The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-18
CHRIToPH WITHHOLD GLUCK.
tFTom an engraviRg.]

is being offered because the King Admete is
attacked with q mysterious sickness which
nothing can cure. Suddenly the high priest
announces that the oracle will speak, and
voice, coming from the mouth of Apollo's
statue, pToclaims, '"The King must die to-day
If another life is not voluntarily sacrificed for
his" The terrified crowd rushes away, and
the Queen remains alone in the temple. Her
husband shall not die, for Alceste decides to
give her life for that of Admete. "But it is no
sacrifice" cries the young and beautiful Queen.
Chow can they call dying for him sacrifce?"
and, exalted by her love, she defies the divint-
ties OF Styx, and her last ascent is, at the same
time, cry OF enthusiasm and of horror as she
feels the shades of death closing round her.
The roles in "Alceste' give splendid oppor-
tunities for tragic acting. That, however, is
only in accordance with Gluck's ideas, even
though here and there his Hbrettist has made
parts of the book monotonous. The preface to
"Alceste," which was published when the
opera was first produced in Vienna in 1857,
was Gluck's confession of faith-a faith which
in many respects found disciple in Richard
Wagner. 81 have endeavored," says Gluck,
"to reduce music to its proper function, that OF
seconding poetry by enforcing the expression
of sentiment and the interest OF the situation
without interrupting the action or weakening
it by superfuous ornament" But the Wen
opera as a mere vehicle for showing off the
ford vocalzation of the singers, and it re-
ceived "Alceste" so coldly that in the preface
to "Paris and Helen," Gluck says: "Only in
the hope of finding imitators did 1 resolve to
bring cut the music OF Alceste! am con-
yineed, however, that my hopes were vain"
But in ITO ''Alceste" won the enthusiasm OF
Paris, and now in 1895 it has conquered the
French capital again. 1t would not be
Ji,,rr fr+
| if great Gluck revival took place, now that
Wagner and his disciples have pushed Gluck's
operate theories far beyond his widest dreams.
Some thirty odd years ago Wagner was de-
MED hearing in France. Now the pendulum
| has swung back with such vengeance that no
capital in the world has such ardent Wagnero-
maniacs as are to be found in Paris. More
| over, Wagner has established such firm foot
| hold at the national opera-houSe that it is as
serted the best native composers have not a
chance of hearing. Anyhow, it is an IN
| doubted fact that of late years several import
| ant French operas have been produced for the
| first time over the border. The present plight
| of the French composers seems sort of Ne
mesis, though the men who suffer are not the
ones who attacked Wagner. Twenty-Five years
ago the critics attacked Bizet for his allege
Magnetism. Nowadays the dominant coterie
in critical circles is so enamored of Wagner
that young composer who does not adopt his
principles has no chance of a hearing. What
with England's musical Partially fer France,
Germany's for Italy and Frances for Germany,
musical taste reminds one of nothing so much
as game of international general post"
The death is announced from Vienna of
Camille Walzel, the libretdst of 'Fatinitza,"
"Boceaccio" and several other of Suppe's
operas He also wrote the book of "CagliostrO'
and "a Night in Venice" for Strauss, as well
as "The Beggar STUDENT for Millocker and
1.-THE Marine Cadet for Richard Genee. AT
one time he was an officer in the Austrian in
| fantry and later became captain of steam
boat ON the Danube. In his latter years, how
ever, he shared with tanner the dictatorship of
/ the wellknown theater, An der Wien.
The town of weimar is preparing to fete the
iftieth artistic anniversary of the Belgian COM
| poser, Edward Lassen. He made his debut in
| 1916, at the Brussels Conservatory, when he
| was only Is years old. Called by List to Wei
mar, he has remained there ever since Las
sen was firm friend of Wagner and was one
| of the first opera conductors to mount his
works. Lassen is celebrated in Germany for
remarkable musical scene, inspired by Goethe's
| ''Faust." In America he is very popular as q
| song writer.
| Walter Damrosch and his company of Ger
| man artists are now giving season of Wagner
opera in Chicago at the Auditorium. "Thus
| far, and no farther seems to be the sign-post
of the Windy City, as far as all the great or
CARNATIONS are concerned. West of the Rockies
people do not even taste of the operatic crumbs
| that fall from New York's table. Last week
Boston enjoyed the spectacle OF an opera war
| German opera at one house and Italian at the
other.
Mascagnps latest opera, ''Silvano" has not
obtained the success that "Ratclff7' had a few
weeks ago at the Scala. The groundwork of
| the plot of "Silvano" is in substance the same
as that of the "Cavalleria Rusticana." Hatred
and rivalry in love lead to the catastrophe.
The music Is easy and melodious, but after
"Ratel1f the public expected more and did not
| hide its disappointment The orchestration of
"Sllvano" was judged to be very weak
Saint-saens has buried himself in the rural
| districts of the Malay Peninsula to compose
the music of his new lyric drama, "Brune-
hilda." Writing to friend of the impression
Singapore made upon him, he says: 1T has
remained In my eye like a dazzling vision, the
landscape OF Chinese fair, with its Chinese
houses OF surprising luxury and picturesque
ness. l intend to go to Egypt to orchestrate
the fourth act of 'Brunehilda.'"
| 1t is stated that an ironclad legal contract
has been made with the violinist Ysaye and
his company by which they will certainly APP
pear in San Francisco, at the Baldwin
Theater, on May 18th. Too often the great
virtuosi who are announced fail to materialize,
but II Ysaye really comes he can scarcely fail
| to create sensation In the East last winter
he more than consoled the matinee girl for the
| absence of Paderewski.
| Anew opera-house, the Theatre Mondain, has
| been opened in Paris. The impresario, Franck
Valery, gives this information about it, "The
new theater is to help young composers OF