Evening journal., 1892-11-26

the music Of "Robin Hood and "The Fenc-
ing Master" As To the libretto there is
but one opinion. and that is that theearlier
opera is much better written than "Ihc
Fencing Master The book Of the latter
is excessively dull, uriuteresting and col
orless, while "Robin G. od" has one OF the
best told plots Of any Comic opera in exist
ence. Besides no one can see the come
dians in "The Fencing Master" without
being constantly haunted by the ghosts OF
Lorenzo and Rocco in ia Mascotte."
The story itself is about as vague and
unsatisfactory as the nebular hypothesis.
The fencing master has a daughter who
has been brought up as a boy that she
might succeed to her fathers position.
This she does when her paternal progenitor
accepts the leadership Of band OF assas-
sins. Then she foolishly falls in love with
Fortunio, the rightful heir to the ducal
throne, to which he eventually succeeds
after very magnanimOusly consenting to
make duchess Of the woman who has for
years gone about the streets clad only in
tAss best quality of silk tights.
The music is generally conceded to be a
distinct advance for Mr.. De Koyen, who
easily leads the American composers Of the
present day. Much of it is of course ac-
music must be, but the chorus at 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 breezily designated
as catchy" music in ''rhe Fencing Mas
ter" as 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 the 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-Hinck 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-
tion itself. 1t is entitled to the strongest
praise, for it win long stand as type Of
what is possible in a new operatic produc-
tion.
"Aristocracy," Bronson Howard's latest
society comedy, seems to have made a hit
in New York 1t has been put on at Palm
er's theater for long run, but candidly
fear that its stay viii not be as protracted
as is now expected.
Bronson Howard is a 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 epigram, is never less than
incisive He never writes low comedy,
and the fun he makes is seldom at 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 a really orig
inal plot. His technique, so to speak, is
grand in 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 Howar''s master
piece. 1.-THE Hen1l.lla" is letter than
"Aristocracy" in every respect, except pos