The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-09

two cantati, "In Cilanda" and "Alls
Gioia. which were publicly performed in
the music room Of the Casino at Leghorn
By the members Of the Philharmonic So
ciety. At the same time he was learning
TO play the violin. the double bass and the
clarionet, with tho result that today there
IL not single instrument Of the orchestra
that he does not know how to play, and
even II he does not play it perfectly he
plays It well enough to know the effect the
various instruments should render, q ca
pacity OF untold advantage to him in
Leghorn he went to study music at
the Conservatoire of Milan, where he
Was kept at the expense of Count
Florestano de Landarel. and where
he was the pupil of Amilcare Ponchielli
But his original and independent tsmpera.
ment pushed him to travel and see the
world. He roamed the length and breadth
Of Italy - the director OF an ambulating
operatic company, In which post no learned
to know the pangs of hunger. Il was at
one Of these moments that his eyes fell on
an advertisement from Clignola for Q
leader Of the local band: he applied for
the post and remained awhile in this OBJ.
scure village Of Apuiia; fought battle
royal with the ignorant residents who did
not like him. but who now vaunt them
selves with his fame, which they verify be-
heve 10 due in some mysterious wav to
them. 1t was while at Crignola that he
begged his two friends to write him q Ii
bretto Of an opera in one act, and when he
found they were slow in executing his
wishes, in order to stimulate them. he
wrote letters in verse. dividing the letter
into halves, sending one lihe to one and
one to another. 80 that the letters made no
sense until united. But this is opiv one
of his madcap tricks into which his high
spirits and love Of fun led him. A whole
volume could be written about the antics
played by him when boy at Leg
horn. When he was Older he was in
the habit of wearing certain white
cravats on which he could write with ink
jokes, musical phrases, or draw figures
caricatures, butterflies and animals Some
times he would even write in this wav on
his starched shirt front, and this he was
particularly fond OF doing In the summer.
when be would calmly walk about the
streets drawing the attention of the pass
ers-by to his artistic productions. Not
withstanding these follies. however, he
Was studying music with ardor. and as
early as 1885 he had committed TO paner
his first opera still unpublished. and
which he still refuses TO allow TO be per.
formed. IL Is founded on Heine's tragedy
of Radcliffe. Many of his songs published
after Cavaliers Rusticana" were writ
ten In these early years, aud some of them
have had already seen the light in various
OF those little fty-sheets of newspaners ia
sued in Italy during the bathing season Al
some OF the seaside resorts Among thesa
were the ''Serenata'' and the "Messacio
d Amore" In the latter of which especially
there are great resembianoes 10 the violin
solo played by Bebi in the AMIGO Fritz -
Mascagni IS now -. for he was born in
1863, and Is, therefore, in the full flower
OF his talent and strength The riches
which have come 20 him from his success
tsr from rendering him indolent, seem To
spur him on 10 fresh labors. HIS music,
without having the proiundity OF that of
boita or franchetii, has the gift of p!eas-
ing the masses. Mascagni accents the
modern musical theories, as his instru-
mehsation shows, but he also ciings fast
TO the OLD Italian traditions of melody.
Hence ms music las a personal character
winch helps 10 account for its success.
According To him music should wie.d
together the more aos,rase ana mathernat.
icai 1erInsn theories OF the art together
with tie lighter attractive italian
methods. In the "Anico Fritz there are
evidences OF greater study than we're
given by 'Caya.leria Rusgicana nm,
here, too, the melody performances. Mas
cagni's second opera therefore necessitate,
more attentive hearing than his first IL
Il evident already thar in he third WORT
Mascagni has gwen fun plav to his
theories. Here he shows himself even
more individual and such "reminiscences
- the music affords are "reminiscences from
ms own works. Perhaps there are too
many strained effects. certain abuses OF
the ysoiln such as occur also in the inter.
mexzo 81 the "Amico Fritz, bat neverthe-
less the "Hanixaa" shows tbs, in ali mat
tiers OF coanterpoint the young coEnpo
has made great progress. The chorus of
the women ~ the fountain which Closes
the third act ana their prat,ic TO the run
ming water requires very careful execution
on the part Of the chorus singers. The
idea IS orislnsi. the phrasing most SYM
pathetic, While the orchestral accom- panl.