New-York tribune., 1886-07-18
Of tho banking firm Of the Barinss Ths Ia
opera produced tbroe weeks ago 10 sThs 1ronhss

IanA
| opera produced tbroo weeks ago 10 tho I ronhss
dour," words by DR.. Huefer. music by Mackenzi"
embraced tho first opportunity that offered 4
hear this work, and am glad to bear testim0nv =
the much that is meritorous in it both from ~
ray and musical point of view. Its snbiect T. .
trne story Of medi8val mnstrelsy IN the Province
the public by bis excellent book the trou5adous
and their art. | cannot persuade myself. even
while confcssng that Dr. Hueiters presentation NJ
the story is ingenious as well as fOrceful and tbst
he has skilfully thrown veil around some of ~.
Objectionable features, that it yearned for dr amats
expression. Tho singular state Of morals which n
disclOses is not element in a series of incidents a.
surcharged with poetic beauty that the boan,v
must be held to offer cOnplote extonuation NJ.
the violation OF ethical convent tions. The bsld
facts upon which the drama has been built ars tbsS
a Troubadour who has become enamored NJ !.
countess pursues her to her husbands castle wis,s
while gucst, he continues his woolng until ~:
slight opposition OF the noble lady is oysrcoms
material aid IN this respect being offered Nv th.
cOnntesss sister. who is herself berothed 70 tbs
dearest of ths counts friends. The connr con-
vince OF his wlfes inhielity. accompshes The
death OF the guilty lover and has his corrs Lrnusbt
in to the wife while the latter obeying her Iords
commands. is pledgng the health of an ahscnt
friend " in a rare wine called Sanb del trob.d
Blood oil the Poet" In the orign ii story the hn.
baud cOmpels the wife to cat her lovers roasted
heart with c0ndments DR.. IIuefer did not c,rs
that his public should sup Of horrors to the d.ors
implied in sucn spectacle, and cIeverly jngged
with the episode until one is not certain whethrr
not the goblet presented to the har less woman
in the last contains what is really or only meta
phorcally the blood of the poet" but tn, effect il
grewsome enough as It Is. On seeing The body Of
her lover and hearing from her husband that A
was his blood in guse of wine which she had drunk
the countess exclaims:
"No meat or earthly drink shall touch these lima
Nor take from them the sweetness which the
OF CULLEN there has Left;
and hurs herself to death from balcony. Hieh.
class models influenced DIR. Huefer IN his work Of
throwing story into operatic FORM and many OF
his lyrics and tho Intervening dialogue which Mr.
Mackenzie has set IN free and dramatic manner
indicative of mind advanced beyond old couven-
tlOns, are full OF pOetical beauty. Dr. ilneter na
been more happy than his collaboration Ia Offering
rhythmical and metrcal variety to the public, but
he does nor disclose constructive ability a dram.
atist and one looks in vain for life and movement
in his play. The characters do not grow (except
perhaps Morga,1da, the heroinel. and the play
presents the anomaly OF being one IN which the
entire second act passes without materially
advancing the action. Mr.. Mackenzies music 10
better calculated to interest the musician and cult
ured amateur than the ordinary opera-goer 1t is
high in It's aims, especially the instrumental part in
the treatment of which Mr.. Mackenzie is much
superior to his British contemporaries lie has made
the orchestra the most potent dramatic factor OF his
work and has developed the tragedy there vita
real skill and occasionally with power. HIS last
act is strong aud beautiful the third too. is hna
while the weakest music s IN the second. where tie
bOOk-maker left him IN the !urch. The opera will
not achieve the popularity Of Nadeshta." and
doubt whether Mr.. Mackenzie will speedily again
enter the dramatic field. |. is not his best
rrOvnce Ii were to venture upon rash and
reprehenslblo a thing as to institute a comparison
betweeL him and Mr.. Goring Thomas, shonld say
that Mr.. Mackenzie is a better musician than he 10
an opera- writer: Mr. Thomas, on the contrary. q
better opera-writer than ho is musician.
But am losing sight OF my purpose which was
rather to show what fruits have followed MI
Rosa's wise planting than to enter upon a close
criticism of those fruits, and To make plain to
American readers what excellent reasons their
English cousins have for wishing to the move
rDent in favor of opera in the yernacuar flourish in
America where they fancy a National opera VIII
soon be. If it le not already. established. Why
mott You have the money. the enterprise, the
singers" say composers, publishers and managers
with hearty unaU unity and "Why not n mnst he
echoed by every real lover of music in the United
States. 1t is positively touching to one who has
watched the Musical activities Of the two
countries during the last decade to hear ths
expressions of English Incompetence to wrests
with the operate problem compared with the
assumed ability Of America. in view of the really
excellent and earnest work doing here. - An, but
you have the Voices! Give us your voices, give us
your really appreciatlve pubic and vour rich
people who do what tie Government here VIII not
and we will have a National opere. they say cn all
hands and then fall back INTO the despalrins
complaint: " But our rich men Will not give a
practical subOrnatiOn TO q house as the Nctre
potau Opera ockholders do to yOnr German
opera and though have 4 splendid Royal
'Ollege OF Music Se maintain an opera class IN il
with the utmost difficulty because of the oppos-
tion to opera which has representation even III the
College Council" This opposition Is oiournful
fact its least singular feature Is ths. thas
some OF it comes from Nine. Jenny Lind
of the College Faculty. Yet the work of the opera
class, as had an opportunity to study 1t At per-
formance of Cherubnps Water Carrier" at tho
Savoy Theatre ON June "a in the highest
degree creditable tc an institution not yet out OF
its Infancy H. T.. M