Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
language, and how could Debussy have composed
"Pelleas et Melisande" if he had not been in-
spired, first with a text in his own tongue?
Why not dispense with this unnecessary pother.
The last thing that America or any other nation
wants to-day is foreign opera translated into the
tongue of the country in which it is performed.
It is the custom in France, Germany and Italy to
perform opera, whatever its authorship, in the
vernacular. Why? Not because the opera man-
agers necessarily desire the condition to obtain
but because they cannot afford to pay other than
native singers to perform for them.
It is strange that the absolute discrepancy be-
tween opera translated into English and opera
composed in English is not apparent to the veriest
partisan, says the Boston Post. If there is ap-
parent on every side the subtle and fundamental
union which exists among the arts of each coun-
try. And the essence of that spirit as expressed
in the native language, then how in the dickens
can any one suppose that in wilfully distorting a
rnasterwork by putting it on the stage in one lan-
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
guage and in another music, the American com-
poser sitting up in the loft with the garlic eaters
will be moved to the construction of "opera in
English."
An art and a language are equally the expres-
sion of the spirit of a people. Would you care to
attend a performance of "Carmen" in Berlin? You
would, no doubt, if you were a German, but for
Heaven's sake stand by the wonderful chance
given, not to the free-born, but what is so infin-
itely greater, open-minded American, and get a
decent perspective on the eternal fitness of things!
The only English opera that can possibly exist
is opera conceived and composed by Anglo-Sax-
ons, or by those with whom English has become
a mother-tongue. Otherwise we prefer ours
straight. If we are going to witness and listen
to a turgid bit of Italian realism, there are just
two th'ngs that will make the stuff endurable, and
interesting, the Italian language and the .fervid
Italian music. Would you have the exquisite
"Manon," say, of Massenet, in rubber boots? Then
translate it into English. And if you prefer
63
anemic, emasculated nonsense to the great, rich,
creative prose of the "Ring of the Nibelungen,"
go ahead, and translate it in English. Wagner,
however, didn't compose that way.
Dealers who are not handling
CABLE-NELSON
PIANOS
owe it to themselves tc
find out about them
at once.
CABLE-NELSON PIANO CO.
Office and Salesroom:
Fourth Floor, 209 So. State St., corner
Adams (Republic Building).
CHICAGO. ILL.
Factory: South Haven. Michigan.
Some of the best posted piano men have learned of the money
making powers of the
Pianos. They are attractively created.
dealers and investigate them.
Be one of the wise
JACOB DOLL & SONS, Inc.
98 to 116 SOUTHERN BOULEVARD
NEW YORK
GRANDS, UPRIGHTS
HIGH GRADE
LEADER
SEYBOLD PIANO and ORGAN CO.
ELGIN,
For the
DEALER
THE
Received the HIGHEST AWARD
World's Columbian Exposition
NEW and BETTER
Chicago, 1893
T H E KRELL PIANO CO., CINCINNATI, O
The Styles For 1912
Excel All Previous
Creations
Factories
Cypress Avenue
136th and 137th Street
New York
Krakauer
Pianos
RICCA
Represent in
their construction
A Piano Worth While at
a Popular Price
the highest
Exoluslvo Representation Given. Soms Good
Territory Still Open
mechanical and
RICCA & SON, Ino
artistic ideals.
KRAKAUER BROS., Makers
93-99 Southern Boulevard, New York
HENRY
KELLER *
SONS,
MANUFACTURERS OF
ESSENTIALLY A HIGH GRADE PRODUCT
UPRIGHT PIANOS
MANUFACTURED BY
6
ILLINOIS
F . R A D L E , w... Saff" s .r.e. N e w Y o r k City
Whit look Avonuo,
Between l . ^ S ^ a n d Long-
U-^MJ-O-U^O-tK'-TJ'^
The We ser Piano Is The Best
Proposition In The
M a r k e t To-Day A n d We
Are Ready To
_ _ _ _ WESER
_ _ _ _ BROS
_
^ A.. :* .STH
Prove It By Sending A S ample
On Approval To Any
R e s p o n s i b l e Dealer I n
The T r a d e
NEWTORK
-•-.
,.»_..'.V. a* , L