The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-13
VA BoHEME' IN VIENNA.
CONSULTATIONS WORK WINS CON-
INV sIDER1BLE SUCCESS.

g'-.n,,a Conflict Between Cotnrnser ana
Cor with Pucci0i's Work.
81. nations Successful debut.
.-v Fen. 26.-Dlrector Gustav MAILER
.aaod n new work TO the repertoire of tho
..no Opera Housc-"La Boheme," by Rug
Wv, - eoncayallo, the nuthor-composer OF "Pag.
- u"n," and "T Meiici." Not without consider.
~. diniculty did the first performance take
80 and IL, rs n certain superstition OF tho
49, would have IL, a works chances for pop u
80, and long lilo are in inverse ratio to tho
"l.,scIcs that arise previous to its production.
~. pobame" should prove one OF the most sig.
ii ,riumphs Of the new management.
70, s,rinr while Herr Wilhelm jain was still
~ head of o~pcratic affairs in Vienna. at a
49, when his health had already begun to fail.
r,h0 newly engaged conductor from Hamburg.
Mar Gustav Mailer, was deputed to go to
r.n;cc hear the premiere Of Le~oncavallo's latest
vi and report as to its merits. That he did
y.novorobly was gathered from the announce
..nt that shortly afterward was officially
..Io 10 the effect that 1t had been ac-
s.nted for production during the present
.,sor-in fact. that it was to be tho first
-oro,,v given. However. the rival work, by
n.oc;ni hearing the same title, founded on
,e same book. and brought out In Italy for the
s,s, time almost simultaneously, had, in the
ns.nwhilc. been purchased for Vienna by the
n,noecrs Of one of our private theatres and
,ss produ,cl in October and thus, In order to
,,void unnecessary comparisons, the premiere Of
Ie,ocayallo's "Ioheme at the Imperial Opera
uouse was postponed-so indefinitely, indeed.
Ma, at one time it was accepted as a bit Of
osicial gossip that the opera would not be done
A, all. However. n visit of the composer to
IA 49, l.--zA--
and the consent Of Van Dyck to sing tho leading
,,por part were sufficient to place LA Boheme"
once more on the list of novelties, and with tho
new year the rehcarsals and preparations began.
Ererything went we'll until about a week be-
,ore The date set down for the first perform
,nce. and then arose difficulties that divided
mo-, only the various powers in the Vienna
Opsra House, but the entire musical commu-
nifty, into two contending camps. On the one
hand was the composer. who laid the greatest
possible stress on Van Dyck singing In his work
and lending the prestige OF his talent and fame
toward a successful issue; on the other hand
was Director Mailer. who had had the fore
,bouCht to cast the different roles doubly, and
who for various good and sufficient reasons in
listed that, should Van Dyck be unable to APP
near, his understudy. Herr DIPPED, would fill his
place, and that under no circumstances would
the date Of the first performance be altered. In
vain Leoncavallo claimed further rehearsals, in
vain he urged the Importance, in his eyes at least.
othaying the popular tenor's name figure on
the bill-it had become a question of directorial
authority. And even when the composer with
drew into his tent, refusing to attend the final
rehearsals and threatening to leave Vienna
then and there, no compromise was effected or
even thought OF. And so when the appointed
day arrived not only was La Boheme" with
Herr Dippel and without Van Dyck produced,
but signor Leoncavallo was present and ready
when the curtain fell after each of the four acts
to receive the applause that was most gen.
srously bestowed on him.
All these preliminary conflicts had tended to
whet public curiosity even more than at an ordi-
nary premiere. Fully as many applicants for
tickets were disappointed as got in, but in other
respects the e~ventful night was not different
from what one would expect as a foregone con.
clusOp OF first performances under the Mailer
Management. u representation showing evil
Gences OF the most careful preparation. Indeed.
after The DOUBTS expressed by Leoncavallo as to
the work being ready for production. it was as IL
the artists on the stage and in the orchestra.
ont and ali. had wished to show what they
could do. and that nothing better could be
heard the world over was the final dictum OF
ts composer himself. ,a-rv-
The complete success OF the first night having
W. y w. ~ Gll'a k''CplSt. loSClhCl i
The ytndic alton OF Director Mahler's point of
view. public attention directed itself to the in
!Fi1sIc merits of the new, work. more p%articu-
larlT in comparison with the PucCini work that
had been heard in the fall. and that had made
eveFy one more or less familiar with the MurRer
etslnal mat pad inspired both. At the outset
thls much might tie pleaded IN favor of Leonca-
yaNO that, as in the case of "Pagliacci." he had
been his own ,librettist, and that, given the dra.
matte ability he has abundantly shown himself
70 possess. this fact must needs speak in his
favor. 10 be sure Just AS little as n good play
could be made from the Vic di Bohemc,"
cent life half a century ago adapt them.
lives TO the necessities OF a good opera libretto.
me excuse for a plot which Murger offers has
ems librettists, who have succeeded in telling
The story OF RodCiphc and Mimi in much the
talne way rs !. ig told in the original. Tho
tCshes OF Bohclnien life are mere detail. to
which u subsidiary place is assigned. With
LeoOcaSallo, on the other hand, there has been
az evident and, it may be added. successful
ellisGenizens o: the Quarter Latin, and he GER
SSGiy has succeeded in catching the spirit of the
movement, and, what is more. abundance Of
lln. both in the first and second acts of his
SpeFa-episodcs and scenes that provoked genu-
me merrIment. To be sure, they have little
Tine or opportunity to become better acquaint-
ca WIN thc Leading characters OF the story,
blhat when. in the second half of the work. we
tole 10 the sorrows OF the lover pairs they
nave not as yet engaged our interest sufficiently
isSr us 10 IGel greatly affected thereby, Miusette
Isaahes .ihFctt. lIiHl dies IN hOdOfphe y arms.
gWl the curtain falls ere they have convinced US
manner.
,so much for the technical side of the two
WvyIttil, from a playwright's point of view.
maeh we como, TO the music. there can be no
sGeStloh mat the score OF Puccini shows greater
.tgihality. and is on the whole the more valu-
Hae OF the two. LA Boheme" throws no moro
,,sut on Leoncavalio's ability MS a composer;
MnNhat he evidenced in "Pagliacci Is merely
NpeAlea IN the later work, and such n difference
sseah' Tor instance. clearly be detected between
tTMe Inspiration OF "Cavalleria" and "Amico
aHh IS not to be noticed here. His manner
~ musical expression. his treatment of the
1'cnestr9, have already assumed a stereotyped
urn although the dramatic situations OF
an, s boheine are reasonably widely differ
Gu, from those in 'Pagliacci," there Is
nunlhg TO tell us so in the matter of
,Ihe a lnvention. The fullest apparatus of
~ modern W agnerian orchestra Is used for the
M; superficial emotions. Musette. after a court
i"pYl none TOO long duration. determines TO
b !, her R0G0tphe, for no definite other love"
in nm 'neleiy because she has an irrepressible
Of "hMnE l9r more OF the comforts and luxuries
a M sentiments. Leoncavallo resorts to the
. ~ methods with which he depicted the grief
tior rHe betrayed Canio. II there was a suggos
az ~ OF theatrical sentimentulity and hollow
tfoannnSS' IN the one, there is still more to be
Wsau IN the other. AZ to the moro effective
SsH VI many OF these phrases there may be
s rn twp opinions. according as ones musical
n Upalhles run in tho direction of, or contrary
"ttne current OF modern Italian operate music
F we earlier part of his work LooncavallC
eanio ohly 10 contribute pages in tho vein oil