Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-01-22

sisted in saying ditto to his friend
Cavour. This was not laborious. and the
major part of his time as n legislator
appears to have been spent in setting
to music the interjected remarks of his
colleagues. Several of these precious
autographs" says the writer, ARE jeal-
ously preserved in the archives of Mon
tecitorio." 1t appears further. as EVIL
dence OF Verdi's humor, that for years
he correspondent with an old friend,
Count Arrivabene, in the character OF
his own dog. Some years ago little
illustrated quarto appeared entitled
Letters From Cat, Published by Her
Mistress" but in the yerdi-Arrivabene
case we have letters from two dogs, the
count carrying on the correspondence
in the name of his own animal. The
writer's are said not only to have ex-
pressed themselves from canine point
of view, but to have invented u special
Observation-Disclosures bizarramente ca
nino.
Bungert spent 1e years in composing
his "Homeric Trilogy," which is now
making Its way across the German op-
era houses. THE Return of Ulysses"
was recently produced at Hamburg and
noisily applauded, though the repre-
sentative of the Frankfurter Zeitung
has no high opinion Of 1t. He says that
IT, is melodically weak: that its score
sounds like an orchestrated pianoforte
work; that its tone is sentimental and
anything but heroic and that 1t is In
its form an open imitation of Wagner.
He uses leading motives in abundance,
and some one has already written a
little book describing and naming Them
a In Tko ntr
thing about Bungert is that, although
his operas are not particularly difficult
or advanced" and quite within the
competence OF ordinary opera houses,
he wants his friends to build special
theater for him after the model of Bal
reuth. Perhaps the widow Cosima would
rent her theater for q few weeks. She
is a thrifty person.
A heretofore unknown opera, "Die
Kreuzfahrer'' cThe Crusaders"), by
Ludwig Spohr. which was composed in
the beginning of the forties-that is. be-
fore the principles Of Richard Wagner
had been published broadcast-has re-
Gently been accidentally discovered in
the archives of the Court theater at
Cassel, and will soon be performed
there, after being revised and rear
ranged by Conductor DR.. Franz Boyer
a. that theater. 1t appears that the en-
tire character Of the opera covers the
ideas later on introduced by Wagner
and his school, that music and words
must have a correlative importance and
that one must always be subservient to
the other without particular preference
for either. The idea of the "leitmotif"
finds its first practical application In
this work. although not as yet known
or recognized by this name.
The total number of employees at the
Paris Grand Opera House is 1880. The
staff includes an administrator gene
raj. a secretary general, private secre-
tary, two stage managers. three ballet
managers, three conductors OF orches-
ira, eight singing masters and six dane
ing masters. With the exception of the
conductors Of the orchestra all en-
ployees can be engaged by the manage
| ment OF the Opera without ministerial
sanction. 1t enjoys an annual state
subsidy of 100000 which. spread over
the 200 performances given annually.
produces $500 for each performance. The
average expense is $4,000 for each per-
Torrance, or $500 over and above the
government subsidy. II is under an OBJ
| legation to give four free performances
year on the four great national fete
days. and these entail sheer loss of
| $40, GOO.
according TO the sydney Bulletin. That
newspaper gravely announces: THE
other night at Sydney they gave in the
\ a