New-York tribune., 1893-12-24

IN
HOW IL PAGLIACCI' WAS COMPOSED.
Milan where so many new operas and new
opera singers have had their first trial, mas re-
| Gently enjoyed n double sensation. In the
simultaneous production Of two exceedingly pre-
tentous works. One of these was Mr. Frederic
/ TT Governs stigma" the book OF which was
drawn from Ouda's well-known novel OF the
same name. The other was II Medici.' by
Sigror Leoncavao. the young Italian, whose
Il Pacliacci'' has recently won for itself ana Tor
him vast popularity in both hemispheres. 1t
1 would be no disparagcment of Mr.. Governs work
! 10 say that the greater share of local interest
centred in II Medic" Naturally; since both
its theme and its author purely Italian, the
latter one of the two or three most-talked-of
/ musicians Of the time in that country. And.
moreover the leading male part in 1t was taken
by the tenor Tamagno engaged. said the gos-
| sins at a simply fabulous price for the oc-
casion: a price equal the total receipts at the
I Dal Verne Opera House when every seat is
! taken.
Il Medici" It is stated Signor Leonca-
vallo's first important work. He wrote 1t before
II Pagliacci" and after many efforts. sold 1t.
| unproduced. 10 the music house Of Riccord
There being the untried work of an unknown
man. it was laid aside and badc fair To moulder
away on the shelf without ever once reaching
the stage Riccordfs. by the way. had pur-
chased it for mere trihc chiefly, 1t has been
said. to get rid Of its importunate vender. The
composer was not satisfied. but ragged and
fumcd All was in vain. Year after year
passed and II Medici' remained unhcard. Then
signor Mascagni sprang into fame. and scored
rrodiedous success with his "Cavalcria Rusti-
cana" This excited Signor Leoncavallo b.
vond endurance and he determined tr "go ana
do likewise" He would write n one-act opera
too So he sat down and finished II Pagiacci
within four months This Is how he got me
story:
when I was a lad Of twelve" he says. 1
! lived ir Calabra. where M father was Presi-
| dent Of the Court Of Justice. One day. al
! Ccscnza a 1nountcbank was tried for murder
! This strolling player had killed his wife. who
had been faithlcss TO him. ! attended the
trial. and It made such deep impression on me
| that years afterward I still thought Of II. The
| murderer stepped before his judges with truly
tragical strength--not humblcd but as If turned
| to stone / can still hear his words. hoarseiy
shouted into the hall: I do not repent On the
| contrary II I had to do It again. would do IT.
This prototype Of Canio was sentenced to the
gaeys"
| Thanks to Signor Sonzogno this one-act opera
WAS ouicklv brought out. Its success Inn
| mediate and undoubted And then Slgnor Son.
zoeno hastened to Riccordi's. and. before they
| had time to realize what II might be worth 70
| them with its composers reputation. repur-
| chased Il AIedici." which he has now brought
out regardless Of expense
| This work. although complete in Itself IS In
| reality only the first part # a trilogy called
"Crepuscuum." This will be- when completed.
| a musical epic" reproducing the salient feat
| ures of the entire period Of the Renaissance.
! The first part. Il Mcdic" deals with inc epoch
| from the election Of Pope SiXtus ~ 10 the Pazzi
| consniracv The second "Cier0lamo Savona-
| rola" will extend from the taking Of vows by
! Fra Renodetto to the death Of Savonarola. And
| the third. "Ccsarc Borsla." will cover the tim"
| from the death of the Duke Of Gambia to the
| death Of Pope Alexander VI The composer
| and poct-hc writes both words and music
| desires that the whole shall be purely Italian In
! color and tone and spirit. SO that. as he am
| b,iously hopes 1t may become the national
| poem Of Italy Certainly he has set himself n
| tremendous task To put single historical
! character or event upon the lyric stage with any
marked degree Of accuracy IS a difficult under
| taking But thus 10 present whole extended
| epoch is project that might well give hcsitancy
20 the boldest genius Slgnor Lconcayallo adj
dresses himself TO II with entire sef-posscsaion.
however. If also with seriougness.
Il followed" he said the other day. "in the
shining footsteps OF the great master Wagner
in my first work, but now 20 my way.
| have turned from legend TO truth and to history.
I did not want TO produce opera after the
style OF Meycrbeers Les IIu2uenots.' but a
work which might be absolutely true. In
| I Medci' the plot IS strictly historical. and
many parts Of the text are taken from histori-
| ba
lecting Of material. occupied rne many years.
| The Medlci is the first part Of n trilogy which
c.-yraces the period Of the Italian Renaissance.
| and is to lend 1t n dramatic and musical en-
| bodiment The second part Will he called
! Jerome Savonaroa.' the third 'Ccsarc Borgia
IT will take six years for me TO complete the
second part Of my trlogy."
Asked II he had been prompted by Wagncr's
example IN writing his own llbrctto. he an
swercd unhcsitatnsly I'm the Affirmative:
Most Certainly. Wagncr's music and text
melt into one In such perfection as will nevcr
again be attained II would also hc quite i'm
possible for ne - put another PERSONS words
10 music. ! do not understand how anything
truly artistic can be produced in that way
| with me- words ana tones come gushing forth
| together OF course. while / am writing the
text only the framework. the skeleton. Of the
music is formed I'm my mind The working
out Of It comes later ] never set down a
musical inspiration at once on paper, but keep
| Il in my memory. which Is excellent. | dislike
| crossing out. or working out anything again
| / have the passages Of the composition in my
head till | write them down finished to the
last note
The narrative. or plot. Of Il Mcdlci," as
! skctcbed by n writer In "Thc London Tclc-
graph" is substantially az follows: In the first
| act which takcs place on "A wooded hill near
| Florence we are introduced 10 Giuliano and
| Lorenzo the two brothers who. with Polizi-
ano. Mortesccco. and crowd Of cavaliers, are
busy discussing the affairs OF the Florentine
| Republic in its relation with Rome. Nothing