New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-18
MUSICAL COMMENT.
opERaTIC FALSTAFFS-GoUNoD AND WAC.
NER-THE INDEFATIGABLE RUBINSTEIN.

OpERATIc FALSTAFFS-GOUNOD AND WAC.
NER-THE INDEFATIGABLE RUBINSTEN.
1rtc,,,pcnce largely of an improbable nature. finds
It's way into tho European newspapers ever ana anon
concernInp ycrii,s comic opera "Falstaf for which
signor Boito prepared the book. The publisher.
Ricord has issued a warning that all reports must
he accented with reserve, but the warning was
scarcely necessary The composer himset mas s'a'ca
that he Is working very lesurely, WHICH lao' io"o'
probability TO the belief that the opera VIII hoe w
finished till some time next year, yet eishor n''"
panini on his return from Italy, less thaN une'
weeks ago. said that he had visited Verdi ana tha'
,ha ,core was ready for performance In the case
NJ Oteon the veteran composer showed q degree Vi
selfrepression which indicated marked respect ior ,c
familiar Horatan provcrb touching inc uio u","
which it is we'll let composition ripen' anu ~ -
not at all unlikely that he VIII keep the "oriu -
suspense for some time to come, notwiths''nuin.
that some italian newspapers have aireaoy Pri"..
tho names OF the singers said to have been seiec'eu
bv Verdi for the first performance OF the WORK
Among the statements which have been printed Is
one TO the effect that the opera will require hVe
nrime dorne three tenors, two baritones ana oass
contains four acts, and has no overture ANU oV
single unimportant chorus In the second aco' AZ
also said that NJ. Maurel will "create' the titulaT
role
More than a generation has passed since Veroi
composed his first shakespearcan opera "Macoeo'
and between the composer Of that work ana MIN oi
ot.,,os there Is as great difference as between
Warner of (. Die Feen, and Wagner OF TRISTAN u''o
Isoldes Verd's development did not proceed 10 suc
great leans as wagners, but in the manifestations
the last two decades il Is scarcely less interese'hs ms
return TO shakespearean subjects now that no I'D.
found the fulness Of hts powers as composer VI
lyrical dramas, instead Of operas Is signncaho III NV
highest degree for Cavaeria Rusticana' mas m"oo
oh World
ng for dramatic music becomes influence IN ltai'
tn the shortsighted 1t must seem little less phan
grim irony that Wagner should have 10 DO hieio1
through Verdi in order TO bear fruit IN inc orEha'
land OF the OPERA but such is the fact, nevertheless
or Mascagnl Is no good witness.
verdrs choice OF subject will bring him into COM
rar,sor with Nicolo whose credit II has been hitherto
IN have composed the finest of all Shakespearean op
II he hopes to prevail against the orlihsho youae
Germans Merry Wives Of Windsor" he VIII ha'e "
produce score which will rank with tIle Deso VI ~,
own Iatter-day creations 1t SPEAKS WIN ho'N"Au
eloouence OF the mortality of the musical settings OF
sbatcsncare,s PLAYS that the only living operauc
ralst,fY e the fat knight OF Nicolais comedy fe0
be had MANY predecessors. Balfe composed faf
STAFF for the Kings Theatre, which was sung WIN INC
oapacious- voiced Lablache in the utular part anu
Grsi Persiani and Ivanoff in the cast. Ihao mus ~
1888 ssller had composed an Italian "Faistan iory
French opera with the same name In Paris IN 1000,
and the antics Of the greasy lover and blatant bragsa
amused the Parisans about ITO In Papavolne's . Lo
yeux cooue' Nlcola had predecessors IN the se1uns
NJ ~Tbe Merry Wives among German composers Ill
Peter Ritter OIannheim 1904 and Dittersdorr Vienna
179G In how many Of the dozen operas writeeh Oh
the Youthful career OF Henry Zone OF them composer
and produced by Garcia in New-fork IN lo2D fais'ah
figures IL would be difficult to determine now. IL
40 uI,o1,, that en- excellent comedy character was
overlooked by tho librettists
eounod Is quoted by The London DAILY news as
having said to friend that his career as conPo'ef
Is terminated his susceptibility to heart disease stano
inc in the way Of his undertaking any "orh Vi i"e'
Dimensions He IS living at st. Cloud, but proposes
10 remove next month to Paris in order 10 near
g 7 obepprtn Of which, says the writer In "The DAILY
Neus y aos an Old acquaintance and benefactor ol
waorer he js a GREAT admirer" That Gounod was
mo Of the first composers Of France to appreciate e
genius OF Wagner has long been KNOWN Inc In.
Huence of the German Is obvious enough IN rauS',
the musc of which is fully emancipated from the oio
hordoso ~ cot FORMS Here Gounod was more ad-
vanced than Berloz who is generally imagined 10 Dc
In tbs front rank of musical radicals In France But
Gounod's admiration for Wagners music stopped shore
at @Lohengrino In conversation with Dr. HausncA
sixteen wears ago he said: "We are now travelling
in Numerically opposite directions. In the same
heavy and complicated, am becoming more Simple
and desirous 10 achieve my ends by unaffected means
and truthfulness OF feeling. Nous nous tournons 10
dosp Two years ago Nile de Bovet printed an article
on @Gounod's Views Art and Artists in "Ine
Fortnchtly Review in which these sentiments We're
mt into his mouth wagner is q wonderful prodigy,
An alteration Of genius; visionary haunted by all
,hot IL colossal he cannot estimate Alright the
rorore NJ his BRAIN With no Of measure or OF
proportion In his mind, he flies beyond the limits
Of human observation and face TO face with Ms-pro-
dirious endeavors, his gigantic labors and MS over
wbeming expenditure Of talent and hard work, one
feels tempted to quote to him the cruel remark OF
Agnes 10 her lover Arnuphe: Horace m two words
would make more OF 1t than you The true sign OF
genius is the sober employment Of ones means pro
portloncd to the wealth of ones IDEAS"
The colossal industriousness Of Rubinstein seems
rather to have been increased than diminished by his
removal from st. Petersburg to Dresden. few
weeks ago came intelligence of his completion of his
Biblical drama Moses" and now we hear that he Is
putting the finishing touches to opera entitled The
Gypsies, Parts OF Moses have already been heard
in our cOnccrt.rooms. 1t cannot be said that they
stimulated a desire to hear the complete work. which.
according TO description which Rubinsteln himself
gave of it In a private letter few years ago. must
be about the most impracticabe OF his many mprac-
tcable compositions. The work as projected orig
inally to occupy four hours In performance "lt
said Rubnsteln in the letter referred to, ais too
theatrical for the concertroom and too much like an
oratoro for the theatre; it is, In fact the perfect
type Of the sacred opera that have dreamed OF for
years. What will come OF it do not know; do
not think 1t be performed entire. AS it contains
eight distinct parts, two may from time to time
be given either In concert on the stage 1t Is
pity for the future fame Of Rubinsten as composer
that portion OF his ndusrousness is not expended in
that painstaking sclfcriticism marvellousy exemp
| fed in Beethoven. We're he able to work like Beet
hoven he would have published perhaps only one
| tenth as many compositions he has given to the
world but they would be ten times valuable
The bouife element in French politics has been dis