"Perfect Tenor"

To rise to the position of leading singer of the Metropolitan, musicians of this Continent usually strive for European reputation first. Edward Johnson, by birth, Canadian, "trouped it" on the other side under the name, Eduardo Giovanni. Knocking about in all kinds of company, playing whatever parts fell to him, this Signor Giovanni finally won his reward. Last week, Director Gatti-Casazza assigned him five leading tenor roles to be sung within eleven days.

That is an unusually strenuous schedule, demands phenomenal memory, perfect physical condition. Tenor Johnson satisfies these requirements. As Romeo, in Romeo and Juliet, he appears in the medieval doublet and hose, which offer few opportunities to the tailor who would drape the mishaps of nature in kindly camouflage. One notices at once why he has been called "the perfect tenor." His waistline is where every true Romeo's waistline should be, where most tenor waistlines are not.

Another of his roles for the eleven-day period is Avito in L'Armore dei Tre Re. For this, he fits himself snugly into the insolent costume of the Florentine prince, again doublet, hose, cloak and hat with a plume. In a third, Pelleas in Pelleas et Melisande, the period is the same. Only the color schemes vary. Romeo is purple; Avito, grey; Pelleas, blue. The wig is always the dark, bobbed one that goes with almost anything, falls just below the ears, long enough to be romantic, short enough to avoid bothersomeness. Only in the new U. S. opera, The King's Henchman, does Tenor Johnson feel dressed up. As Aethelwold, the emissary not quite great enough for the mystery of betrayal, he strides onto the stage in the heavy leather and brass armor of early Saxon warriors. Another singer might find the weight of these crude garments oppressive.

With so many parts to perform in such a brief period of time, one may wonder with a private grin, does Tenor Johnson ever forget which medieval garment belong to Romeo, which to Pelleas, which to Avito? Since he dresses himself, so many ways, does he ever sing to the fair Melisande what is for the ears of beautiful Juliet only? The executives of the Metropolitan Opera will assure you he does not; that they know of no singer in their distinguished company who lives his roles more intently; that only a man of his remarkable physical endowment could stand the strain as he does; that he is a great believer in physical culture; that weekends usually find him near the seashore, or in the mountains.