Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-01-09

these operas to be performed" with any
thing but enthusiasm. The then director Of
the Opera, NJ. Ritz. was short by one Of
these new pieces for the year. In 1881 and
1887 he had been in default in the same
way, and paid his forfeit money to the
government. Naturally he did not wish to
be caught in default again. He was about
quitting office; November had already ar
rived. So he bethought him Of this piece
of Notwithstanding, called 'Tnamara,"
and 'Thamara'' was hastily put on.
1t was magnificently staged, and every
care was lavished on it. Singers and mu-
sicians fought against the execrable score
One leader ard two singers had themselves
put on the sick list. The light journals of
the Boulevard got wind of it and jested
This was the year of Lottie Collins and
''Ta-ra-ra- boom-d e-ay?' So there were even
-'Tha-ma-ra-boom!' The opera was,
nevertheless, produced. The 2Sth of De-
cember, 1891, saw its rise, its greatness and
its fall. 1t never has and never will see
light in any other playhouse In the world.
1t takes an institution like the Grand
Opera Of Paris: which has never heard the
"Otello'' OF Verdi, the 'Mef1stofele'' of
Boito, the Life for the Tsar' of Glinka
in entirety, the Demon" of Rubenstein,
Goldmarck's Queen of Sheba'' any of
the new school of Italian opera, to bring
cut such inanities because they are COM
posed by Frenchmen. in accordance with
rules, regulations and requirements.
What the Record Shows.
Recent times have seen number of such
ill-starred productions. During the twenty
one years between 1872 and 1898 only eight
cen new operas were brought out at the
Paris Grand Opera, and of these two were
In two acts each. Eighteen new ballets
were staged in the same time. Five out of
these eighteen new operas ran less than
ten nights each-that is to say, they failed
completely. With 1893 and the direction Of
NJ. Bertrand, what Is called by courtesy a
Lew era OF activity, began, marked most
particularly par .i by the production, for the
eras LA Walkyrie'' and "Tannhauserv'
(the one disgraceful ''Tannhauser" nixht
back In the sixties cannot be counted).
-, IN 1898 TINS new activity showed itself in
the bringing out Of Marechars 'Deidamie,"
which ran nine nights in 1888, three nights
IN 1884 and none in 1895 and 1896: of Cha
brier's Gwendoline," with two nights In
ls9, twelve nights in 1894 and none in 1896
and 1896; Of Massanet's ''Thais" "a com
parative success). with twenty-seven nights
IN 1894. eight nights in 1898 and none In
dS96, despite the beauty Of the new star.
slDyi sanderson; of Lefebvre's "Djelma,'
with eight lone nights in 1894; and lastly.
those two failures Of 1896, La Montagne
NOR. which saw run of fourteen nights.
a aonr ,ir ped which was put but
ner operas were the real new pieces or
these active years.
The search for genius cannot ALWAYS ha
successful. and no one should make com
Pi"i' ocSduse HeW masterpieces are not
written in his country every wear. The
nara part OF 1t, from the point of view of
Aliens In the capital of light-because
farfslans themselves learned long ago 10
aSquie5 zee IN their lot as it is prepared for
them like blameless Buddhas waiting for
Nlrvana-is that while no masterpieces
were produced in France, some other coun-
tries were more fortunate And these-be
cause the stately-moving opera direction
was concerned In sitting indicated pieces''
oy FRENCH masters-have not could not
and cannot be heard in Paris. New York.
Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco and
other of our cities have been more for
tunate IN thls respect than Paris!
Effects of q Monopoly,
here the iron-clad monopoly Of the Paris
opera shows itself, its causes and results.
Its boasts and its excuses. 1t Is not only
that none Of these new foreign--or French
operas had the honor 10 be taken I'D by
the subventioned house: they could not
nave been brought out independently of It,
eltner by foreign travelling company CT
by new French company made up for the
purpose! The Grand Opera remains TODAY
supreme in its sole right to produce works
entirely In music" according to the Opera.
only the privilege of doing works with
spoken dialogue in the place OF singing
recitative.
For example, 1T happens by a freak that
Mozarts Don Juan" is now being done
simultaneously by the Opera and the Opera
Comique. The difference is that when the
hero has to utter such sentence as II am
astounded. Pray, explain this mystery to
me.'-at the Opera CONTINUE he speaks the
works, while at the Grand Opera he chants
them. This being the ultimate-.lthoueh a
very rough-distinction between grand
opera and opera comique-which is not
comic opera'-each of the two subyen-
TONED houses has its speciality, and nova