The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-07
POPULAR AND ARTISTIC EFFECTS IN
BERBERT's NEW OPERA.
sousa Is the Author of Both LIbrettO
and Music of '''rhe Bride Elect
-Yenye Returns.

terrupted Harry b. Smith has written an
other good libretto with theme as original
as THE Wizard of the Nile" and illustrat-
cd by as many witty points, the argument
novel and ebullient in fun, the characters
grotesque, the incidents wholly amusing,
the dialogue crisp and epigrammatic, the
lyrics quick in wit and funny. Here is one
of them, which, as sung by Frank Daniels,
was received with extraordinary favor. 1t
is called THE Tattooed Man" and ran to
the accompaniment of pleasant melody in
these words:
DO you remember, Angelina,
That heartless human snake,
Who won my heart in another part
And gave that heart a break?
HI tell you now OF my sweet revenge,
Twas retribution stern;
She fell in love with tattooed man,
Who broke her heart in turn.
Oh, he was human pictute gallery,
Such a spectacular gent;
He won her heart and drew her salary
Never gave her cent,
Till one fine day, with her seasons pay
And the fat lady, off he ran.
Oh, it's perfectly true, you can beat tat
But you can't beat a tattooed man.
He had designs upon himself;
She had designs or him,
And she loved TO look at the picture-book
Which he had on every limb.
To Germany France or Rome
When private collection awaits my inspec-
In. my happy little homer"
He had Raphael's "Cherubs'' on his brow,
THE Angelus' on his chest
While on his back was liberal stack
OF old masters of the best.
"oh, picture to yourself she said,
"A love-lOrn damSel'S doom. "
II cannot picture to myself
he said, for there's no more ROOM"
This is an example of the skill with which
Mr.. Smith has written his lyrics. His dia-
logue is not so ingenious, but it has worthy
turns in humor The score is said to be
OF uneven quality. Victor Herbert, one OF
the most gifted of our younger musicians
has gratiied his own wishes and the re-
quirements of the audience in alternate
passages Certain of his numbers recall the
excellence Of Prince Ananias." which was
cavaire to the general. But in others he
has thrown sops to the Cerberus of popu-
lar taste by inventing tuneful jingles.
His music is at once good bad and in
Different, now and then giving a suggestion
OF the composers admirable spirit now and
then lively, but of no great value, now and
then openly trivial. But the latter DISPOSE
ton is not injudicious in even so accom-
plished a musician Victor Herbert for
the comic, opera public enjoys tunes that
tickle its ears more than music which adj
dresses its Intelligence. Therefore, in his
new score MIR. Herbert has achieved with
considerable neatneSS the somewhat .difficuat
task of pleasing himself and his auditors.
When Verdi was invited, some time ago,
to unveil the Donizetti monument at Ber-
gasno, he declined on the ground of his old
age and his aversion to appearing in public.
There was nothing ungracious in this re-
fusal; some years age he refused to even
sanction jubilee in honor of his own fifty
years activity as q composer, though his
admirers tried hard to persuade him. A
German, Siegmund Meyer, has in press at
Vienna a book of Verdi "reminiscences, in
which a good deal is said of Verdis love
of solitude, and his aversion to social inter-
course. Whenever he is at Milan or Genoa
(where he spends the winter), he receives
daily invitations from the leading families,
but always declines them. Among his
friends in Milan are Botto, the composer;
Glacosa, the poet and Ricordi the pub
Usher. To these alone he give ~ some of
his time. The greater part of nc Year he
spends In the. country at his villa near
Busseto. Here he superintends the raising of
crops and OF horses and cattle. He is very
fond of dogs, and one of his pets is buried
In the garden, and has a small monument
with the words, "Ad un vero AMIGO" Ito a
true friendly At present he has two large
dogs, Top and Jena, the latter having a
habit OF listening to his masters playing,
but running away in distress when anyone
else touches the plano.
John Philip Sousa is to make his debut in
another character in January-that of au-
thor as well as composer. This will be on
the occasion of the production OF mis- new
opera, ''rhe Bride Elect" in Boston, on
Jan. S. Both the libretto and the music of
this new work are from Sousa's pen. and
the syndicate of managers who will give
confident that Sousa will prove as great a
success as librettist as he already has as
a composer. Few people know that nearly
all the lyrics of lei Captain" were written
by Sousa and this noticeably the case ot
the famous Typical Tune of Zanzibar"
These verses were written by Sousa some
years BEFORE he wrote opera. Two weeks
before El Captain was produced it was
found necessary to have a new song for the
third act and Sousa bethought him of his
old Jingle. BY the next day he had written
the peculiar melody that has since become
so popular, and the new song became one
OF the biggest hits of FL Captain"
Goldmark's new opera, THE Prisoner of
War win have its first performance in
Vienna, and Paderewski is said to have
promised the opera at Dresden the first per-
formance OF his new work. He has decided
not to iii his London engagements and
opera.
Sometana's grand opera. 'Dalibor," re-
Gently performed for the first time at the
opera in Vienna, was the biggest success
won ey an opera there for many years. The
Czechs in Vienna, filling half the theater
improved the opportunity for a national
demonstrations
Marie Thomson, the great violinist's eld-
est daughter. was married Sept Is to an
italian, Giulio Santi. of Milan. AT the
church Ysaye played the Handel largo
When Ysaye was married some years ago
Thomson played The TWO artists are great
friends. ssS
De Wolf Hopper has accepted from
Charles Klein the book of a new operetta,
TO be called The Charlatan." The music is
by John Philip Sousa, and 1t is promised
that the work shall open the next sea son of
the knickerbocker Theater in New York
1t is said in well-informed musical circles
that. owing to the great success of Nine
Sembrieh in concert. active preparations
were being made for her appearance soon In
three operas Barbere de SivigIia,'' Som
nambnla' and 'Nozze di Figaro"
Yvette Guilbert has an engagement with
the Paris Scala till 1900, under contract
stipulating for an increase of salary OF
from 400 10 5OeJ francs each season. Last
week she made her reaDpeararce.- and was