The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-11-29
mousse controlled by tho Aronsonis who to

house controlled by the Aronsons. who to
put 1t mildly, are certainly not overpow-
cred with love for Mr.. HILL gave added
Zest 10 the appearance of an opera by tho
author and composer of robin Hood"
which, oddly enough, had just returned to
New York, too. to begin an engagement
Mt the Garden theater
Opinions vary as to the relative merits OF
the music of robin Hood" and THE Fenc-
ing Master" AS to tho libretto there is
but one opinion, and that is that the earlier
opera is much better written than 1.-THE
Fencing Master" The book of the latter
Is excessively dull, uninteresting and col
orless, while robin Hood" has one of the
best told plots Of any comic opera in exist
ence Besides no one can see the come
dams in 1.-The Fencing Mastern without
Deing constantly haunted by the ghosts of
Lorenzo and Rocco in LA Mascotte."
The story itself is about as vague and
unsatisfactory rs the nebular hypothesis.
The fencing master has a daughter who
mas been brought up as n boy that she
might succeed to her fathers position
This she does when her paternal progentor
accepts the leadership of n band of assas-
SINS Then she foolishly falls in love with
FORTUNE, the rightful heir to the ducal
throne, to which he eventually succeeds
after very magnanmously consenting to
years gone about the streets clad only in
tho best quality of silk tights
The music is generally conceded to be a
distinct advance for Mr.. De Koven, who
easily leads the American composers of the
present day. Much of it is of course nc
cused of being reminiscent" rs nearly all
music must be, but the chorus Mt the end
OF the second act, besides being pretentious,
is beautiful and artistic in the extreme
and evoked genuine enthusiasm. There is
very little of what is SO breeziy designated
as catchy" music in 1.-THE Fencing Mas
ter" ms the composer seems to have aimed
higher. However, there are some tuneful
numbers, notably the solo, "If Maiden's
Heart You Would Win and Wear" The
"Zum Zum" song, which Mr.. De Koven
took from tho Alibi club, of Washington,
who in turn appropriated it from an old
Spanish book of folk songs or something
OF the kind, got the most hearty applause
and was the only reasonably good thing
allotted to the comedians.
The company could scarcely be improved
upon. Miss Marie Tempest recaptured all
of her old New York admirers and gained
many more. Mrs. Pemberton- Hincks, Miss
Grace Golden, Signor Michelena, Hubert
Wilke and William Broderick made the
most of their parts. The best feature of
the entertainment perhaps was the mount
ing OF the piece, which was done under the
direction OF Max Freeman, and was perfec-
ton itself. 1t is entitled to the strongest
praise, for it will long stand as a type of
what is possible in new operate produc-
tion.
'Aristocracy," Bronson Towards latest
society comedy, seems to have made hit
i'll New York. 1t has been put on at Palm
er's theater for long run, but candidly
fear that its stay will not be rs protracted
rs Is now expected.
Bronson Howard is n great playwright
certainly the greatest among Americans
His touch is delicate his treatment usu-
ally refined and always accurate, and his
dialogue, despite the frequent apparent
striving after epigran, is never less than
incisive He never writes low comedy,
and the fun he makes is seldom Mt the ex-
pense Of the proprieties. The American
drama owes much to Mr.. Howard He has
never descended to questionable methods
to increase his income. His work shows
greater uniformity of excellence perhaps
than that of any dramatist living, but no
one can produce play written by Bron-
son Howard which possesses really orig
inal plot. His technique, so to speak, is
grand i'll its accuracy, but the imagination
which makes really brilliant work possible
appears to be lacking.
1t has been absurdly stated that "Aris-
tocracy" is Bronson Howard's master
piece. 1.-THE Henrietta" is better than
"Aristocracy" in every respect. except pos