Rondine

Giuseppe Adami made a sorry tale out of scraps some twelve years ago, called it La Rondine (The Swallow) and gave it to Giacomo Puccini. Puccini, himself light-minded at the time, applied a handful of tunes, spliced them in his own skillful way and the result was a "lyric comedy in three acts" that had an indifferent sort of premiere at Monte Carlo in 1917. Last week and by courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera Company it was given its first performance in the U. S.

The story has not grown in stature since Adami transcribed it, nor has the music. It remains a rather unhappy medium between Camille and Sappho--with the fancy lady in this particular case called Magda, her paunchy patron--Rambaldo, the innocent youth for whom she flies her love-nest--Ruggiero, and for comic relief--a maid, a poet. Unlike Camille & Sappho the comic relief wins out, Ruggiero's intentions prove a little too honorable--and the swallow flies back home. Unlike the earlier Puccini scores, the element of tragedy is missing from the soft, curving arias and duets. Unlike Monte Carlo, the whole was almost reclaimed last week in Manhattan by the altogether pleasant production at the Metropolitan--by the gay, graceful Magda of Lucrezia Bori, by the caricatured poet of Armand Tokatyan, the brilliant Second Empire settings of Joseph Urban. Only Beniamino Gigli stayed out of picture. Squat and pompous he sang beautifully as the love-soaked Ruggiero.