The Red Cloud chief., 1882-06-22
A Plea for English Opera.

The following is a copy OF q letter
Sent bv Silas e.. Pratt, the composer. tn
a gentleman eminent in musical circles,
regarding Mr.. Pratt's opera '.Zenohia."
which is To he produced ut Chicago in
June. with Cary and Litta in leading
roles, supported by a chorus of 200
voices and an orchestra of 60 perform
ers. The letter will be Of exceptional
interest I O musicians in all parts Of the
country:
The great interest you have shown
in the opera .Zenobia' and its success
encourages me TO speak plainly and
earnestly with regard 10 the lyrical
drama in America. and the causes and
hopes that have led to the conception
and completeness Of the work. Ii is
known that opera in q strange tongue is
enjoyed TO n very limited degree, only
those parts that are melodic and beau
tiful without words holding the listen
ers' attention. Dramatic work based
upon the thought solely is lost, for if
one seeks to get the sense tpathos. love,
hate. or whatever sentiment il may be
intended to portray by following the
translation, the action and appropriate
ness of the music are unnOticed. And
IL one looks at the action. one must
guess at the word. and in the puzzle the
syllable power. the thrill of sense. the
beauty and strength of musical treat
ment are unheard. The prejudice against
the English language musically has
passed away. having been based upon
an improper use of it, rather than from
any deficiency of euphony inherent in
the speech itself; because, also, the trans
laiions of Italian operas in the main
were absurd. at times ever disgusting.
the fault being rs much with the original
text. however, rs with the translator. 1t
is a fact that Germany to-day possesses
a national opera. and France may also
claim a similar distinction; and when it
is known that the v~ernacular Of both
these countries possesses all the UNI
musical qualities Of our own. and many
in addition (as the cultural oh in ich,
dieh. mich. the z in Fart. the Il. the sch
as in schon. etc, in the former. and the
nasal pcculiarities so well known in the
~latter), the Engljsh-speaking nations
NAV Justly hope for \ like result in their
mother tongue. Again. the paucity of
pocticai thought, the shallowness of
plot. in Italian opera more especially. in
many instances giving situations that
appeal to the bsser passions. encour-
aged me TO attempt . higher standard
of characters with appropriate ideas.
These easons. with the desire
10 give our country 4 work that might
claim the respect of the musical people.
the hope of contributing something to
the establishment Of American opera.
and the wish to enter = protest against
the immoral tone Of many grand operas.
with the firm belief that the. public in
general will sustain n sincere effort
nj elcvating the standard Of the lyric
drama in on country. have been the in
centives holding me to the work Of
completion. the dudgery Of detail and
the task OF revising and correcting.
MAY l not hope for \ kindly reception
at the hands OF my w countrymen.
and while desiring no fayors ON account
Of nationality, except that in consider
ing its merits they win put aside the
prejudice 81 prevalent against Ameri-
can composers. and treat the subject -
fairly rs though il weir written by .
citizen Of some foreign land. that il may
not be said il IL . misfortune, in music
70 b bon IN AmeIioAn