra eking, whereas The Sacristan....Satvalore Baccalonl Robert Bogar sí «died i»lano /ram success, yet there Is a particular en- what he was principally concerned in Spoletta.Alcssio De Paolis *hc c£?e o/ Hítie tc twenty-five. In the joyment for the listener—who hardly was the type of subject that couid be A Jailer Wilfred Engelman early da?ys of ra dio he picl/ed popular ever knows why—in the fact each transmuted into "the music of the Conductor, Ettore Panlzza and classical ntuslc on «ja»)/ programs, appears at the best possible place for soul," simple and unafTected and di- * * * $et>cn years ago he became Pití» San- It in that grouping. Change the order rect On discovering later that the born's assistant OH the New York around and, given the same perform- aged Verdi had spoken favorably A Rising O pera lie Composer World-Telegram. He is an associate ing conditions, the effect of the whole about Sardou's drama as an operatic Gian Carlo Men oil i Is not yet thirty- program annolalor for the Ncio York would be less than that of its parts. possibility, his interest in it was re- one, yet he has already earned an Pltllhanrionie Society, has Contributed newed, enviable place among modern Com- to tnoiiy newspapers and inoga^incs. Richard Specht, in his lucid and re- posers. He has had one pro- vealing book, ", His —The Editors. duced by the Metropolitan, "Amelia Life and His Work," says, "The people Goes to the Ball" (193*0, and another In this play ('Tosca1 > are at best con- UCH Is heard these days about is in process of production there for ventional figures, not real human be- the com paro live talents of this season, "The Island God." Be- ings. They are masks, Tusca of M symphonic conductors. You'll tween these two, his one-act opera, jealousy and love, S carpía of cruelty hear end i ess—y nd often stuffy—talk "The Old Maid and the Thief," was and lust, and even Cavaradossi, who concerning the "superior technic" of commissioned by the National Broad- has personal traits that make him this one, the "lyrical feeling" of that casting Company. The work was first more like a human creature than the one, the "Olympian authority" of an- presented in Aprii, IU3&. 1 rest, is a mere marionette. I must other and the "dramatic intensity ' of Mr. Monotll was born in Milan, confcss that, as a work of art, '' Btili one more, and then some. Discus- Italy, on July 7, 1911, where from is repugnant to me, that the torture sion Is good also for the musical soul, childhood he obtained the benefit of scenes nauseate me afresh every time, but most of It centers around the self- much musical experience. )n 1928, he and that, in spite of its popular suc- same topics and it usuaily winds up In came to this country, together with cess, it seems to me beyond redemp- a jamboree of ioane emotionalism. his mother, and he took lessons from tion from the esthetic point of view. Yet most of these wordy seances Rosarlo Seal ero at the Curtis Institute Hence the decision to set it to music scarcely touch on a most important of Music, Philadelphia, Both "Amelia seems to me to have been a mistake. function of the conductor—the build- Goes to the Ball" and "The Old Maid But I must also admit that, in the ing of programs. To what avail your and the Thief" won flattering com- very first scene, I find myself becom- magnificent batonist if he shows the ments from Critics and music-lovers ing absolutely Indifferent tn esthetic taste of a kitchen mechanic in devis- fl in genera i. considerations, and that, after the duet ing a list of numbers? No amount of His style follows the noble tradition between Mario and Tosca, I acclaim perfection in their performance can of Latin opera buiTa, and one or two Puccini's error, for it wrung from him possibly compensate for the sins of the commentators—this writer in- his most inspired music," against naturalness, let's say, or valid GRACE MOORE will star in The action of the opera takes place contrast (which is still naturalness), "Tosca," this, Saturday's Metro- in Rome In I.80Í), when ail Europe or an over-all dramatic unity (nat- politan Opera broadcast (Blue) uralness again J. 6ccthed with political intrigue—as Actually there is more to a sym- when does it not? Mario Cavaradossi, phonic program than we really hear, Take any of the items in that special a young painter, loves Floria Tosca, a no matter how much we may know grouping, placc it in a program with glamorous singer, and, incidental i y, an about its content. With the grouping altogether different fellows and we insaneiy jealous person. She is the Ln some special order of four or five have still another situation. Jt has Idol oí Rome and the abject of all works there is immediately estab- either taken on or lost something, men's affections. Mario is a republican lished a psychic Interrelationship something much too subtle to define, sympathizer, who hates the tyrant which diiTers from that of any other something outside of its purely musi- Baron Scarpia. The latter, in turn, Is arrangement. Each of these works, of cal value. also smitten with Tosca. Knowing of The great conductor knows ail this, the young people's love for eacii other, and his knowledge has come to him, he orders that Mario be brought to his usually, by experience, by ihe good apart men ts in the Farnese Palace, old method of trial and error, Some where the painter is put through tor- conductors—mighty few, we'll say— ture in the endeavor to discover the arc born with a psychic understand- whereabouts of another rebel, x^nge- ing of such things. We eouid mention lotti. Tosca is also brought there, and names and sample programs, but per- during her lover's agonizing cries re- haps it Is best to leave that for u later veals his part In the plot. Mario, occasion, therefore, Is sent to prison to await execution. She promises to give herself to A AAetropolítan "Tosca" Scarpia it he will release Mario, and the Baron Instructs his agent, Spolotla, BUSY conductor Frank Black is Giacomo Puccini saw Sarah Bern- to arrange for a "feigned execution." observing Sis eighth anniversarsarr y hardt play the part of Floria Tosca, Just as he is about to reap the reward as Musical Director for NBC heroine of Víctor i en Sardou's drama, for his alleged clemency and for the "La Tosca." Thai was at Milan. He additional favor of ijiving them safe knew not one word of French, yet he conducts but of Rome. Tosca plunges a understood everything. The work ap- eluded—discovered in his music cer- knife into his heart. She hurries to ihe pealed to him, particularly since it tain undeniable In Hu enees, notably of scene of the "feigned execution" and had been made so dear to him by Rossini and Wolf-Ferrari. However, finds, to her horror, that she has been means of the acting alone. His ideas they credited him with possessing a tricked, that the execution is cruelly of an openi had always fine talent, the ability to write music realistic» She leaps to her death, stressed simplicity. The listener, he that is Interesting, as well as dra- reasoned, must not be burdened with matically effective, and also a keen unnecessary detail. It should be up to THE CAST understanding of libretto construction. JOSEPHINE TUMINIA, young the composer to supplement whatever Floria Tosca Grace Moore Ill all of his efforts thus far, the li- Met soprano sings ako on MBS is required through his music. Mario Cavaradossi.. .Frederick Jagcl brettos have been written by the "Treasure Hour of Song," Sat. However, he did find some faults Baron Scarpia Alexander Sved young composer.

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