The sun., 1897-05-23
LEoNoArALLo,s NEW OPERA.
"La Boheme" Faiis TO Meet Expectations ~
Its Firnt Performance ut Venice.

1tn First Performance nt Venice.
The latest operatio novelty Of Italy Is Rug
giero Leoncavalos work, based on Henri Muir
gers lie Vie dc Boheme," and called LA
Boheme." The opera was recently sung for the
first time at Venice. and the result appears to
have been rather disappointing, and probably
further performances will make 1t necessary to
record another failure of q new work. Pollini
of Hamburg will give tho opera its first per-
formance in Germany at his theatre. One
Of the Vienna conductors who went down
to Venice to hear the work. has not
yet committed the Imperial Opera House
to its production. One of the faults of the new
work is said to be the undramatic character Of
the libretto, which is also the work Of Leon
cavallo. Any one familiar with Murger's novel.
as well as with the adaptation of it seen here
under the title Bohemia, will realize the diff
fculty of making a dramatic story from the
said that since "Faistaff nothing SO fine in It's
way has been heard in Europe.
LeoncavallO 10 claims to have conceived the idea
Of an opera based on Murgers book while a stu
dent in Paris. The. competitions for one or
time to II Paaiacci." which. as history now re-
".Cavalieria Rusticana took the first. He wi was
then under contract to Sonzogno and wrote
II Medici' as well as n other works which did
him by his first opera. In the meantime Puccini.
friend Of LeonSayallo,s, thought Of the story
%lss sad 'rRs 'i at Twain
Of his intention Of writing an opera on this sub
ject, but when he set to work, Puccini's opera
was very nearly FL ready for prpducton T. had
injure sonzogno's success. So he went to Ven.
Puocini :" La Boheme." The only eject was to
for L an audience Of or dsnction & tom 'ecpre crt
les. managers,and musicians from France, Ger
and i So, na Of thse
appearance. attracted the most attention. He
wore evening dress. relieved by sky-blue vel
vet waistcoat and a straw hat.
The prelude to the work is brief and the first
act passes In the main room of the Cafe Momus
others paint and still others devote themselves
to music Presently Schaunard, Mimi, Musstte,
They decide to have dinner in honor Of tho
girls. Aftor It is served and eaten there is no
tween The landlord and the students fol,
lows. Then n guest who has been amused
by hS6 Ss Grs to for dr the din In
diEnaG9iyy 6Hf a SehHu"nrd m .ands., finds way
stranger loses OF course and then all the the char
acters start for the ball at the Jardin Mabille
mians, and these episodes. in spite Of the pres.
ence OF several pretty songs are said to have so
little dramatic value that they seem like n con-
cert in which solos and choruscs alternate.
Luckily, .he third act 10 more dramatic. II
shows the Bohemians In the time OF their
poverty. The poet, Rudolph. has been forsakon
by Mimi, who has gone to live with a rich aunt
and .Musette is Just on the point of leaving her
IA strong duet between the two girls when they
meet. Mint tells OF her heart sufferings even
amid wealth when separated from her lover,
and Musette describes the misery and hunger in
which she and her lover have been compelled to
live The two girls leave. and when the m,l-
sician returns with some money to relieve
their wants 1t is too late. as he and
his friend have boen deserted by the wo-
men. The fourth act passes at Christmas
is cold and Mimi returns dying to her lover and
her old friends. Musstte. having found u rich
lover, comes 10 pass Christmas eve with the
Bohemians. She sends one of them TO "A pawn
brokers' with her rings and bracelets to got
money for .Nimfs medicines; but IL Is late, and
Mimi dies In RudOlDh arms as tho chimes ring
to announce that Christmas morning has come
cavalo's treatment the strength and impres.
siyeness possible to the music of the situation.
After the fall OF the curtain LeOncavallo was
recalled several times. and at points during the
action OF the opera he was compelled In accord
ance with the Italian custom, to appear on the
stage after numbers which especially pleased
the audience. This happened during the first
/ and second acts after two solos. ono sung by
Mimi and one by Musette; and after the third
aDcs is said to have been admirable in every
particular. II wns not until the early morning
at about 2 O'clOck-that the performance,
which had begun at o, came to an end.