The Portland daily press., 1895-08-24
HELTGOLAND.
The Opera Written by Two Bright
Maine Women.

The Work of Miss Kate vannah and Miss
Bartlett-It Has Received Praise from
Competent Judges-BEay be Produced
This Winter.
(CoRRESPoNDENCE OF THE PREss)
Gardiner, Me-, Aug. 20, 1S95.-An opera
of which both book and music are the
work of women is novelty in the musical
world, yet such a work has been written
by two Maine women and is now about
ready for presentation. 1t is an opera
too which has received high praise from
competent judges Mr.. John Braham,
who is engaged upon the orchestra
ton, is enthusiastic in his communication
of the music it contains and no less a
light in the world of comic opera than
Barnabee of the Bostonians has passed
favorable Judgement upon the. Hbretto.
Some account of what Miss Kate Van
nah and her friend Miss Bartlett hoped
to do was published at the time they I'M
dertook this work. Since then little. has
been said about it, but the two authors
have been busily at work. To Maine peo-
pie who have listened to her songs, Miss
Vannah needs no introduction. The
songs have already been sufficient pres
entation. Miss Bartlett is by birth Min
neapolis girl but as for several years
past she has lived here with Miss
Vannah, she too may be claimed as a
Maine woman. Miss Bartlett is herself a
composer of merit, having written songs
which have found much favor. 1t was
during a residence of several years abroad
that she visited that "little triangular
rockery,'' out in the North Sea, the
island of Heligoland. The reader who
has never seen this little bit of rock may
perhaps recall the fuss made aboutsit at the
time when. several years ago, it was
coded by Great Britain to the Germans.
And he may also recall that in a maya
inc article he has read of the curious Gus
toms of the island, the hanging of minia-
ture ships in the quaint old church, the
strange and pretty national dance. He
may also recall description of the way
the tide rises around the island hiding the
expanse of white sand at the base OF the
great cliffs and climbing higher and
higher until the beach is fathoIns deep
under the water SO that persons roaming
up and down it's sands may be caught
and drowned if they do not make their
way to the uplands in good time. For
further information concerning the queer
little island and its queer customs the
reader is advised to wait for the produc-
tion of the opera which will be entitled
"Heligoland.
1t was during residence abroad that
Oft cr,nnt- time AT Hall 1901
land, and when she returned to this
country she had fund of amusing anec-
dotes to tell of it. So, when thu writing
of the opera was suggested by Miss Van
nah or Miss BARTLETT, they cannot remem-
Der now who first proposed it,. the island
naturally suggested itself as the scene OF
the events to be described in song and
verse; With correspondent of the
PRESS the two ladies talked Tor an hour
one day this week concerning the opera.
The PRESS correspondent was received in
the drawing-room of the Vannah house
on Lincoln avenue in this city. Only a
glance is necessary to show that the peo-
pie who preside over this room are lovers
and makers of music. 1t is really room
made of two rooms, for it consists OF
parlors once separated by folding doors,
a doorway now MARRIED by big Japan
ese fan hanging over it and the portieres
falling at the Sides In one OF the rooms
is a large pipe organ and occupying a
similar position of honor in the other
apartment is grand piano, while near by
is broad couch, piled high with cush-
| ions, delightful resting-place for the
lover of music while he is entertained by
the organ or the piano played by one of
the hostesses. A table by window is
| covered by several large volumes of
mapuscript, the full score of the new
| opera, transcribed by the composers them
selves. They are justly proud Of their
! "copy,'' for after looking over many
pa ges the visitor has found no blot or
| b]emish.
| 1t was in this room nearly two years
ago now, that the opera wasEbegun. 1t
| was first thou ght of only as the diversion
of a rainy day but friends OF the authors
insisted that it possessed merit en-
titling it to future presentation. So it
has been written with view to it's pro-
duction. 1t has already been sung before
such CRITICISMS Jessie BARTLETT Davis and
| Barnabee of the Bostonians, and Miss
| Vannah and Miss Bartlett are to go to
| New York in about a week now when
the completed opera will be ready for a
| hearing They have been assured that the
work has merit more than enough for a
successful career and it's presentation this
| winter seems now only to depend on the
| question of whether it can be made avail
able this season by one Of several OF the
| leading comic opera companies.
| A question which naturally arises Is
| whether Miss Vannah or Miss Bartlett
was composer or librettist. AS matter
of fact, when the work was begun it was
supposed that Miss Vannah would COM
pose all the music and Miss Bartlett be-
come responsible for the libretto, but