Omaha daily bee., 1891-01-18
VERDTS LAST GREAT OPERA,
A Humorous Exposition of Sir John Fal-
STATS DOings,
ARRIG0 B0IT0, THE BOOK MAKER.
Inc Crowning Composition OF tho
"reat Maestro - Ready for the
op'ning of La scala During
the Season OF 1891 and 90.

iiiNhuS ucSlIc 10 WIlte u comic Opcru-Or, ua
he phrases il, musical comedy as apart from
opera bouffe. But the difficulty in finding o
good liDretto deferred the attempt so long
that the possibility of success passed from
the minds of those around him-and after
vainly repeated searches through the plays
of Goldonl, Moliere aud other noted play-
wrights, the maestro himself apparently
abandoned the idea, and produced "Othello''
as the finale of his life work.
But evidently fate, or providence, or what
ever people in general put their faith In, de-
creed otherwise, for in the summer of 1850
Verdi spoke Of his cheated hopes to Arrigo
Boito, his collaoorator-and the clever cons
poser OF "Mcfistofele''-who pondering, re-
tired to Nervi Ligure, near Genoa and after
forty-eight hours close meditation and work
$50 it is said, put into Verdi's hands brlll-
liant sketch of the libretto of "F'astaff," and
urged the immediate elaboration of the theme.
Verdi Is jealous guardian Of his privacy,
and grasping the manuscript with
eager hands onjoined upon Boito the
greatest secrecy, forbidding even the mem
tion of the task to Ricordi his publisher
who incurred his displeaSure before tho pro-
duction of ''Othello'' by giving certain hints
to the press without receiving permission to
do so.
Such was the composers caution upon this
occasion that, to avoid exciting suspicion, he
sent to Venice for his score paper Apropos
of this, 1t is fact that Verdi makes use Of
more paper than any other musical author,
not infrequently writing few bars upon d
hundred sheets, only to toss them aside con!
Secutively with nervous disgust, US unlucky
and vain attempts.
Verdi is lavish in genuine praise of Boito's
libretto-c considering it chef d oevre and Of
SO thoroughly comical nature as to afford
the greatest amusement to himself and the
author while working upon it.
Boito has made as much as possible of tho
character of Eastaf-not confining the apt
pearance of the "Comical Gallantn 10
that Most pleasant and excellent con.
ceited Coincide Of Syr 1ohu Falstaff and tho
Merrie Wives of Windsor" but touch.F
ing as well upon the role he bears
in the first and second parts
of King Henry ".
Verdi declares the opera to be more than
half completed, and his friends add that that
signifies its immediate consummation. AL
though lyric comedy in the broadest signi.
fcation of the word, and with no grand mass
ing of chorus, yet it is adapted to the Scala,
where 1t will be supreme attraction during
the season of 1919.
"F'alstaff" is divided into three acts and
five scenes, and, as would seem appropriate,
the title role is to be sustained by baritone,
and baritone, moreover, possessed of
rocione, as the Italians say, proportionate In
strength to the 'wa1st two yards about Of
which the reckless knight was nsed to boast,
:. The name OF Kaschmann Of European fam6
Is whispered as the posi- bio hero, but Verdi
is not to be influenced by any one in the SO.
lection Of his artists. There are many im-
portant personages in the opera and but few
chorus singers fifteen men and thirty
women but of superior excellence. Aside
from this, children will pose before the foot
lights in the ballet.
1t was at a dinner party at the Hotel MI
lano that Verdi and Boto first made their
work known. Verdi's guests were
the publishers, Ricord and his beautiful
wife Ginditta their daughter and son-in-law.
When the champagne appeared, Boito rose,
glass in hand, gave a toast to the success OF
the ''Pancione'' (big fat fellow. Each guest
gazed nquiringly at the other without COM
pretending. Then he gave toast to "t'al-
staff, ;" and Signora Ricordi was the first to
divine that Pancionc meant Fdlstaff, and that
"Falstaff'' was the title Of a new opera by
Verdi
Verdi then gave brief sketch of the plot,
showing that Boito had clung as closely to
the ShakeSpearean text as he had in his COM
position of "Othello" Ricordi then brought
to mind the fact that twenty-five years ago
Verdi announced to him the intention of re-
firing upon his laurels-and, indeed, for
several years the fertile and vivid imagina-
ton seemed at rest. But, fortunately for all
music-loving people, tho genius that gave to
the world ''rrovatore" and "Traviata" had
not finished it's course, and further efforts re-
suited in the production of aida" "Don
Carlos, "Manzonis Requieum,' "Simon
Boccanegra," and "Othelio"--the latter Of
which was not begun until Verdi had reached
his seyenteth year.
The grand old man of Italy. as contem-
porary calls him, is hale and hearty and in
wonderfully good spirits-hopng even to
witness gala performance of "Falstafr" on
his eightieth birthday, which will occur in
1894.
1t is strange almost in congruous- think
of a comic opera from the composer of"Aida'
and "OthellO,n but no more extraordinary
than 1t seemed to the admirers Of Wagner
that he should contemplate comic opera
after the production of "Trstan and Isolde"
in 1861 However the success OF the "Meis-
tersinger'' q year later more than justified
the attempt, The latter masterpiece is as
harmonious as it Is comical, defending really
upon study of character Not at all the
'comic work. that French composers take IN
hand. And Verd's "Falstaff'' is of similar
nature
These freaks Of genius bring TO mind some
thing once heard Modjoska afllrm-a belief
she held that artists invariably fancied them
selves especially gifted in an opposite line OF
work to that in which they had gained their
greatest successes, adding that she had al
ways imagined herself particularly suited TO
soubrette parts, and Boothh had never dou bted
his great but dormant ability TO enact the
low comedian.
In appearance Verdi stron q Y resembles the
photographs of Longfellow-with shining,
wavy hair, dreamy eyes and sensitive
mouth and chin Almost shabbily dressed
and tinid and retiring in man
ner, he positively suffers when attention is
drawn TO him in.public places-where, as q
| natural consequence he is rarely to be found
and the sight Of his evident distress when
| dragged repeatedly upon the stage of La
| Scala, after the triumphant performance Of
| "Othclo' in 1887, would certainly have ap-
| pealcd greatly to a loss clamorous and excited
| crowd.
| He spends most of his time at his country
| place, and works for hours each day over his
| vegetable garden, which Signora Verdi in-
sists takes only second place in his affections.
I The peasants around are devoted to him, and
never grumble If the "maestro's' tomatoes
or tumips bring better prices than theirs
| Boito in two ways slightly resembles Wag-
| ner-hrst. in his probematical writings and
second, in aiming his two-fold faculties for
| he is both clever librettIst and musican) at
the generation of new form and original
matter. His successful and beautiful opera
| "MefstofelG is TO be followed
| by another entitled "Nerone"
| which was to have been novelty OF the
| Milan opera season this year. But he cheer
| fully laid II aside, unwilling TO permit escape
| of the opportunity of writing libretto for
! Verdi.
| II Is known that Boito though so