The herald., 1897-05-16

st. John IL to sing the title role. He is
the composer Of 1.-THE Shop Girl" and
"The Gay Parisienne," etc. He is very
rapid writer. and is said to have
composed THE Circus Girl" in eight
weeks. Unlike some other English COM
posers- Arthur Sullivan, for in
stance-Caryll finds it quite impossible
to get through any serious work on the
continent. He likes to be at home, in
room that he knows and amid familiar
surroundings. Flats he has tried and
found wanting. One day, when he was
living in fiat and was hard at work
there came an imperative request from
lady above that he would cease thump-
ing on the piano. The composer bowed
to the inevitable and closed his piano:
but flats have known him no more. Ca
ryll was the husband Of Geraldine Ul-
mar, the American prima donna.
Walter Damrosch and Charles A. Ellis
have formed a partnership for the man.
agement of a company to be heard in
New York and elsewhere next winter.
1t will be called the Damrosch Opera
company, but it will be more ambi-
tious affair than the organization that
has gone by that name in previous sea-
sons. Mr.. Ellis will attend to the busi-
ness affairs of the company, and Mr..
Damrosch will devote himself entirely
to the artistic portion. The scope of
the plans is to be considerably enlarged
in other ways. Operas will be sung III
Italian ard French as we'll as in German,
and singers proficient in those languages
will therefore be engaged. The list of
operas will also be longer, of necessity,
since nothing would be gained by sing
ing the works of Wagner in any other
language than German. Longer seasons
are also intended in Chicago, Boston,
Philadelphia, and some other cities. Mr..
c. l.. Graft, nephew of Myer L. Graft
CT this city, will act as secretary and
'ress agent for the company.
The Bostonians' new opera, "The Ser
enade," by Victor Herbert, is exceeding
even the popularity Of robin Hood"
in its palmy days. The story of 1.-THE
Serenade" is intelligibly narrated says
an exchange, and it is carried forward
on current of music that is melodious.
wholesome, and sane from opening
phrase to the last chord of the trium-
phant finale. The story has to cal with
q Spanish young woman who falls in
love, not with baritone, but with the
song he sings, and while she coquets
with the singer and divers other indi-
viduals in the progress of the comedy.
the composer enjoys limitless opportu-
mites of coquetting with the serenade
The monks in mon astery are taught
1T by an irresponsible brigand, who
is alternately robber and cowled brother
of the institution. The nuns in an ad-
joining convent sing it, apparently hav-
ing learned it by absorption, and the
divided stage scene in the second act
is richly humorous. But 1t is not alone
in his handling of the serenade on
which the story turns that Mr.. Herbert
has demonstrated his absolute mastery
OF the difficult art of telling a musical
story. The Postillion's song in the first
act, with its climaxing chorus; the Bo-
lero in act two, which sets the monks
to flirting with their heels; the charm.
ing romance for the tenor in act three
all are quite sufficient proclamation
OF originality and power to place the
new opera in the very front rank of its
kind