The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-14

MASCAGNI
| symphony, in fact that made the six vast tiers
! OF boxes look like flower beds in May, where
| the glitter of diamonds might have passed for
morning dew. Perhaps we shall again see a
| theater as splendid as that OF yesterday, but
| never one more splendid.
After seeing the opera we are still asking
| ourselves, What is there in Scotland so mys-
| ter1ously romantic to have given to liter
AZURE Heines civilian Ratcliff'' ana to music
Mascagni's triumphant notes? Mattei's trans
lation OF Heine's story is masterpiece, though
| can only give you a summary of the libretto
! Earl Douglas is betrothed to Mary McGregor
| and her father blesses the youthful couple,
| who kneel before him, while in a corner an
| old nurse, cataleptic and half crazy, sings:
| "Why is thy sword red with blood? Edward,
| EdwardP No one knows what the mysterious
words mean, and Douglas does not heed them,
| being too much occupied in telling Mary how,
in riding madly over valleys and mountains to
reach her an hour earlier, he had been attacked
| by highWaymen, but rescued by an unknown
! knight. On hearing this Mary faints, and the
old nurse helps her to her chamber. "Why,"
exclaims Douglas, "does Mary tremble at a
danger that is past?" Then McGregor mar
rates the following brief and terrible story:
ga youth, William Ratcliff, whose father was
| my friend, courted Mary, but as she would
| have none of him~he departed. After seven
| moons she was about to marry Macdonald, but
| on the wedding day the bridegroom came not
| We sought him and found his corpse in a pond
| at the foot of the Black Stone In the night an
| intruder stole into Mary's chamber and tore
| from her finger the wedding -ring-that in
| truder was William Ratcliff. Again Mary
was asked in marriage by the powerful Dun
can; 1 consented and the wedding veil once
| mo nod rJc do
| alas! the second bridegroom came not and his
| corpse was lying by the Black Stone. Once
| more the murdered groom's ring was torn
from Mary's trembling fingers by William
Ratcliff."
The lugubrious story ends and at that mo-
ment messenger arrives to remind Douglas of
an appointment at the Black Stone. He
answers, 81 will CO."
The scene changes to where Ratcliff is in
lurid tavern, surrounded by bandits. The inn
keepers child is trying to recite his paternos-
ter, but he can never succeed in pronouncing
the phrase ('Non lasciarci tentar del male')
"Let not evil tempt u.s.; and Ratcliff also
tries in vain to say the words. Here begins the
psychological treatment of Ratcliff, which
| reflects the mind of the great German poet.
The hero's poor, passionate soul is chained to
evil, because a fatal heredity keeps it from
good. "FatalityV' is the word that colors it and
the whole opera.
The second act keeps up the psychological
study of Ratcliff, particularly where he mar
rates to his friend Lesley the dark dreams of
his youth: 'I saw in the night two phantoms
chained together, but never touching one an
other. In one could recognize myself, in the
other McGregor's daughter. How loved her,
but now the white phantom has cursed my
life" Then delirium seizes Ratcliff's brain
and he exclaims: "Duncanl Macdonald and
tonight Douglas"
The third act takes place at the Black Stone |
terrible tempest is raging and amid the
shrieking of the elements Douglas arrives and
in the darkness distinguishes the voice of
Ratclif-that of the generous unknown who
had saved him from the bandits eve are
friends says Douglas. NO." replies the
other, "for my name is Ratcliff." The two
knights fight and the doughty bandit is van
pushed, Douglas conceding him his life.
Only the inspiration of Heines own words
could give you the fervor and the delirium
of Ratcliff's monologue-alone in the tempest
of the elements and of his own heart. He
curses the world and every living thing, CRYING
aloud that Mary must be sacrificed to his
| passion for revenge.
The scene changes to where Mary, in her
wedding-dress. is about to enter the chapel to
be married. The old nurse tells her a piece of
family history which explains the mean
ing of her weird song Ratcliff's father.
Edward, was murdered by McGregor in
a fit of jealousy, because, years be-
| fore, he and Mary's mother had been en-
| gagged. At this moment Ratclin enters. and
Mary, touched with love for him, binds up his
| wounds with her wedding-veil. "Let us fv. !"
| cries Ratclif, but as old Margaret breaks
| again into her song of edward, Edward" de-
| lirium seizes him, and, stabbing Mary to
| DEATH he shoots himself. The drama is fin
| ished, and the two phantoms so long linked
| together by destiny, are at last united in the
| cold kiss of death.
The curtain rises on the opera of "Ratcljff,'
without an overture, or rather the symphonic
| introduction sounds as the curtain rises-tbe
mute and cold audience suddenly becoming
electrified as Douglas narrates his meeting
with the bandits. The sweet phrase in which
| the nurse comforts Mary when she faiuts
| caused call for the author
In the second act the child's paternoster
caused an outburst of well-deserved enthu-
slasm, Tor the prayer is beautiful, powerful and
original Ratcliff's vigorous account of his
dreams also earned calls for the Composer. A
marvellous effectiveness is added to his nara
tlon by the far-of arpeggios of pastorale, min
gled with the sound OF church bell. ringing
vespers.
In the duel scene OF the third act. the or
chestra has magnificent intermezzo between
the snatches of Ratcliff's long monologue. In
TACT the orchestra replies to all the unfortunate
hero's outbursts of passion and delirium. The