New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-04-01
MUSICAL MATTERS.
THE NEW OPERETTA-PRoGRAMM AND

THE NEW OPERETIA-frNEH 1890
NEWS OF THE WEEK.
There was much speculation during last week
touching the prospects of Utopia, Limited, ior
long and successful American career me ope
retta has not made the emphatic impression which
a IVA ,nc,,ned 70 think a work OF its meritorious
nature ought to make yet the attitude Of the audi
ence on the first night was exceedingly anh'aoie'
and the feeling OF Joyful expectancy noticeable pc
fore the sons enp Oh Of f"e complete realization The
operetta is like THE Gondoier in being oe.ter
than it sounds lowing to defects in the representa
toni tie,r but also is unique among Mr.; Gll6errs
works in sounding better than Il reads rom rom d
dramatic point of view II the actors ana actresses
had Intelligence enough to read Mr. Giberts mes
we fancy the excellence would be more general,y
nlaces because the interest flags through the
wretched defamation of the actors ana .h s,S The
ing inability to understand that TO snow lorth tne
essence OF Gilbert's wit must speak ms mes mes
with absolute sincerity The genius OF U ady G il
In his naradoxy and TO convey a PARADOX IL 10
essential that one shall at least to believe
in IT, We imagine that an exhiDlI, 3 IN Il" as
boyant Anglomania on the one nand anu SiI 49,,
sertion OF belief In the notion typied III tne nappy
condition of the rtopans before tner satr now
supposed by be little foreign 70 nner'S Sa
tastes completely Obvious TO a material this time
as in his earlier successes He mas peen lorccu ~
auiddtes OF his dialogue and lyrics wnen che;e
are mumbled, the representative Oh tne v'a "a
indistnctly as the majority of the people In the
company sing everything. Il Is not 10 De woausIedd
at that the ingenuity OF Itopia 10 NV ''N'e'
by everybody
7, literary structure the operetta is most adj
n,irab,e In fact IT Is a triumph of technique ana
mastery of methods OF construction. Fresh In inVeh-
ton It is not but the manner in which its conceits
ar worked out provdesb o baye Sufficient appre-
citation OF efrervescent INTELLECTUALLY 10 ENJOY NlI;
Gbers humor The charge mace ss Of od IDEAS lies
with greater force than ever against utopia IN III,
which there are copies not only of notions but also
Of hat
operettas. The langushing maidens ana their atti.
uIes sne' enouRh to- go round the First Life
Guards" who come into the scene as well as the
music like the sisters cousins and aunts OF Pima,
THE Mikado. these are only Few OF me 19ings
new Surroundings Far from trying to conceal
them Mr. Gilbert introduces them with the greatest
What never of "Pnafore," which he had al.
ready quoted in The Pirates of Penzance" he
advanced to the dignity OF K C. b. and filled
with modern naval notions. which give new and
peculiar value 20 the catch-woru
Though we're no longer hearts Of oak.
Yet we and stoke.
And thanks 10 coal and thanks to COKE
We ship ashore
For thing which Is new or e con SO;
e eerSc Se OF the ordnary opereta tenor owes
debt OF gratitude to Mr.. Gilbert. Having suffered
spneless thing. Mr. Gilbert hit upon the happy
notion Of having the tenor make fun OF himself.
ing in the operetta than the song in which Captain
Fitzbattleaxe protests that he can't do himself JUS
tice because OF the fervor OF his devotion.
The musical score Is the weakest OF any that Sill
Arthur Sullivan has written. 1t opens well with the
dangerous melody OF the chorus OF lotos-eatng
rnaidens and there two three other num-
beers in 1t which might be said 10 pass muster.
But there is nothing In the book TO compare with
the fresh tunefulness OF "Plnafore." or the grace
mi catchy melodies OF ''Ioanthe" The composer
seems TO have been too indolent TO make an effort
His happest conceit Is the Introduction OF Johnny
get your gum in the council scene. I'm accordance
with the practice at the Court OF St. Jamess
Hall" and there are one or two clever bits OF
humor in the orchestration; but a rule the
music IS indifferent There Is little bit OF inno-
cent fun with the typical phrase system OF Wag
ner I'm the quotation In the orchestra part OF Rule
britannia" where England Is referred TO by King
Paramount ibid the Blount incident suggest the
nameY and OF Rory O'Moore'' when Ireland Is
mentioned: there IL also some graceful dance music
bur II is a lean and w1thered score, dry and sap
less The chief merit OF Utopia belongs to Mr.
Gilbert.
Mr. Plunkct Greene's last song recital In New
York this season VIII take place In Chamber Music
Hall tomorrow evening
The last Damrosch Popular Concert OF the season
Will take place at Music Hall o-night. A TschaI-
kowsky programme has been arranged by Mr..
Damrosch Tschaikowsky's Symphonic Pathe-
tlque" his last work. performed with great success
at the Symphony Society concerts on March 10 and
II. VIII be given entire In Part II the orchestra
will play two numbers from tho lameuted COM
posers "Nut-cracker suits-.tAe Arabian dance end.