The sun., 1897-10-24
OPERA I'M EUROPE.
view WORK. IN Loadon ana Germany aus
Others NoarinE Completion.

"The Prentice Pillar" which were sung by tho
Hodmondt Company at Her Majesty's Theatre.
having fajled TO save that season from barely
mediocre success. Mr.. Hedmondt has decided
TO return to comic opera, and the Carl Rosa
Company Mt Covent Garden is Just now In com.
plele control of tho operate situation In Lon.
dom Puccinis "vie de Boheme," which was
sung nv the same company last spring in one of
the English provincial towns, has had London
pcrformance and the work was praised highly
by the critics, although the fact that the ibretto
was comic seemed to be SO completely overlooked
by tho actors that the work lost much of its
effect "Iohengrin," Romeo and Juliet
"Tannhaeuser" " Faust" and other operas of
the regular repertoire have been sung, and they
have received considerable praise for their in.
tcrprotation
Young LLOYD d'Aubigne who after his ap.
prenticcship at Daly's Theatre appeared at tho
METROPOLITAN for two seasons In minor roles
has made his beginning as a leading tenor at
these performances. and the strong conlmenda.
tion he has received is another instance OF the
success which American singers so frequently
find in Europe. George Ferguson, tho Amcri.
car, h.- ,xho has never anneorcd in onoro
can ai Ueritoho' wv n"' ~ op.."
in serious performances, and comic opera was
NOT IN his tnsto has been praised bivbi, as tho
successor to David Bispham In the Carl Rosa
company.
After the production of "Darmid, for which
the Marquis OF Lorne mas written the lbretto
and Hamish McCunn the music Tristan and
ieo,uo win w o""s III i'"s 'oi t'' w .. 'ti'''
with Chevalior scovel and Alice Esty in the two
.aa. -, -. -, ..,,.in no..,an -, ~
iiouso III v,u1i ,nAo poi i.,o'' Va .no
msns ,s Hr,iI
H. ,,,r,,
". WI
Darmid Is tho first Of series OF operas
based by Lord Lorne upon tho early legends of
a., s,,;,, , N..,h LII I'D , g.. ~
the ''o''h anu .'oi 'n ii'''' "'io io i'"'t 'h"
three legends have been used In the present
plot The hero n noted SLAYER of Sorsemen is
p'o' ,,D .ne no.o' - y. W 20
in'uihcraoie save IN inc soes Vi ME rect anu ID
likewise invested by the goddess Freyd with
magic powers which make him an extremely
,.,, ...a.,.. A.. a. -. =, 80. :.
u"nbo'ous po'eo""h' " .n' ue' ivu 'a'''es Vi
his acquaintance. Queen Granid, like another
Guinererc falls violently in love with him. an d
~ - - .,,., - - s 80 -,
pursues MN 10 the nut IN the iofcst where ne mas
0no,her Jo,c.Jot Th. Kinv.s rher hnshand,
revenge is characteristic. BY craft he causes
| Diarm Il TO walk barefoot upon the poison Jus
bristics OF wild boar and refuses him the cup
| cnoruscs OF Scottish and Morse warriors are for
male voices only; a battle scene in the Norwegian
| AFFAIR; but female Voices are effectively en-.
pioyed in the choruses, of treya,s attendants.
| the ballet danced round thetsleepins hero. There
| are solos Tor the Queens stepdang hter, for
TrcvG and others, and besides long and pas
| siouate love duet for Dlarmid ana DRAMA in
the third act; there is in tho fourth the de-
| liciously fresh and nelodious duet OF Tho
| Cherry and the Rowan"
! The performances of the company at Coyent
Garden are given at prices which would be re-.
! garded here AS very popular" A seat which
| during the regular season would cost IS is 10 be-
! had now for several shilings. One notable
/ feature OF the company this year is the absence
! of English singers Several Italians A ma aiority
| of Americans and two or three OF other nation.
alities are the principal singers
! On Oct 8 Verdi entered upon his eight y.fourth
! wear and the state OF his health empbns sized the
eroundlcssness OF the report circulated last
Summer that he was at the point of death. In
honor OF the occasion the Paris newspapers in.
dulgtd the favorite practice OF collecting n
symposium Of opinions OF the COMPOSERS \ talent
and his position in the world OF music Com.
Theodore Bunoiss opinion was: 81 adn,ire the
supple powerful fertile and yiril. genius " hiC n
| has always known how to transform and en-.
large its methods" Others wrote as follows:
Saint-Saens-Nerdi is one Of the most salien.
faults. Which one pardons and her irresisibI Rt
seduction. How happy are tho Italians!' said
Chabrer to me one day. and, going to the piano
forte. he sang. passionately. :. Parigi. o car l..
They can write like that. and it is ravishinE
Masscnet-That master. robust and incom
parable. tor whom feel as much respect as ad
mtlatlSh hatiside Ri.,or-Giuseppe Verdi, glory of
the Latin races. inspired creator OF divine har
monies. has made himself immortal in touching
all the chords Of the Tyre OF humanity.
| Christine Nilsson-The impression which the
master has made upon me is that OF a man as
fun OF human kindness and charm he is OF
genius. For that matter. 1t would be tritc and
prelentious to assert. since he has been for SC
long consecratcd by the enthusiasm OF the civ
ilizcd world.
The same newspaper published letter writer
by Verdi when he declined the directorship o
the Naples Conservatory In succession to Mer
cadante. The advice Verdi gives to students ii
highly interesting to-day. Verdi said:
Work at fuguc constantly. obstinatcy, ever
hdence. Study Pulcstrina and some o
his contemporaries; then leap TO MarcrllO, ant
especially give your attention to recitative. GC
and hear modern operas without being carried
away either by the many harmonic and instru
mental beauties or by the chord OF the dimin
ished seventh. the refuge OF those who canno
write four bars without ueing half dozen o
these sovenths. Return TO the antique, and tha
will be progress.
Some OF the operas Of the day. judged by tn,
standard set up in these words would be fail
ures; The rumors OF the various works on whicl
Verdi is engaged still circulate through TIL,
Italian newspapers. but mono of them receive
general credence.
! hatfIa pf ha Rob- ho-,