The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-10-11


There seems little reason to doubt that
Car, Rosa's venture in Belfast with us
English Opera Company has Deen d
success financially, for it assurediy mas
in an artistic sense. Each ngnt haa
witness the production OF dliIerehs
piece, and each production has scoreu
a success. Mr.. Rosa does not seem W
run to the "star" business. his iueH
seems to be a good, honest, taltnIuI
rendition of the pieces in his repertoire,
having for all paris persons thorougniy
competent, who are able to sustain tnelT
parts and thus produce an evenly Oai-
anced performance such as gives sens sens
OF satisfaction unmarried by the deiects
That too often characterize productions
III which there are perhaps TWO sldIe'
who are made to do the WnoIe WolA,
and who are supposed TO be StIonS
enough to drag along any NUMBER VI
Indifferent performers. His singers are
all actors besides. which is very un.
usual occurrence. all must admit; ana
so proverbial has this fact become that
when one hears of great tenor, or
prima donna, he invariable looks LOT
more or less of a stick in the acting.
On Monday evening BiZet's superb
opera, Carmen" one which is each
season becoming more and more popC-
lar, was produced with Madame Marie
Rose in the title role, and Mr.. Valentine
Smith as Don Jose. Let US pause one
moment and contemplate the fact that
there is tenor, and a leading tenor IN
English opera, who. has the temerity,
might say the bold and unblushing Ell
frOntery to announce his name IS
Smith. He is 2 bold man who thus
dares override the traditions and Gus
toms of Thespian disciples for years;
who has the honesty to come out and
announce the fact that there Is not even
a smell of Italy about his name. Mr..
Smith has another popularity which
distinguishes him from the general run
Of Italian opera sfngers-he is a good
actor, better actor than singer, though
he is good tenor, but he has acquired
that good sense which tells him that
people who go to hear English operas
do not care to hear English sense muir
dered for the sake of an Italian trill, or
a flourish of sounds and a wild waving
of arms as a substitute for faithful and
honest acting. Pope has SAID:
'Tis not alone no harshness give offense.
The sound must seem 9n echo to the sense.
And while he referred to the art of COM
posing prose or verse, there is justice in
Its application to music; for where the
sound is at variance with the sense of
the words, it is rot of the r0tteueSt kind.
Music, if it has any virtue in it at all, is
good In that it is good sense, good feel
ing, ennobling sentiment. In the trans
latlon of hbrettOeS into English, I'M
bounded liberty is taken by the tranSla
tor and verSifier. One not possessed of,
or unable to understand the libretto in
the original, cannot tell what it con-
tains; but One-half the English YER
SlonS are filled with eXecrable stuff that
may be called rhyme, but which has no
more resemblance to poetry than the
patching of old shoes has to aStrOnomi-
cal calculations. Music, as full of poetry
and sublime thought as an egg is full OF
meat Is often, too often, set to words
that have no more SembianCe to the
sound than the dress of Patagonian
lady IN midsummer has to the costume
OF an ESquimaux damSel in midwinter.
Ii the music is to be judged by the
words, then truly two-thlrdSIof operate
music is full OF sound and fury, signi-
tying nothing" The notable excep-
tons are those which in the original are
English operas. In the works of Balfe
and Wallace, there Is q refreshing dis
tinction between them and the English
version of Italian or French operas, in
the original of which they may possibly
be intelligent and sensible; whereas, in
English versions they are so much
abOminable and insufferable trash.
6 Remember Me- The Heart Bowed
Down, Scenes that are Brightest"
and Happy Moments" are gems of
independent of the music,
and set to the music with which they
have now become inseparably asSociat-
ed they food the soul and the sense
with melody and sentiment blended so
tremendously and indissolubly that it is
as impossible to distinguish where the
power or the words cease and where the
potency of the melody begins. as to
think of separating the words of
g Home, Sweet Home" from the in
spring and incompatible melody OF Sir
Henry Bishop to which the immortal
words of Paine are sung. While music
and the memory of English versihcation
shall remain, these two, words and
music, with kindred productions, will go
hand in hand with the tide of incoming
generations, forever appealing 10 The
higher attributes to the nobler Sentl-
mentS, TO the hOlier passions of man
kind.
But to resume: All Mr.. Rosa's COM
pany seem to strive after the same de-
sirable Object-that there shall prevail a
sense of reSOnableneSs in the music and
in this one can recognize the guiding
genius of the promoter of the organiza-
ton; and while one finds no difficulty
or has no Scruples about making the
statement that he has heard much better
voices and better, infinitely better. exc
cuuon, than is to be found in Mr..
Rosa company. nevertheless there can
be given a ready and cheerful assertion
to the effect that in the tout ensemble
(kindly enquire of the Poluqlot editor if
those lis" the "words'0 there is an IN
usual, almost remarkable strength. Mr..
Rosa, in his company, also has several
persons competent to assume and ABLY
sustain leading parts. In sopranos, he
has Madames Marie Rose and Georgina
Burns and Miss Julia Gaylord. Besides
Mr.. Valentine Smith. the tenor. there is
alsOAMr. Barton McGuckin chow are
those for names, Smith and McGuckin.
tenors? who is an excellent actor an i
very capable tenor; while there are also
two barltones, the leading one being ex-
ceptionally good. His name is Leslie
Crothy, but from appearance, actions,
build, cut of mustachio and sideheard
whiskers, walk and department
should say his name ought to be Hon.
/ ). X. Thurman, of Provo CITY ITtab