New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-08-20
MUSIC.
THE JAPANESE OPERETrA.

Mr. Duf's retreat leaves whatever advantage may Tie
In being FIRST in the field to Mr. stetson as his reward
for the hurried for last nights production
undertaken 10 check Mr.. Duds strategic move.
We fancy that tho advantages exists
at ALL Is but trifing and that 1t win he
more than Offset by the evil consciousness
Of the hasy production not to mention that while tho
giants QuarreIing pigmy carried on the bone OK
contention Undoubtedly after Mr.. Durs performances
are begun much Of the contest as is carried on out
side OF the viii turn the comparative excel
lence OF the representations and Mr.. Dun Will gam
something from the object which his performers
VIII he privileged to enjoy at the Fifth Avenue Theatre.
while Mr. stetson with have nearly week I'm which to
TX his company In the favor Of the public
There Is no Lack OF moral lessons which might properly
be enforced in view Of the unseemy quarrel over tho
operetta which has been going on for months, but II
doubfu whether the public would even iiston 70 the
moraIzing with patience. Tho obvious lesson IL tho
need of an international copyright law which VIII ex-
tend music and dramas as well as books The music
publishers of country fully alive to tho impor
lance OF this subject seven-eighths OF the capital In
vested I'm the music Publishing business represented
nv tho signatures appended petition sent to Congress
last year. and though the petition was buried In tho
committee room the signers Will move AGAINST tho
citadel Of Indifference again. Meanwhile
IL IA TO be expected that the public will take what
offered for their diversion without minute inquiry as
how It came here, aud that theatrical managers VIII
feel as little conjunction as PUBLISHERS IN acquiring
something for nothing Publishers here and In England
We not defend with plausible and ingenious
arguments theI appropriation OF transatlantic Drain
work. and it would be Lille to look for higher sense OF
ethical propriety among managers. 80 lar rs ths
question affects operea the chief regret con-
corning the is likely to arise from the TACT
that q work OF which We know that
realization Of its authors Intentions exaets tho
most pansaKing and intelligent preparation aud per-
lection Of every detail is pltchorked upon tho
,,t;,o ain md In "A
only By the rival managers. Nevertheless VIC are
bound to confess that there unexpected degree
OF finish In last nights performance.
We are spared need OF reciting the contents OF
The Mado by the fact that it has been gwen for ten
days (though much perverted and vuganzed form)
nv the company whose misguided manager defed the
majesty of the law in Older TO anticipate both Mr. Dnf
and Mr. stetson. Mr. Gilbert moreover, gave graeeini
and lively analysis Of II In essay which be contributed
10 this journal recently. and In which he made an ex-
position the methods by which no and Sir Arthur
sullivan produce their dyertlng musical comedes In
that ESSAY Mr. Gilbert confessed what this operetta
moro than any Of its predecessors, he
trays, namely, that since their nrst successes
the happily mated eolaborators have depended almost
wholly on externals for the suggestions for each new
work Mr.. Gilbert says that the broad iea OF tue Jap
anese opera occurred him at the sight OF japanese
execptioners swori hanging library. We question
whether Mr. Glberts first conception went further than
To the theatre Of his proposed play But In
the merely features lies nearly all that Is
new In The Mikado" The novelty consists In what IL
japanese and what is Japanese Ia comprised by ths
stage decorations and the attitudes OF the
nerrormers The characters with their fantastic names
and odd humors, are as much in the direct line
OF descent from the people OF the "Bao Bailads
"A were those OF Pinafore" and 1.-THE Pirates" Tho
fact H. Mr. Gilberts topsyurvy world, as II has been
perpetuated through half dozen new creations mas
been peoped from the original colony and
nothng IA more evident than that the descendants OF
the eoonsts may 60 begettng each other TO the eud
of the chapter without bringing forth type that snau
be new In anything except its outer covering There Is
never change In the sentiments OF his people; only
slight shifting OF the objects which occupy the sent
ments and an addition the phraseoogy by which they
are expressed. Paradox runs madiy through "Ihe
Mikado" as 1t did through Patience" and all the
rest everybody persists here there In seeing everything
and refusing 10 believe that pyramid can
rest on anything else than its apex The personases
who affect about anythin pursue the line on
which they until the road runs out In spur
rel track and this they follow up and aceep. the
result with perfectly grave complacency The whoss
process Mr.. Gberts creative activity Is exenpned
in the argument with which Ko-Ko Justines himself In
the eyes Of the Hiado. His Hghnesss word being Law"
whatever commands to be done Is AS good as done
already practically 1t Is doGe. Hence, when he COM
manded that mans head be cut Of, 1t was as good as
DONE practically done and there was no harm Ia
SAYING so though the deed was never performed
speaking now of Mr. Gilberts work as compared with
" Pinarore" and Patience" The Mkado" shows
less freshness invention and greater refinement IN
execution In both OF the earlier operetas there was
broad basis of satire and clever plot which sprung
naturally and rested firmly on the satrieai foundations
In The Mikado" both these elements are weak, and
the life comes the exquisite humor and the polished
ingenuity of isolated points, such the speeches In
which the characters publish their names or natures
Poo Bahs pride OF ancestry natural enough TO one Oh
pre-Adamite descent" who could trace his ancestry
back TO protoplasmal primordial atomic giobule,
and who consequently had developed family pride that
was something inconcelvable" and manifested ITSELF
In the fact that no born sneering" is case In
point Another instance Is the truly Japanese idea OF
the unyieldug character of the penal code and the
equally characteristic indifference to death (when u Is
to come to snotherl which inspires the hikados
speeches In condsmning Eo-Ko for comprising the
death of the neirapparcnt There isn't tho sghtes
sign OF ill-wl It's all q mistake and Ko-Ro was in no
sense to blame unfortunately the law neglected to
consider possible qualifications OF this kind. and the
Miado goodnaturedy gives his impression about tho
punishment Something lingering with boiling oil In
IL. fancy" no says "Somethng OF that sort THINK
boiling oil occurs In It, but I'm not sure. know
it's something humorous, but lingering, with either boil
ing oil or melted load Come come, don't fret-rm NOS
bit angry" Then he postpones tho execution I'LL after
luncheon Drolleres Of this kind and equally absurd
conceits kinds attach all the characters who
are actually In the action OF the play and re-
place the dramatic interest which they lack The most
unfortunate in all respects Is Kasha. who Is COM
PEELED be contented with single speech OF not very
refined humcr and capital duet with KoKo. Sir Arthur
sullivan attsm pied to make amends by placing an am
bilious ballad IN her mouth, IL sounds incongrnous,
aud DO the part never we'll played, Kafisha viii
have to plush when she thinks OF her inferiority
to her maternal ancestors, the bumboat woman tho
piratca maid of-a work, Lady Jane the fairy queen,
and Lady Blanche
Mr. Gilbert In tho essay already referred to- compares
dramatic author to q caterer who has to supply
dish OF which ali members Of every class Of society
invited to partake. The dish must not be crsms dc
.,IoI. nor hakad -hend far ohytous reas0Da