New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-03
MUSICAL COMMENT.
THE "ADAPTATIONn OF FOREIGN OfEREI-
TAS-"LA CIGALE"-DvORAK AND
HIS REQUIEM.


ton which foreign OPP retas made to undergo 10 III
them for performance In English. In the case of
some, La Cigae7 Is an example IN TINS Glass; INC
transformation is double one. First the orighai
book and score are adapted" ION, Comus' WHAT
offences covered by that wordD to suit what we
suppose must be English taste, which means tat OPP
portunes for sklrdancers must be created some OF
thu composers music cut out TO allow the Introduction
| Of sweetly precious ballad two and the "book'
worked for the display Of those Englsh puhS
which excruciatingly funny that scotchmah
the joke without trepanhlng, while an Anrri-
| can can't. Then tile play, no matter now
homely and rustic its theme. must be
dressed so that solomon I'm all his glory sur
rounded by the Queen of shebas court would not be
able to hold IA candle to it. When such singular
chang, ling shores the American adapter
OF stage manager falls upon it in his turn IL must
be localized" for the comedian lsocalled by the grace
Of careless printers ink and patient white paper so
that no may for moment think that the authors
intended to create Illusion expected their work
10 be considered in any other light than horsepay Win
| inciden. al music. a little profanity adds mueh-de-
sired pquancy, and to bring the flavor sufficiently
high TO win approval, much as possible OK tle
current slang OF the street must be introduced III inc
prima bu.a {" prima DONNA the bills or The tenor
can then supply the sauce OF moral scandal the savory
dish is ready for the delecatOn of the public For
entirely ASSOCIATED with the cultivation OF
don, rather has always manifested a prediction for
French operettas America for German. BuI no mat
ter where the Operetta comes from, be 1t Paris or
Vienna, this is the process of literary adaptation
In New ork This part Of the work IS generally supple
mented also by the addition of "A musical finale or two,
conveyed thc wise cal IT. from the writer's Of tho
Nienncsc school
Now what is there In the character Of English ana
American playgoers which requires that the products
Of The clever Of France and Germany shall he first
despoled and then tricked out with commonplace and
vulgarty? And how did the purveyOrs Of comic
opera. il is called discover that AudIan and Suppe
and strauss need the help Of musicians like Ivan
Caryll and Mr. Kerker! And that the wit Of men Nike
Onenbach's librettists or NM. Chivot and Durn or
Gene and Whitman, needs to be Favored with the
emanaons Of Bu'Tand and Harry Smlth IL the
French and German writers do not know how to make
Operettas, why do seize upon their products with
such avidity II they do know their business why
do not occasionally do them the courtesy Of per
forming their comedies and singing their music without
distortion and vulgarizationl As a people we are
every day showing more appreciation for music and
the drama; why must we proclaim with every. new
Operetta that In this form Of entertainment. form in
which remarkably fine talent has displayed ITSELF
wanting in all sense Of artistic propnety 1t
is perhaps not a matter Of much moment, but 1t
would be interesting to learn why the verbal and
musical adapters asked to rend sOphistcate pro
vinclaze and brutaize every graceful Partisan or
London or New-York.
Here IS "La Clgale' The title Of the operetta.
with its suggestion Of La Fontaine's fable and the
familiar French picture Of scantiy clad and shiverng
music girl little better than silly confidence game.
The implied smile has existence i'm the plot OF the
comedy, and the direct all1lsion To the liable ana
picture dragged in without warrant Marion Is not
fguratlve grasshOpper, nor Charlotte an ant,
and the play turns the moral OF the fable all topsy-
turvy. But all that is harmless species Of deception
The title is attractive the play is pretty one, and
most of NJ Audran's music dainty aud gracious. 1t Is
an operetta that might give employment to more than
respectable musical and hstrionc talent and thereby
exert charm without the slightest help from ex
traneous sources. There is even gentle touch OF
pathos in it, and enough Of satirical purpose to
justify its being called comedy. Its scenery might be
made fully as beautiful that which the lavishness
Of Mr. French has given 1t without wording the least
injury to the realism of the play. There is in the
original most amiable idea in the chdrens partici
patton In the Christmas festivities and the fete gives
ample opportunity for dress. But why do the country
folk, including Marion and Charlotte, appear in so
much fnery7 Why is the Dutch Uncle BOwery
clown with a wit Why do the skirt-dancers
come in to cut Off the thread Of the story Why Is
an orchestra OF put the stage to play some
interpolated music which IL 1t wanted could be
played a dozen times better by the orchestra of the
theatrel Why should the ravishlng picture which
Miss Russell presents be marred In every scene by
projecting in front of II the naussng image OF that
eTinnng and grimacing, struttng and stridulous,
tuppeny Teutonlc tenor1 Mr.. French has enlisted
some excellent talent; nearly all Of his people sing
well, notably Miss Russell and Miss Claire
and Mr.. DUNCAN, though trifc TOO
elusive, actually makes a dramatic character
out of the Duke But Mr.. Harrison-fauGh Mr.
Rylev in the small role Of william, Is ten times as
amusing without trying to be, by simply keeping
within the dramatic frame We wish, for the sake OF
thi, amiable comedy with music, that Mr. French mad
been less generous. lie could so well have dispensed
with his clown and his lugubrlous baritone his dancers
and thu !ntcpOlated music (how trashy aud empty the
srutting waltz finale Of the first act sounds in com
pason with the simple song In gav0tte measure, or
the One Day Margot,' the duet, why Not
Begin ~, his female orchestra and such eXcrescenceS
But La Cigale" will be success. Miss Russell,
the radiant would save 1t had it malteated twice
as much as il has been by adapters and performers
The STAGE pictures are exceedingly beautiful the music
attractive and well performed under the direction OF
Mr. Williams while Mr.. French's too great generosity
will not be charged against him as fault by the
careless lovers scenic display who make the bulk
Of operetta audiences.
News comes from London which indicates that there
are signs of cessation in the food of music which
AntOnin Dvorak, the Bohemian composer, Is pouring
out. For the birmingham Festival held two weeks |
ago. he composed Requiem Of large dimensions. the
performance Of which he also directed lie has now
In manuscript these movements for orchestra in the
overture form which he has entitled respectively |
" Nature Life and Love- lie has bracketed !
them together. but they may be played separately
IL said that in the last he has attempted setting
Of the "Othelo" story. lie has also composed trio |
for pagOfore violin and viOoncello, which Is said to
be in six movements, and t. utilize the bohemian form
for which Inc has natural liking. The London Tele
graph speaking OF Herr DvCraks engagement as |
director OF the National Conservatory of Music says
hat though the contract not yet signed It's con.
titOns were satisfactory, and the signature would
doubtless be appended on the composers return 70 |
Prague. Dvorak,' continues The Telegraph, as
an annual salary OF $4,000 for two years.
leginnng In September EeXt. Onehat Of that sum