New-York tribune., 1890-01-02
THE BARBER OF BAGDAD.
A NEW COMIC OPERA


is have its first representation outside Of Germany
at the Metropolitan opera House tomorrow night,
will probably be quite free from that
OF the new ballet which is TO succeed II, and with
which il is doomed to be associated during
ths season at least. In one respect this is deporable
II would be exceedingly interesting possibly also in
structve to study without embarrassment the stti'
tude of Yois opera patrons in the year OF grace
1850 toward work which little less than genera
tion ago caused something like artistic rebellion in
one Of the intellectual capitals Of Germany. In
December, 1888, the public Of welmar
would have none Of the opera. This was
their privilege and matter OF taste
hut they made a question Of artpohtcs out OF
the desire of List to incorporate it in the repertory
of the Grand Ducal Court Theatre, ana houlged III
a demonstration i'll advised and ulmahheren as uAs
Of the Parisians against "Tannlaeuser III LODI an,
" "Lohcngrinr two three years ago. Inc result Di
the demonstration reflects little honor on the people
of Wcimar Liszt who had assumed the conductor
shin ~ the Court Opera without compensation ana
had raised it TO a position OF hrstclass Importance
put aside his baton and would have nothing more W
do with the establishment, which speedily reiap'ea
into its previous condition Of insiSnlhcance' POI
time the opera was forgotten but only 10 reappear.
cain the championship OF some of the brightest ana
mOss aggressive young musical SPIRITS OF "erhahF,
and finally 30 win its way nearly all the principal
theatres.
Everything about the work is tinged with roman
tic composer, Peter tOrneHus, "do d
nephew Of the German painter Of the same name
whose fame is perpeuated by the antique fiescoes IN
the Glvptothek in Munich. lie was actor poet,
critic musician and one of the Intellectual orna
ments Of the circle which List gathered around MN
when he cut short his an itinerant Vrtioso
and became conductor, composer and embodied art~
leaven in Weimar. There Cornelius composed this
opera, following his model, Wagner. In respect OF
writing his own libretto, and exempfying Wagner''
theories in the musical investurc Of the book Won
Buelow, Tausig and Draeseke were members OF thah
notable of reformers and agitators, ana Their
aims ambitions, hopes and even labors had large
representation in the score. The overture which VIII
be used 10 introduce the opera, orchestrated oy
Lisz Cornelius having composed it after the first pro-
duction, and sketched it only for panoforte, four
hands The entire instrumental part Of the opera VAS
reorchestrated by Tausig. These facts and L,Hts
enthusiastic plonshp, testify eloquenty 70 hs
admiration excited by Cornelius's talent In man
ner il was one Of the first fruits OF the New Ro-
mantle school, whose disciples expected il 10 prove
puis,ant missioner in behalf of their principles It'
performance caused a great connection, but populary
it was "A failure About eleven years AGO II Wa, pub
li,hed in pianoforte score, and promptly Felix N''u
came forward with review full Of enthusiast apprc.
citation Of its merits. but marred by much btern", ~
express.0 toward the school Of COMPOSERS and crucs
whose aesthetic principles antagonzed IN iis sc''s
There is the reader will have observed. good
deal Of romance the history Of The Barber 1t
IasdadT also in its subject. which i borrowed fpn
the T4or's story in The Arabian Nights; also n
the fact. which will doubtless cause no htte SURPRISE
among the studous musicians in Fridays audience,
that the comedy style which charactcrizes Wigner'
Mci,terslncer Won Nuremberg should have been -
distinctly foreshadowed in work composed decade
before that splendid musical comedy Under I'd.
crcums the present production 81 The Barber
of Bagdad@ can have little or no effect upon h'
future career II is an intensely German work, "a
-pl,e of il, oriental subject. some shouSi.htef ara
preudiced persons Will. Of course. argue rom Ns
fact that II IS a comedy without hunor. bni ND
matter. they did ~ in the Of Die Mei,ers nser
without disturbing the ghost ~ wagner or l'~-eHht
the obl-atlon which "a. English comedy stage y
iuter 10 the playwrichts OF Germany. TAem u
buu,or I'm the book Of The Barber and humor, too
Of a much admired kind when presented IN the
vernacular But there is minimum Of action, "n'h
IS a great obstacle I'm the way Of its ever acheNln;
general popularity here, and lis music Is distinctly
above the level Of common appreciation. II MAKES
u,e Of refncments Of melodc rhythmic and harmonic
expression which are yet the possession of the few
and the score. which ia DISTINGUISHED before All
else for the combined subtene,s. brllancv ingenuity
and finish Of il, Instrumentation. Is ful oi examples
Of musical dellneatOn, and especially of hul"''"'
characterization whose enjoyment Is conditioned ul"u
entire familiarity with the text and no small de-'ee
~ di,cernmeut and discrimination touching 'ompo>er
methods, II the people Of New YORK receive the
work with enthusiasm shall scarcely be a'le t
account for II II they pay II the trlbnte OF re- e'u
hearing half dozen times and manifest a hAinS Tor
some Of II, most characteristic features We sh'h
think the Circumstance significant Of susceptibility ID
the most radical tendencies in German composition,
If they reject it utterly, which We d. not believe theY
Will. the champions of poor Cornelius VINO never
lived to see the first Of his operas rumphs VIII
have no cause to be discouraged 1t Is after al
strange work in strange land.
The story Of The Barber IS extremely oflet
Nureddtn. an impressonable young gentleman o
Eacdad Is in love with Margana, daughter ~ Baos
Nustapha Cad, whom he has never met out u Whoi
he rhapsodlzes in his feversh dreams as the pay
opens while the chorus of attendants sing OF h' H.
ness and threatened death. message from the iht
one brought By iBostana. a relative OF the CAd sni
condante Of his daughter restores the young man %
health lie resolves 10 visit his charrner AZ the hour
when the chant Of the Muezzn shall summon the
uous Cadi the mosque. But first lie STANDS n
need Of barbers services ana Bostana sends I" Mn
Abul Ha,san Ali Ebe Bccar, the peerless prototype
Of all loquacious, prying, mtermeddInS BARRIERS.
Cornelius has captally caught the spirit ot "a
famil ar character The Arabian Nights the fellow
who In season and out OF season protests he IS
afflicted with a pau,ity of speech, though his seven
brothers were insuferaOle takers, who insists
upon casting the horoscope Of his unhappy
victim and entertaining him with his family history
and catalogue of all his virtues and requirements
before even honns his razor. Abul lia,>an All EDe
Bccar. whose name is proclaimed by the orchestra
AT the beginning OF the overture with pomp"usness
which would have satisfied nj, vanslorous soul.
IS A character for Gilbert and sullivan, ne chatcS
like the verlcst Of their MajorGeneraS Mihado> or
Lord Chanceors Even while Nureddin's soul l. de-
vourng itself with mpatlence the barber counts ~
his accomplishments an argument why his dstro'
logical predictions should not be ignored PITY ihn
a translation would rob the song Of its humorous
essence but the Gilbcrtlan streak viii be reccslte~
even In the German
Bin Akademilcr.
Doctor und Chcmikcr,
Bin Mathematker
Ind Arthmetiher
Bin auch Grammatikcr.
Sowie Acsthctikcr.
Feincr Rhetoriker
t,ro~>pr lIisorhcr,