The evening world., 1893-10-27
" THE ALGERIAN"

| 'T'G HLSS"'N'
|
With Reginald De Koven's music and
| Marie Tempests chic. such a word as
failure IL an impossibiiity. as far as
New York audiences are concerned The
good people who locked into the Gar
den Theatre last night 10 hear The
Algerian " were. moreover. charmed
to know that Boston did not APP
prcciatc the work. 1t was 50 refresh
ing 10 hear that. Bostons approval
would have given "The Algerian" a
dreadful black eye. Boston likcl THE
Golden Welding" though, ana Boston
can keep 1t and gioat over It.
The new opera will not be another
Robin Hood" by any means. but 1t is
nllul from start t. finish with delight
fully catchy solos, tri)s and ChOruscs.
Mr.. -" Koven's charm secra to lie in
the fact that hc takes convcntlola.
themes such as the uneducdt"d muSl-
clan can understand without looking up
Bannistor on Thorough -bass''-and then
works them up with quaint, piqulnt
phrases, coy and tickllsh suggestions,
dainty Interruptions and frequent sur
pr!scs. He appears to lack the object
that apparently directs Sir Arthur Sui
livun's compositions, but II DE Koven
ever captures Gilbert as sullivan was
lucky enough t, dO-hc Will be displayed
far more advantaEeouslv The good
llbrcttlst means &c much, and De
Kovcns music cries for a worthy set
ting.
"The Algerian" Is positively an mum
dntiOn of mclody--captivat'n and dcslr-
able. ono or two of the numbers have
been heard before In "The Fencing Mas
tor" but that is not very grave com
plaint The opera Is De Koven
throughout, for 1t Is saturated in music.
The lbretto intervals are few and far
between. With a less melodious com
poser this would be annoying for you
hear pcrpetually, Now, I'll sing you a
song" or, "Well you sing me n song"
and the numbers succeed each other so
rapidly that before you have had time
to grasp the significance Of one you are
launched into the comprehension OF
another. Yet this sort OF music is sin
gularly fascinating 1t brghtens
mans perception, 1t removes angles and
cobwebs, II cheers.
The book OF THE Algerian Is the
work of Glen MacDonough. 1t will not
make this young man famous. for II is
leaden and unamusing Yet 1t has neg
atlve value, for 1t contains neither
horse play nor gags That is a fact at
which to rejoice. Mr.. MacDonough ap-
pears to be a revcrent youth, and II he
be put into n glass case, and kept there
until mature, he will succeed The story
of the opera deals with the adventures
Of President of the Society for the
Preservation OF the Picturesque East
This gentleman establishes a spurious
harem for the deeCtation of tourists. He
stocks 1t with the members OF a stranded
Cuinic-opera company, and 1t Is there
that the hero. Col. Lagrange, is lurrd
Lagrange IL In love with Suzette. who
hears that he has an appointment at
the harem. and poses as Baya, the siren
who has been writing him letters. The
idea is not very thoroughly worked OUT
and the interest flags. There is mate
rial for highly amusing story. but
this has not been furnished.
Marie Tempest, when she first ap-
p-arrl last night was very husky; her
voice seemed 20 he veiel by a sort of
throaty muslin but this wore off, ard
she was her own charming self In the
second act. "a fascinating as ever and
as drama t'cnlly exCelent Miss Tempest
has no rival on the comic-opera stag Of
England or America. Her methods ara
completely artistic, and her personality
refreshing. julius Steger Is not an agree
able acquisition, by any means. His
work was not as bad as It might have
been, but his voi'e Is unreiinel. anl he
has no method whatsoever. He appears
- appreciate himself. however, and that
IL something. Miss Adele Richie, who
falntcl so oddly In the first act that
everybody thought 1t was clever bit
Of stage business, sang very we'll indeed,
and good work was done by Joseph He
BE-, rt. Frank David and Ben Lodge.
| The opera-which the programme
callrl The Algeria" The Algerian"
and The Algerians" Gou pays your
money and YOU takes your choice)-was
beautifully mounted and gorgeously cos
tuned. ALAN DALE.