St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-05-03
The Bostonians Produce the
Brand New Opera, 1.-THE
Knickerboekep."
Another Success Scored Be-
fore a Fashionable Au-
dience.
Splendid Music at the House
Of the Good Shepherd
Benefit.
The Crane Engagement and
General Footlight No
tations.

The Bostonians produced Smith and
De Koyen's new opera, The Knieker-
bockers," at the Metropolitan opera
house last evening to one of the largest
and most fashionable audiences of the
season. The house was equally enthu-
siastlc in its welcome to the new can
didate for popular favor. and if the
hearty reception accorded the work
may be taken as criterion, "rhe
Knickerbockers" may be placed in the
same class as Robin Hood.'
] t was but few years ago that Amer
lean talent was acknowledged as a
factor in musical progress. and the Bos-
tonians have steadily upheld home pro-
auctions. They have in the last three
years given three operas by the
same writers, and established the fact
that America for Americans may be
true in the realm OF tone. De Koven
and Smith have given trend to local
productions which will be popular,
and Barnabee. Karl and Macdonald, in
encouraging this talent, are proceeding
in lines which ii will behoove others to
move in.
The story of ''The Knickerbockers" is
laid among the Dutch in New AmSter-
dam, and the characters of the governor,
William the Testy, and Antony the
Trumpeter, are creations of Irving.
The locale and the Dutch and Puritan
characteristics are from the same source,
but the opera is not the book drama
tzed. The plot is the librettist's,
much of the fun is his,
and burlesquerie has been woven
with love episodes into humorous.
pleasing whole. Dutch humOr is not of
the most sparkling Kind, and one doesn't
conceive of the stolid citizens of the
New Holland singing gleeful songs
about those narrow sire cts. This is the
fault of the opera. fault of choice in
subject and not lack of musical beau
ties. In this some of De KoyenS most
graceful melodies have been introduced
of decided popular vein. These are
not III the sense of jingling tunes. but
harmonleS OF flowing sort.
The beauties of orchestratiOn are
prominent, and in this way the opera is
an advance on it's predecessors. There
is richness which is not so prominent
in the simpler compositions of earlier
date. The work is finely scored, the
music accentuated and often expressive
OF Dutch Solidity, especially in the dance
OF the wooden ShOOn, which raised the
most spontaneous laughter and a great
deal of dust
One of the oldest bits of writing is
the rival chOruSeS on the merits of love
and tobacco, but the music is more
Dutch than meritorious.
The overture and interludes are short,
and lead directly to the acts by means of
undercurrent motifs and themes. There
is dainty waltz movement in the first
act. Occasional traces of influence of
other composers are felt, but the
whistling sailors chorus is marked by
original treatment, and odd effects are
achieved, as in Antony's number IF
You and /" there is a prolonged vocal
i'll the chorus.
The second act is the best, especially
the finale; the others lack the touch-and-
go element which marks the destined
popular work.
Some charming bits of scenery are
introduced. and there is excellent op-
portunity for gay costumes, the quaint
wooden shoes, odd draperies OF the
women, the long characteristic pipes
andlgrotesque clothing Of the men.
Political and social hits are numerous,
which New York's progenitor gives am
pie scope to.
Mr.. Barnabee was still unable to ap
pear, and Clement Herschel sang the
part of William the Testy. 1t is
filled with as much humor as the piece
will allow. the first song, IA trucuient,
turbulent governor L." being capital,
with a Gilbertian air. The role is a
quaint one and well acted, though there
was not enough decision in the frequent
repetitiOns of the spirit, 81 am always
right Old Peter Stuyvesant was
scarcely so volatile. His presiding
over the punch bowl was ludicrous
anticipation of the fair four hundreds
bowl of trappe.
Mr.. Macdonald, as Miles, sang and
acted capitally. The "Whisting Sailor
was sang with the jolly tar air of salt
sea breezeS, and the taking whistling
chorus was rapturously received.
The broadcast of Dutch humor was
given 10y rockingham. His makeup |
and acting were in perfect keeping. |
And the solo and chorus as the ragged |
troops march to meet the Purtans |
brought down the house.
Jessie Bartlett Davis was beWitching |
Puritan maiden, and her role seemed |
especially written for her. She was an |
early century Rosalind, with an assured |
dOublet aud hose in her disposition, |
with three cornered hat which suited |
her arch face. and the red coat of Eng |
land. Il Love Thee" and the cuckoo |
song were fine bits of singing. Her |
beautiful deep contralto easily met the |
requirements of the role.
Camille d'Arville was a saucy, pi- |
quaint Dutch maiden. with the flrtatious |
instincts of Katrina in SLEEPY Hol- |
low" She had decided French air, |
her acting was charming, her vocalizing |
superb.
Eugene Cowles played the bragga-
docio to perfection, his solos were
the overworked trumpeter. His Dutch |
boot was almost an antique cothurnus. |
and the general makeup was fetching. |.
His voice, as ever, was superb.