Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
national fame. In the violin world we will
enjoy Maud Powell, who returns in Jan-
uary from a notably successful career
abroad; Alexandre Petschnikoff, who will
also make his appearance in January, and
Leonora Jackson, who had planned to re-
turn to Europe for a series of appearances,
but cancelled her engagements and will re-
main in this country.
the Casino; " T h e Goddess of Truth;"
" Friend Fritz "and "King Rene's Daugh-
ter."
His latest and greatest suc-
cess, written in collaboration with Mr.
O PEAKING of opera in Covent Gar- Stange, is "The Jolly Musketeer,"
*^ den, London, brings to mind reading- played by the Jeff De Angelis Opera Co ,
in an English paper that one week's re- perhaps one of the most popular comic
ceipts for six performances recently operas ever put on the road. Another
amounted to $35,000, and these "takings" triumph of his was "The Princess Chic,"
are said to have been the largest ever for which Kirke La Shelle wrote the ly-
known in the history of opera in England. rics. This opera was a great success at
Yet at the Metropolitan Opera House, six the Columbia Theatre, Boston, and won
performances that yielded no larger sum as much favor at the Casino in this city.
than this would be considered far from With Harry B. Smith, he wrote "Jupiter"
satisfactory. Four hundred stall seats which was successfully produced by the
were sold every night at advanced prices. Digby Bell Opera Co.
Among all the artists who appeared dur-
Julian Edwards is original to a degree
ing the week, there was not one who re- and his music is at all times melodic,
ceived two-thirds as much as he would de- pleasing, yet distinctly individual. His
mand in New York. This difference is success is merited in every way, and his
supposed to be due to the greater cost of past triumphs are sure to be augmented
by greater ones in the near future.
^ .
JUDGING from Charles Frohman's an-
^
nouncement that he is going in ex-
tensively this coming season for the dram-
atization of tooks, it may be taken as a sure
indication that plays so constructed have
been financially successful in recent years.
They have not always been good plays in
themselves, but, as a writer in the Sun well
says, the success of the book from which
they were taken has naturally aided them.
When Paul Potter made a play fr. ra
"Trilby" five or six years ago the wise
men in the theatrical world predicted in-
stant failure for it in a New York theatre.
JULIAN EDWARDS.
Mr. Potter himself was not sanguine of
living in New York, which as a matter of success. The dramatization was well
fact is not felt much by visiting artists. enough done to make a play that would
The cost of living in luxurious hotels is run a season on its own merits and when
about the same the world over. One mem- this had been accomplished every one who
ber of the company who received here last had read the book wanted to see it and the
winter just twice as much as he does in result was an unexpected success. A
London on the ground that the cost of liv- novel need not even be dramatic to tempt
ing was so much more, used to take his a manager to turn it into a play. If it has
dinner daily at an Italian restaurant where been popular enough to make its char-
the table d'hote costs fifty-five cents. Yet acters well known the skilled play maker
he complained of the cost of existence will supply the dramatic features without
here. The number of appearances offered taking too great liberties with the author's
to the singers in London is about one- work. One advantage of such a play is
tenth of the number they demand for the that its general character has been well ad-
United States.
vertised by the book itself before the play
is presented.
T H E successful career of Julian Edwards
* demonstrates that in this busy world,
E can all breathe easier now. The
full of competition and strife, there is al-
gracious and statuesque Clara Butt,
ways room for the man of ability—the man who recently took unto herself a husband,
who has "something to say worth hearing" and who is slated to renew acquaintances
—the man who makes " openings" instead on this side of the "big pond" next winter,
of having them made for him. Frcm hum- has. after profound deliberation, decided
ble beginnings Mr. Edwards has won his to sing in future as "Mme. Clara Butt"
way to the front rank of leading composers and not as "Mme. Rutnford-Butt," which
of light opera, and is known and esteemed in compliment to her husband was at one
by music-loving Americans everywhere. time contemplated. The decision is a wise
Success has not turned his head. He is as one. A woman six feet two inches and a
modest, unassuming and democratic to-day quarter tall is certainly impressive enough
as when Dame Fortune chose not to look without further "attachments."
with as kindly favor on his wooing.
Mr. Edwards has been associated with D I C H A R D WAGNER is said to have
been affected in a superstitious way
all the best known lyric writers of the day. ^
With Stanislaus Stange he wrote the mu- by the figure 13 (note the 13 letters in his
sic of " Brian Boru," played by the Whit- name). He was born in 1813 (1 plus 8 plus
ney Opera Co.; "Madeline, or the Magic 1 plus 3 equal 13) and at the age of 13 the
Kiss," produced by the Camille D'Arville bent of his taste and diligence was dis-
Opera Co.; "The Wedding Day," given at played by his translation of the first twelve
HP HE first performance in England of
'
Puccini's opera " L a Tosca," which
occurred at Covent Garden, London, re-
cently, aroused the greatest enthusiasm. It
is generally conceded by the critics that
the music is fascinating and beautiful, full
of refinement and dramatic intuition and
tells with infinitely greater force than the
cold words of the book, the story of the
opera. Signor Puccini was very lucky to
have so gr^at an actress as Fraulein Ter-
nina to assume the part of Tosca. She
sang and acted, it is said, as did her asso-
ciates, with such tremendous power as to
make one wonder that they could last
through the performance. To quote lite-
rally : ''Signor Scotti's noble voice sounded
as gloriously as ever, but he seemed to
miss much of the self-poise and false dig-
nity always assumed by such a character as
Scarpia. Signor de Lucia sang, as he always
does, with the utmost intensity, but could
not for obvious reasons carry the heroic
bearing his character demanded and neces-
sary to arouse sympathy. Although Pucci-
* ni's wonderful talent and the splendid co-
operation of three great artists gave one of
necessity a most enjoyable evening, it
must be deplored that so grewsome and
hideous a story as that of 'La Tosca'
should be put to music at all. Nothing
more horribly malignant in the whole range
of modern drama was ever conceived than
the character of Scarpia, and it seems some-
thing of a pity to allow such a fiend in the
field of music. And yet it is after all a
tribute to the art of Puccini that he did his
work well in making the Scarpia of his
opera quite as fiendish as Sardou in the
drama."
Y\ 7E understand it is Sig. Puccini's pres-
* * ent intention to visit America next
winter, when doubtless opera-goers will
have an opportunity to see, hear and judge
for themselves as to "La Tosca" and its
composer. It will be interesting to note
the attitude of our local public and critics
toward this much discussed work when it
is produced at the Metropolitan. Experi-
ence has demonstrated that a revolting
story, even if enshrined in the most beauti-
ful music, does not win its way into general
favor. Spinelli's "At |the Lower Harbor"
is a case in point. A remarkable opera
truly—picturesque in staging, and refresh-
ingly original and pleasing musically,—
yet the story is so realistic and coarse, that
it has not been, and probably never will be,
accepted as a standard work. Operas like
"La Tosca" and "At the Lower Harbor"
are interesting as character studies in mu-
sic. Just like their prototypes in literature
they reek with bestiality and animalism.
There is nothing uplifting, or spirituelle
either in their music or story. That such
works can touch the heart of music lovers
or leave, a pleasing impression on the men-
tal palate, we greatly doubt.
W