The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-27
The Newest opera.

"Guernica," the long-talked-of opera by
| Gailhard, the director of the Opera Comique,
| and Paul Vidal, the youngest of French COM
posers, has at last been produced at the Opera
Comique, and its success was instantaneous.
1t is the fashion to-day to write operas with
| local eoloring-Spanish, Russian, Bohemian
any nationality, in fact, which gives the COM
poser chance of tingeing his work with themes
taken from folk songs and characteristic peas
ant dances. "Guernica" exploits the local
coloring of that wind-swept strip of seabOard
on the Bay of Biscay known as the Basqu
country. The Basques are peculiar people,
the only true Spaniards, they say, for if one
can take their word for it, never has drop of
Gothic or Arab blood entered their veins
Guernica is the holy city where for more than
500 years these ancient Basques have assembled
when there was question of attacking their
constitution, their "fueros," which Spain has
never been able to induce them to change.
Even to-day no Basque can be made to do
military service against his will. For FIVE cen
turtles these people have preserved their
ancient customs, kept their language, and
have always marched out and fought for their
rights and liberties to the strains of the
"Hymn of Guernica." 1t is this odd compost
ton, which is written in five-four time, that is
the dominating theme in the new opera.
The period of Gailhard and vidal's opera is
laid twenty years ago, during the Carlist war,
ana the scene opens outside the dwelling of the
rich farmer Marco, in the outskirts of Guernica
Serenades are heard in the distance, and flow
ers thrown from the balconies fall at the feet
of beautiful Nella, the farmers daughter,
whose betrothal is being celebrated with a
brilliant captain in the Spanish army. There
is the captain, loving and ardent, beside mis-
| tender and dreamy fianeee, there is also Juan,
Nella's brother-Juan, the patriot, who is de-
veured by somber thoughts because he is the
secret chief of brewing instruction which
aims at arming the Carlists and the Basques
against the Spanish domination, and Juan
shudders at the thought that perhaps the war
will bring him face to face with his sisters
fiance. Nella, who is alarmed at her brothers.
Observation-Disclosures, tries to argue him ont of
his preoccupation, which the joyous songs of
her companions fail to dissipate.
opera. 1t is supposed to take place on the pub
lie square OF Guernica between the CITY Hall
and the convent OF Santa Clara, where the
nuns are heard feciting the rosary. The
Carlist mob surrounds Juan, who. from a
rostrum, harangues the Basaues assembled
| round the tree of liberty, and tries to poad
| them on to join the Carlists in the insurrec.
ton. me ntanles from the convent are DOM
| mated by the sound of Juan's voice, but at the
end of each of his periods the crowd takes mn
the refrain OF the rosary, and sings, with the
| voices OF the sisters, to the accompaniment of
the organ. At last the people, electrified bv
Juan's oratory, break out into chanting tho
"Guernica." The voices from the chanel also
join in the grand chorus of the national HYMN
and, with cries Of sour countryv, and "Tih,
erty" the call to arms is declared.
Unfortunately the last act is not on mar
with the superb second act. Civil war has
commenced, and Juan and his partisans occu.
Ply an elevated plateau in the mountain NJ
Elarrio. Most of the dramatis persona begin
to put In their appearance and then the termi.
nation, which the audience has foreseen
happens. The Spanish troops, commanded by
CAPTAIN Mariano, find themselves face TO face
with the Basaues and the Carlists. dis
charge OF rifles follows, which laws Juan low.
NeliA ana her father rush on, at the sound Of
shooting, in time to see Juan die Mariana
thereupon swears that he will seek death in
the next skirmish, and Nella declares that she
VIII end her days in a convent.
Pedro Gailhard, the librettist of "Guerniea. -
Is as well known as the Opera Comique of which
ne Is director Vidal, the composer has not
peen many years out of the Conservatory.
Less than decade ago he won the Prix de
Rome, and 1t is six years since he sent "Joan
OF Arc" home to Paris, as the fruit OF his
studies In the Italian capitals. His ballet "La
! Maladetta." which was played last winter at