Omaha daily bee., 1898-11-13

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Opera company this week in standard roper
for a short sketch of each opera in this
column.
The OLD themes Of Donizetti are so well
known that 1t seems scarcely necessary to
make anv extended notice Of Lucia Suf~
fee 1t to say first, that Donizetti Ted from
his J~a'trtal residence and Joined the army,
because. forsooth, his father waotel him 10
be known as an eccles!astica! musician.
On OF is many operas secured his military
exemption. Lucia di Lammermoor,' as it's
full title reads, or in the English. Lucy
OF L~ammermoor," is founded on the novel
of Sir Walter Scott. Opening with a
somber prelude the foreboding Of the closing
misery Of the last act can be felt. But it Is
only contrary, for the movement changes
to one Of brightness as the retainers OF Sir
Henry Ashton. headed by Norman. enter,
singing the opening male chorus. the SEN
timent of which is that the presence Of a
stranger, who has been frequently seen, will
now be shortly discovered and the name Of
the visitor revealed. After a quick exit.
while the strains Of the chorus are still
borne by the orchestra, Norman and Sir
Henry enter into a conversation. the pur-
port Of which Is that Sir Henry is ruined,
Edgar, his ancient enemy, Is in safety and
content. Lucy, his sister, by uniting her
fortunes with Arthur Bucklaw, can save
Sir Henry. But Lucy has already met and
loved Edgar, who rescued her from the at
tack Of a wild boar. Since then she has
met him often and he is, OF course, the
stranger already alluded to.
Edgar meets Lucy and they plight their
troth in the celebrated melodious BE
trothal" duet. Edgar then departs for
France. and the letters, which, during his
forced absence, he has written to Lucy, are
intercepted, and forged ones substituted by
Sir Henry.
Lucy is then beset by her brother. Sir
Henry. with the appeal that she should
save him and his fortunes by marrying
Arthur Bucklaw, since Edgar Is false. Lucy
falls into the trap. believes Edgar false,
signs the marriage contract, broken hearted
bu. fully determined never to become
Arthur Bucklaw's bride. Here Is. perhaps, the
| supreme moment OF the opera, for Just at
this ~juncture behold, Edgar enters! Then en-.
sues the great sextette. which will probably
be immortal. After this the story hastens
in a turmoil OF events-Sir EdgaI's return
of the ring and the furious impret alton on
the house Of Lammermoor, accompanied by
the hurting OF Iucy's ring on the floor.
The murder Of Lord Arthur by Lucy, her
" insanity and death. followed by Sir
Edgar's suicide amid the "tombs of his
sainted father" ends the story.
The great musical numbers are the recita-
tive and c~avatina of Lucy In the first act.
the duet already mentioned, the sextette,
the mad scene and the tenor's superb tomb
scene, which closes the opera.
And as to I'll Trovatore." Verdi has
written many and great operas, but it ia
doubtful If any OF his work touched or will
touch the heart Of the general public like
the simple story OF The Gypsy's Revenge
Fernando. a domestic follower OF the palace
Of Aliaferia. tells his comrades a Gypsy tale
in the weird midnight hour, about the be-
witching OF Garzia, brother OF the count OF
Luna, when they were children together.
The Gypsy's fate was to be burned for
sorcery, and, tina, being done. the daughter
! Of the GYPSY. Azucena by uame. stole, in