St. Paul daily globe., 1895-12-17
AT THE THEATERs.

Ever welcome everywhere, the Bos-
tonians made their annual appearance
last night at the Metropolitan opera
house. Upon this occasion they were
seen and heard through the medium
of another new opera entitled "a War
Time Wedding"
The Bostonians have displayed COM
mendable pluck and enterprise in stag
ing new and native productions and de-
serve all the encouragement that is
bestowed upon them. 1t is greatly to
their credit that notwithstanding the
unequivocal and lasting success Of
robin Hood" the Bostonians have
not been lazily content to rest upon
one achievement, but have produced
at least one and generally two and
three new creations every season. While
none of these productions have
exploited the organization as felici-
tously as robin Hood some of them
have afforded a pleasing variety, and
given various members of the company
opportunities not provided for them by
robin Hood
1t is to be regretted that better things
cannot be said of "A Wartime We'd
ding" but they cannot truthfully. This
opera fairly disguises the Bostonians.
1t seems to destroy their esprit du
corps, it is so lugubrious so monoto-
nous, so interminable. 1t is not that
such vocalists as Helen Bertram, Jes-
sic Bartlett Davis, W. H. Macdonald
and Eugene Cowles are not entirely
adequate to the score. 1t is the lack of
melody in the music, action in the
story and wit in the libretto that makes
the performance tedious. There is only
one redeeming scene, and that is the
final one, in which the wretch who be-
trays a loving woman is stabbed most
thoroughly for his dastardly conduct
by the faithful servant.
ga War Time Wedding" is the joint
work of c. T. Dazey and Oscar We'll.
Mr.. We'll, according to the programme,
composed the music and also wrote
some of the words, while Mr.. Dazey
is inferentially the author of the re-
mainder of the words. First, as to
the libretto. 1t Is totally devoid of
the literary touch. Not a vestige of
grace marks it's diction; indeed, there
is not a neatly turned phrase in the
book. AS for its humor-save the
mark-the attempts in that direction
are pathetic. One could not but feel
sorry for tine blfthesome Barnabee,
who was compelled to speak lines fiat
ter than the pancakes of verdant
''Vairmount." The authors have not
written a. comic song in the opera, and
consequently Mr.. Barnabee was OBJ
liged to entertain the audience with
a funny, but venerable speciality con-
cerning the vicissitudes of man with
a wooden leg.
The action Of the opera is laid in
Mexico during the period of the Mex
lean war. The chief characters are
Ramon Falcon, O. Mexican guerilla;
Teresa, a peasant girl, whom he be-
trays; Mariquita Mason, whom he is
bound to marry against her will; Capt.
Seldom, the United States officer, who
is betrothed to Mariquita; Felipe for
merly Ramon's servant, and Ezra
Stebbins, the Yankee dragoon from
"Vairmount." The plot hinges on the
efforts of Ramon to force Mariquita
to marry him, and Teresa's efforts,
through the aid of Felipe, to make
Ramon right the wrong he has in
flicted on her Ramon, who is i'm
prisoned by the American troops and
condemned to die. is released by
Felipe, who is in love with Teresa, but
WulO HlSlSCS upOu IIdlIIOll IIldhli1S ISp-
aration by marrying her. Ramon re-
fuses. Felipe kills him and shoves the
body back into it's former prison.
Then the curtain falls and the opera
Is over. 1t is the only stirring scene;
the only dramatic climax. Stripped of
the music the libretto would be a sem
sational melodrama Of the cheap Or
IIder
te 20,
but much of it fails to delight the
ear or stir the chord that respond to
eloquent music. There is an excess of
orecitative, and a minimum of melody.
Moreover the srecitatives and arias
are irtermingled in the most confus-
ing manner. The melody is wander
ing and disconnected. There is an alb
senee of musical sequence quite dis
appointing, not to say exasperating, to
the ear that imagines it has caught
the thread of the melody, only to lose
the sound of it in an intricate discord.
Many attractive themes are spoiled by
frequent and abrupt changes of key,
that destroy instead of enhance the
effect.
The solos excel the other numbers.
That of Mr.. Cowles (Felipe) in the last
act, and that Of Jessie Bartlett Davis
(Teresa) in the same act are the
most effective in the opera. Both of
these artists sang splendidly and acted
with much spirit. Helen Bertram's
brilliant soprano Is distinct acquisi-
ton to the company. She sang with
exquisite taste and finish the role of
Mariquita. The most attractive number
was her duet with Harold Blake Capt
SELDOM. The duet between Mrs. Davis
and Mr.. Macdonald i'm Act I. was also
deservedly encored.
Of the ensemble numbers the finest
were the chorale with fugue movement
prior to forming the procession to
mass, the opening chorus of Act II. and
a portion of the finale to Act I. which
has a stirring rythm.
Mr.. Macdonald was excellent in the
role of Ramon, and Mr.. Barnabee and
Mr.. rockingham made the most of
slender opportunities. The chorus was,
as usual, admirable.
Tonight, "Robin Hood"