Evening journal., 1893-07-01
UNCLE TOM" IN OPERA.
BY a Black Composer, Libret-
lists and With a Black Star.
A BALLET OF ooLoRED GIRLS.

william COOK, Taiented Colored muhl-
clan, Who Studied Composition in the
Same Glass with Paderewski, Recon-
structs "Uncle Toms Cabin" and Makes
an Opera of It-songs That white
Composer Might BE Proud of.
It would indeed, be music to the ears
Of Harriet Beecher Stowe IL she knew
that her "Uncle Toms Cabin" was TO be
set In opera by a member Of the dark
race, for whose emancipation her power
full pen did so much The colored men,
In face Of prejudice and of their own
social condition, have made marvellous
progress during the last thirty years.
A few weeks ago DR.. Anton Dvorak
startled people by the statement that he
believed the negro melodies Of the old
South were to furnish the basis of new
school of music His attention was
drawn TO the subject by the work OF
Professor Harry Burleigh, teacher in
his school, aud Professor William Cook
who is the composer of the opera, which
is a remarkable and original compost
| tion
No white genius has a more e1ratic
| temperament than this black one. He
|
which Is composed entirely Of colored
men and is located at No 100 West
Thirty-fourth street
To begin with, the black composer has
secured as his star Siseretta Jones, better
known as the "Black Patti
No one would recognize the original
plot of "Uncle Toms Cabin" In Mr.
Cooks work. There are two of the old
characters left, Uncle Tom himself and
the cruel Legree. Madam Jones's physi.
cal proportions are hardly in sympathy
with the part of Eva, and 80 this
character Is entirely reconstructed. A
handsome black princess called Nikita,
supposedly the daughter of great Afri-
can chieftain, takes her place This is the
part contrived for Mrs Jones Her
numerous attempts to secure her liberty,
assisted by her black lover, form the
plot She has a number of songs which
set forth her longing to return to her
native land, the music of which has the
melody, the pathos, the soft lament one
hears so often In the "darky" songs Of
the South Mr.. Cook seems to have
gathered all Of the sentiment in all of
the songs of this nature and charged it
into few solos, DIR. Dvorak has
praised them highly and has said that
they are in line with his own ideas.
The Plot Of the Opera.
The persecution Of the negroes in the
South being aimed at, Princess Nikita,
with some other slaves plan to burn the
plantation. Uncle Tom uses all of his
influence TO dissuade them from the
deed. The plot is discovered at the
close OF the last act, and Legree, as the
| hot
Nikita shall be burned al the stake
anything but cheerful ending.
But managers are rather wary Of 8
! proposition which includes a colored
composer, a colored star aud colored
; players and colored ballet In case
\ that no one is found who.is willing to be
financial father TO the undertaking
the colored people themselves will prob
\ ably subscribe the money neces
sary for its production. Tn,
music Of the Creole dances anC
the plantation songs is 'oatchy,
es the saying goes in comic opera
Both its novelty and merit cannot fail {,
make hit. But the libretto, save thai
of two or three Of the solos, is very bad
and the plot has little to recommend II
save its gloomy absurdity Who hai
been responsible for IL Is impossible &,
, dnd out, but apparently some of Mr.
Cooks friends have taken turns at IT,
they could write rhyme and dialogue a.
we'll as Mr.. Cook can write music there Il
little doubt but Mr. Cook could easil,
obtain hearing at the managers offices
He proposes to have the ballet entirely
of colored girls During his travel
about the country since he came to New
! York he has sought out the comedies
; dusky damsel who have volunteered L,
don tights when occasion calls for It
Professor Harry Burleigh. who is assist
ing Mr.. Cook in the music, will play
part
The Black Composer.
The black composer himself is 90 year,
of age He was born in Washington o
we'll TO do colored parents, his fathe
being a lawyer. He had completed th
D freshman year at Oberlin College wher
I his passion for music got the better o
? him. He roved about the country for
time playing his violin at concerts an,
b picking up what odd jobs he could
y The people Of Washington recognize,
( his talent and got up a benefit enter
tainment, which netted some 81, 900, I
J. send him abroad He went to Berli
and studied under the famous Joachim
His spendthrift habits soon disposed @
I , his money. and be was compelled {
o play in orchestras in order to continu
his studies. Joachim recognized in hin
a man of marked talent, and allowe,
! him to pursue his own ideas While 4
: Berlin he formed the acquaintance q
Won Moltke and other eminent men
The grim old general took particula
+ interest in the young man, and talke
with him for three hours one afternoon
pouring multitude of questions abou
= the colored race in America into hi
il ears, Professor Cook studied compost
g tion in the same class with Pad erewslx
Z New York Press.
"a ~1t.,1-o - -.>,.-.