The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-02
i ~
A Onc-Act Work Lascd OH "Enoch Arden,
Ono or tho Most Recent Novelties.

Ono or tho Most Recent Novelties.
One Of tho most recen: opcratio novelties In
Europe Is n onc-act work based on Lord Tcnny-
sons "Enoch Arden given in Berlin Mt the
Royal Opera House. The cornposSr of tho work
was Victor Hausmanu, who lLa hitherto been
known only for certain pieces written for orches-
ira and piano. and the librettist was G. w.
Marschncr. Both men live in Berlin, and the
performance was given under the supervision Of
Director Suchcr with a company selected from
the best OF the singers in tho company
OF the l.oya! Opera House. The opera
was received with the customary friend.
illness. but in spite of the encourage
ment given TO tho writers it appears to have
made little impression. The attitude of tho
audience and the press seemed rather to indicate
n desire TO welcome amiably the work of n new
composer. Tho failure of the work TO make O
really strong impression is attributed in q meae-
ure to tbs librettist's treatment of the story o.
this Tcnnyson poem. which, whether it really
possesses dramatic elements or not. showed few
in Herr Marschner's handling Of the theme. 1t
will BIO remembered by playgoers of a genera
ton ago that Edwin Adams made a play based
on the poem popular here for several
seasons. 1t was acted last in New York at
Booths Theatre on tho of nights of one OF
Tomasso Salvini's engagements there. In this
production of the piece. which had already
passed quite out of the taste OF the day, the
leading roles were played by James ONcill and
Agnes Booth. The composer was praised for
rather negative merits in tho music OF :he
Berlin opera. Ii Is admitted that the score was
never trivial and never sought merely the APP
plause OF the public. II is aHc to have
been tho composers effort always to make the
music characteristic ana expressive Of the sit
untion and sentiment of the story. But tho
,Ke,,nl rN,,,n1niHt chat II n,l-nl fnrrn rririnnlttr
and mclodic inventivcness. and that for them
was substituted an imitation of the Wagner
methods. seems to determine the question Of the
works real merit. y chorus and dance founded
ON an old German folk song was praised, some Of
the scenes at the close of the opera were said 10
be truly dramatic. and the younger composers
rather faint praise closed with the advice to DO
more particular In the future RI TO his selection
OF a librettls..
This. advice. severely rs It reflected on Horr
Marschner. seems to have been justified by his
Win the procession Of :4nnie and neSry TO the
church; So soon as they disappear from view
may have been married and then secs her return
from the church with her new husband. The
husbands return. When Enoch has looked
through tho window and seen her,
p I"r ing aiuie.ly Y'I Hasos% Gals Ese. .nni i" and her S' new Sss
husband out into the darkness and
her to decide which of her husbands she prefers.
A storm suddenly comes up. and as the curtain
falls, both i.hoch and Annfe arc supposed to have
,Iiumpcrdinck's THE Kings Children " will bo
the, next novelty at the Berlin Opera. Tommy.
music written by Richard Strauss, Ernst Pos.
oart rccited! tho worse. ana Director Strauss ac-
music has been highly praised for its melody aud
dEamatic Appropriateness
one of the new conductors Vt the Imperial Opera
House. was engaged over the head of Director
S SEIhn nP Hsrf for N shg purpose Of captivating
pears. nlter, an understanding with Director
jain, who has been suffering from a serious
trouble with his eyes, and has been for a long
was really, nblo to accomplish. Tho neces-
silly Of relieving hin became immediate in
which Herr jain must undertake nthe autnnn.
The other directors cannot be called on sutti-
than those Of Austria. and IIorr FmcHr is busily
Herr Mailer was selected for the new director.
rs no had given full proof Of his powers and hos
very sucrcssfuI,, and tho failure ot "Msssidor"
at the Grand Hn6ra was not much more con.
opera, at the Opera C0niGuc. Ono
OF the wcll-known musicians of France, how
ever, had to go TO Brussels in order 10 get a
hearing for his opera, which was sung there at tho
Tl,tai red dc Ia Monnatc. This asNinccnt d. Indy.
TrSos n" Of his ' i%io1 H9n' f1S WTnin f iNc mn dfGigu nnd
'N sh'''' ff'@
text Of his work, ~" Fcrvoal." The composer was
ono OF the earliest and most determined of tho
Wngrcrinns in France. and tho influence OF tho
German master was found to hr tho most strik-
ing feature OF his music. His librclto was based
on the story OF the hero who was cured Of his
wounds by n Saraccn princess and lost his super
natural strength under tho influence of her love.
II was decided by some Of Tho Paris critics That
The story was not adapted TO tho essentially
German form of the music. aud 10 another COM
poser made a failure. usually the record OF these
now efforts.
Humperdinck's. "IIuonsol und Gretel" was
lately sung In Italy for the FIRST time, and 1t re.
pcatcd lis success there, although II is said that
IT'S performance was no moro adequate than
might haro been expected in Wow OF tho differ
chco IN lllc nationality ana methods Of tho inter.
rrcters and the author. Tcodnlo Mabcllini, az
ono time u wCll.knOwn Italian composer. died
not long ago at Florence. Hc WAS 40 years old,
and had been a pupil OF McrcadHntc. Ito wrote
numerous operas, and few OF them survived,
although IL Is said that ON the stages or tho pro.
yincial towns ono. may occasionally hear "ROi-
Ia, "GcnOvGva OF Florence and "The Count
OF Lavagna." He was bottor known to the pres
ent generation, however, 80 the composer OF tho
o~ratorios "Eudoxin and Paul" and Tho Last
Day OF Jerusalem" . which arc said TO DO in some