The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-26
First Production of Mr..
JOrdan'S New Opera.
II Was Received With Very
Hearty Concentrations.
Large Audience Listened 10 II In
Providence Opera House.
Providence Opera House.

Providence Opera House.
Rip Van winkle....,... Henry Clay sarnabee
Van Bummel-voost schi,ninelpenninck.
....................... George Frothingham
siranier ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS William Philip
NICK Nedder. ...,..,.....,...... 4. .orge Dover
Hendrick Hudson. ........,....W II: Mcdonald
Diedrnb dlnh Van Tassci wol.er msrT{ Hearns Dae
Hans Vedder. Augustus Poentz
Alinns Van Winkle. e................ Alice Nelson
Little Gretchen. n...................,.. lola Dodge
Little Hilda. a.........................Id Ida Poentz
Katrina Van winkle-Morgana. ....,.,..
One of the most noteworthy events I'm
local musical history took place in tho
Providence Opera House last evening,
when Jules .Jordan's comic opera, on
titled, rip Van Winkle," received its
premier performance. The opera house
contained large audience. That was 90
DO expected in "a community in which the
gifted composer was SO well and fnvora-
bly, known for previous excellcnce In tho
field of musical composition. IL was also
20 be expected that an audience of friends
would be kindly disposed toward the prod
net of the author, regardless OF the
measure of success he attained i'm his
most pretentious work. Such friondiness
of disposition Is not TO pe relied on 10 any
great extent because nothing succeeds
like success, and nothing goes so quickly
TO everlasting smithereens as failure, aud
failure before friends Is one of the most
disheartening things in the wide world To
man or "A woman who has passed the GA
perimental stage Mr.. Jordan was not an
unknown quantity, musically speaking,
before the curtain rolled up last evening
10 disclose the opera on which he had been
working so long and which ON bodied 80
much OF his individuality. lt was "a part
OF himself rejecting his thoughts and
musical development from the hour he
Il.
song writer generation ago, and all
through the past 30 years during which he
has impressed himself indclibly upon the
melody loving public OF this city and else
where Mr. Jordan has not been sur
passed In the local musical field for wears
and his fame has gone far beyor d the bor-
uers of this state.
No one who has not done something
that depends upon the fick'e public for
Its approval or contempt can appreciate
the emotions of an author who stands on
the verge Of KIN wing whether no has be n
thinking and working right for years, and
when Mr.. Jordan raised his baton for
the first note OF RIP Van Wrinkle" those
who appreciated the situation felt n thrill
of eXultation with the AUTHOR when tie
large audience betokened its approval I'm
an unmistakablo way as Mr. George
Dover "A local vocalist, gave the new work
"A stirring send off with rollicking tavern
song and chorus. From this moment
everyone anticipated large measure or
success and friends became more friendly
and those who had gone into the theater
from the promptings Of curiosity realized
that they were really Interested As the
opera progressed this feeling of success
and pleasure grew both In front ana be
hind the footlights. The singers who had
been rehearsing for encores were just "a
triile surprised that the parts marked for
encorcs by the author earned their right
20 be heard again. In this way confidence
I'm the author was established among the
principals Of the cast and they entered
Into the spirit of the work with tie free.
dom and assurance that comes with doing
something worth while.
At the close of the first act there was an
ovation. All the stars of the Bostonians
were called TO the front again and again,
and as they stood with smiling faces be-
fore the delighted audience there was
cry for the author. Mr.. Jordan made his
way from the conductors desk TO tho
Stage and grasping the hands of Mr.. Bar.
nabee, Miss Alice Nelson, Miss Jessie
Bartlett Davis and the other mcmb bers OF
the company, as large bouquets and a
floral bicycle were handed over the foot
lights, he made dumb show In response
TO a call for "a speech, that his head was
I'm something like the condition of the
important parts of "a bicycle. The first
at was surprise. IL was as good comic
There was "a slight falling off from the
excellence of the first act In the second
act. In the first place IL was too long.
Then the vixen Dame Van Wrinkle was
changed into fairy queen with Hcnrick
Hudson for IA lover. This was something
of "A shock TO those familiar itb tie COM
mon story from the legend of the Catskill
mountains. Ii seemed like makeshift
To give an excuse for the retiring of
principal character in pleasing way, but
II failed in producing that effect, and IL
was regarded as rather impotent conclu-
sion. The dialogue was thin and com.
monplace, but IL was brief and its brief
ness was its recommendation The clos
ing act was about on level with tho
merit of the second. 1t showed tho re-
turn of RIP" after his long sleep on tho
mountains and his Identification by his
daughter through the medium OF song
which he used TO sing 20 his child before
his disappearance, or as tho opera puts IL,
before he ran away from his wife such
n ilnis could not be anything but color.
less, and II was rather n tame ending 10
the work which began with so much
spirit and promise
The length of the opera robbed IL Of
much of its interest but that is some
thing that can be easily rencdied From
first to last and from all POINTS of view 10
can be said that MIR Jordan surprised his
friends and surrriseu them in the most
sati iiactory way by the excellence OF his
efforts in beth score ana lilletto making
lie has made good story from the legend
and has divorced himself from the version
made familiar bv Joseph jefferson. Ii Is
JOYOUS rather than pathetic and IL hrims
ovor with heart interest. Ihe common
belief is that comic opera is twin brother
to high kicking and song and dance.
That its chief aim is TO mako ccnplo laugh
regardless OF the meaus and that the mu-
Gic should no I'm the vein 10 ncPOmpuny
ouch actions Mr.. Jordan does not b2liove
IN that sort Of thing. Ills musicislcgical
IL bofits the Village folk Of the village Of
Failing Water ard hs>~~inCs to view pco.
ple who are simple and good. There Is
no repelling voice in his principals. his
music is sweet and pure as the noun
sain air his characters breathe and he
does not commit the sin of introducing
freak that can sing grand opera in viii
lage OF people isolated from that sort of
thing. There Is harmony with his char
acters and his music. This close kinship
urecludCs the instability of tho co.callgd