New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-04-18
DELIBES AND HIS OPERAS.
. TALK WITH THE COMPOSER OF "LAKME.'

A TALK WITH THE COMPOSER OF " LAKME'"
HOW HE CAME TO WRIT. This NEW o'h"A-A'
OPINION on THE WAGNER QUESTION
,v,o> Az occ. sox.I CORRESPONDENTS OF THE TRIbUNh.i
P,p,s. March ON Leo Delibes IS tai''
,t,.. stout man O, about forty five years OF "s~ "
arnearonce he has mono Of the sngnai'uos "' r..
are inclined to imagine must dis'inR"s" au ,s1
the rest of hum snIty; HIS dark mar Us r"e'
| his beard is long end fuh his eyes arc =, ~.
,I.. For regularity OF fsatnres W. D7h"ess
..,,o small his cheeks too PUFFY ana cheeR ohe' ""
high; he would readily be taken LOT wen o-"o
uerchant than talented composer. NJ Dei'"os was
| nupiI Of NJ Adophe Adam IN the Paris CONSEQUENTLY
and in his own estimation he was Tcry lazy st"he"
ne has now passed the rrofessorship OF MUSICAL c"n
po,ton and figures Of the Jury In the examine
lions and competitions OF that institution
The composer Of LAX ne at present lives perched
p In the highest of OF the elevated houses OF
the Rue dc Rivolt Tho house admirably faces the
TuerIes gardens and the Scns His study Ia not mucn
larger than what in America Is called "a" ball ioom
7, contains small upright piano. three small
tables loaded with books and music" besides large
one stationed In front OF the window, calieu oy :"
Delb.s AN architects table,, that Is wioe pine "n-
PAINTED board supported crossed legs at its exem
ties Lakme compose IN thai room anu oh 'n"'
taue in parts OF the years 1851 and 1857
ct am enchanted that Lskme has met with such
succe,s IN NewYork" said NJ DeliDes 10 me after the
| favorable press reports which reaohou III" "o"'
| America had been translated to hill uor lie he'"oi
speaks nor reads Englisn). There was talk se'er"
times of giving 1t In America Nine NeVada rai"o'
| studied Lakme quite while with Inc. rh'h "h'
cr.er intended TO create il there You have no idea
how many reuuess I receive almost daily from Lady
singers to hear them In Lakne' Many OF 'heni ""'Vi
only ilusory ideas OF singing the opera Supposhg
Nine Allenand be one of these, did not give INC
lady as much attention during her stay III faris rs
would have done had I known that she really was t''c
| ,nltu los sin Lax
gave her some sugesi however when she s"ue fot
me- She has extreine facility III her upper hoies anu
that is one OF tne essential qualities required 10 sing
Lakme.'" .
Please tell something OF the origin OF i"'hue
| How it WAS composed ana for whom Y
| 81 was occupied with some other WORK, Wneh w.
Carvaho the director OF the opera Comqnc' oisea me
10 write an opera Nile Marie Van Zandt The idea
OF tine nbIetto taken from BOOK caiied 10
Marriage le Loti. written by French marine oicer III
1t we found the theme Of an English officer iailihs I'll
| love with Hindoo maiisn We puiihcd the SITUATIONS
some of which gross and POLITICALLY had the m"iou
die when her love was still pure aud Undecided CON
er the contrast between the English group ana those
o the II ndous full OF originality anu ONO "n0"
largely TO the attractions OF the Oh sra r."
| the music I made a collection OF Indian songs anu
melodies AMI imbucd myself them In reiatioL to
ia. local color the nusc let me give you an icucht
winch Will likely DC of interest. lhc rea!ers oi The
| rkbU. h. have probably read OF "a murder which loh
| mace in Paris some eight months ago. A Dait de
charnbr,, By Damc March tndon assassinatea Mine'
| a., 81 .,.,s tirip, ,lon, aid whose
laughter had died months before OF consumption
| Nue. 'orho'' ny '"o way ""' " - y, :, ,,,
n,rn In Navy pre .ns II through the AID ol that
family that Infused Hindoo airs IN my opera MI.
ornet aud family mad spent several years III iui'.
While ia that country -Mho. CosDot became lhtorostru
IN Tie weird Hindoo music. She quite number ii
songs and hal nor sins them scveiai times LOT '' '
! Al and
rs it true that you were often annoyed wlth Miss
Van zandls ca,riciousn'ss during tue rohe'r'A' Oh
wish state here that Mile an LaEd mas al my
synpa ncs. that very noH f"eren n1f n.I'iet .,d
tue OprrA Coiui4ue one Is a iS' " .,,ars
| talented woman aud geneiaiIy uustMor'b1 ,'o,,
with subtle dsceruuent One cahnoi deuy 'a' sue
very caprcious and Of-Dtimes Waywara' ana ,nst ne
cenriciile. aud caprices annoy every QUO at times.
For instance. OF tne last rene,rsas m L'k'nS
e took il mi her mead would not sing AID sie
"a, through whole ut the opera mnmoihS ohy parts
OF her Iole Reuearsals WIRE leu oi Tue i
| nor ance hat nothing couli induce her IT, sing Inc
IIrec~r and often III eKtremles' Not kno" ins
would be iikely to do next waen IN one o. D
tautruins Bat sue f.ily conp"i'ateu us iot an ai9
aces the ierrect amer III when sne oaer a1
LaLn.e She an Incarnation OF me chafacer, ani
perhaps there VIII never b as perfect NJ CarvaAo
i perhaps blame Tor his rreciptAncy IN LETTING 81
tne sagreeablc occurrence ai the opera MOUSSE
IL would probably not have taken place. tla' Is sue
%onid not have allowed to Appear the STAG #
hsr Wins and ways. she maize . very jndieiols
remark to the director immediately after the last run
III n"f sstun me enngn wncu left yoGr house, aud
sustained mc too much shen you wanted Inc to come
| ,ack
"a II true that Ldhme Is peculiar part To sing anu
takes I pGsH .n, ToGs a, to ' nat respect it
resemblance to tue supran, pant in the Made flute
heard NJ Houce make the Remark mat Nile sinmo-
, net VINO Low LasDac, never nai any success III
xel t.ougA With La@"s; IL IL sue" u''n0u'' '"'S ~