The San Francisco call., 1896-03-19

lReprodatced trem
was chosen for the festival performance on
April 20. The ever-increasing popularity OF
the new work caused it to be accepted imme-
diately in Berlin, Vienna nd London At the
first performance in New York Klafsky will
again sing the part of Amy. The form and
orchestra of .Kenilworthn are said to be those
employed by Wagner in his "Lohengrin."
Klein makes use OF leading motives TO very
limited extent, using but six in the entire
opera. The work is said on all hands to be
stamped with a strong individuality and to
show meiodic invention, as well as the COM
poser's powerful sense of form and his pro-
found knowledge of the orchestra. The New
York production of "Kenilworth" is being
looked forward to with greet interest.
Considerable comment has been passed by
the French press over the neglect OF the Gov
ernment to give Ambrose Thomas a public
funeral. LIE Menestrel says: "The ceremonies
were not National in the official aceeptation
OF the word. Not one OF the Ministers was
strucK by the honest thought OF dlsinteresting
himself enough from his own personal affairs
TO say to the Parliament: Gentlemen, great
artist has been taken from US, let us for mo-
ment forget our Parliamentary quafrels and
pay AMBROSE Thomas the rights which are
his due.i This would have made mo ments
truce from contemplate discussions, would
have been like a little pure air let into the
hail, oyercharged with sessions touch OF
ideality in short given to the country, IN the
midst of scenes of violence, OF the lies and
wranglings with which We are overwhelmed.
But though it did not receive the official stamp,
the funeral OF Ambrose Thomas was not the
less imposing and popular Perha ps it was
better for this noble spirit, this great and good
his death. with the contemplate politicians
who lead u.s.
lie Menestrel gives an account of theater
which has been founded in village of Russia
named Patjano by wealthy man OF the name
of Bunastrow. In this theater all the singing
and acting are done by the peasants them
selves, and they are the ocly patrons OF the
performances. The very modest hall contains
116 places, of which the most expensive cost
20 kopeks (about 8 cents; the other seats
vary from 1S to kopek. The performers are
all pupils OF the public schools, and the seen
cry, costumes, lights, etc., are all furnished by
Mr.. Bunastrow. The money taken at the door
is distributed equally among the young per-
formers, who in the course of the winter sea-
son can make about five rubles each, sum
which the little villagers by no means despise.
The hall is always crowded and everything
put on the stage is OF highly moral character.
The Fanfulla, an Italian newspaper, pub
fishes an interview with Mascagni apropos of
his new opera, "Zanettoh (The Passer-by)-
The work has been billed for performance at
La Scala this Lent, but it seems that the CON-
poser declares authoritatiyely that he will not
permit the rehearsals to proceed. 81 will not
allow 'Zanetto' TO be given at La Scala this
season." he said "The opera is mine, exclu-
sively mine, and / will not give it up for any
fhar Ita1io ul1h 1jeh
may offer me. Those who want to hear the
work will have to come to Pesaro. where
shall give the first performance, prepared by
myself, directed by myself and executed in my
own fashion."
The dearth OF really fine new masses for the
Catholic church is SO great that considerable
interest attaches to the recent first production
Of Alfred Bruneau's requiem in London. This
French composer has hitherto been best known
as collaborator with Emile Zola in the pro-
duction of operas, a training which would not
strike one as being the most fitting preparation
for writing devotional music. To tell the truth
Bruneau seems to have succeeded better in
opera, with Zola as his librettist, than he has
done in his recent attempt to compose
requiem. When Alfred Bruneau's opera lie
Reye" was produced in London the most sober
minded critics declared that though the music
was madness, there was method in it. "L'At-
taque du Moulin" evinced great advance in
musical beauty and general Conference and
Zola's libretto was pronounced on all hands to
be splendidly effective. The music of the
requiem, however, has met with scant praise
from the London press. The Saturday Review,
which is noted for its fearless aud just criti-
cisms, says: There is only one requiem
Mozarts-the rest are but limitations, or worse
still, endeavors to be original OF all such en-
deavors Bruneaus is absolutely the ugliest,
worst, dullest, most pretentious, most tedious
we have ever come across. There are masses
for the church, like Palestrina's, masses for the
concert-room, which are expressions of per-
sonal feelings, like Beethoven's, and masses
for the theater, like Gounods. OF this last
sort is Bruneau's, and it is not good even of its
sort. The only possible way of endowing the
score with the faintest interest is by adding q
part for the bagpipes to the setting of ,Piu
Jesu.'"
Bruneau's requiem is shortly to be produced
in Paris, where possibly il will meet with bet
ter fate than it has done in London.
The Mikado, whose income has been aug
mented by Chinese gold. has become great
patron OF lyric Grt. Not long ago he founded
q conservatory with European professors OF
music, and now he has given orders for an
Italian opera troupe to be imported ip order