The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-11
OPERA IN EUROPE.
A Novel Competition I'm Berlin-New Works
brought out-UaEner In Italy.

brought out-waEner in Italy.
Berlin has just heard at its Royal Opera
House the first performance of Puccini's
"Boheme," and the present reports are that the
new work met with q favorable reception. Now
II IL announced that Leoncavallo's opera Of the
same namo and story is to be given al the same
theatre in the autumn, and SO the Opera House
will possess in the repertoire two operas ex-
actly similar in story. This will give an oppor-
tun!ty Of testing the merits of the two works in
a very practical way, whatever the profit OF the
scheme may be to the theatre. Leoncavallo has
lately been in the German capital max
Ing arrangements for the arst production
Of his opera. Roland OF Berlin" which
no was commissioned by the German Emperor
to write. This honor paid to a foreigner has
been very much criticised by some OF the Ger
man musicians, who claim that an opera on
such a subject should have been written by q
Prussian. But there would probably be no OBJ
lection to any attempts on the part of native
composers to write on the same theme and sec
II they could improve on Leoncavallo's work.
Such an attempt, though, might be regarded as
itse HI1jeste. Tho Emperor Is said 70 DO COM
posing an opera on u national theme, and 1t Is
fair TO say that no violent hands will ever be
laid on the story he selects.
One OF the private opera companies at Berlin
has just given a one-act opera called A Basso
Porto which was submitted by the composer.
Nicola spinellA for one OF the Souzosno competi.
tons. He won 4 second prize for an opera, LA.
b!lia," although this work has since met with
little success on the stage. Tho title refers TO
the Sums OF Naples, called the lower port
and the olerR is sud 10 be highly realistic. The
p~iaE.sts. He was ~ musician from his earliest
day, and when, very young went to the con-
pupil there he composed the music for an
operttta. Ponchielli. Boito. and Marchetu. who
Tor it. and Richard Tasnser.' Who came tnn ITO 10 Isl
toe Conservatory saw the score and wrote tho
Frau Moran Olden went 10 berlin 10 sing the
native OF Turin, whore his father was a lawyer.
sad has spunt much of his time in southern Italy,
,SA;nara, WHO :s . Greek by birth. but is one OF
appeared, and no trace OF him can be found. II
Is feared thai he returned TO his native country
Snd was Killed there during the recent war. His
best known oyera was a very advanced work
called The Martyr" which caused a great
Zeal of talk on account o; its realism, but gained
EAST Krals, the tenor OF the Walter Dam
rosch OpCr. Company. has lately reaYpeared at
the Royal Opera House in Berlin, andit appears
that he is not Yet a regular member OF the com.
RSny there, but is sill! announced as "a guest"
THIS fact caused considerable ommcnt but the
critics SAID that, since Niemann. no such inter.
A remarkable evidence OF tbs advance made
by WaRncr's music in Italy is found in the fact
winter at Turin. A complete Wagner cyclus In
Chronological order viii he given under the
direction OF sig. ToScanini. an eminent Italian
conductor. Elaborate preparations for the per-
formanCys have already begun. In Ro!ogna
twenty-five years ago WsEncrs "Lohengrfn"
WAS sung and made a failure. while subsequent
attempts 10 gain favor for his operas did liftie
70 help thoi- POPULARITY. Nothing so complcte
as this production OF Nagner's works has ever
before been attempted In Italy.
Tho ballet, "puppeniSl." which has for eight
years been very popular in Germany and Aus
tria, has lately been the occasion Of a legal dis
pute in Italy. An Italian author named Secchi
claims that no published the story in a macA.
pine a year before the ballet was composed, aid
he wants a share OF the Italian rights. Another
recent operate dispute that has Interested
Italian musicians concerns itself with Mas
cnEnis opera. Iris" OF which so much has been
said. although the work has barely been begun.
According to the ruinors, MssCaGni has broken
with SonEogno, his friend ana publisher, and
gone over 10 the camp OF R,Sorii, the other
great musical publisher OF Italy.