The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-26
NEwSoF IN EUROPE
GERMAN TIE SCENE OF AN
ACTIVE MUSICAL SEASON.
Singers ana Novelties In BerIin-Tho --latest
New Opera by Rousseau Produced in Paris
-TnmaEns's. CIaqWe and Pay on n ssuth
American Tour-Nowa OF the Singers,

" oNtNNNE ~ AAANNAh
New Opera by Rousseau Produced in Paris
-TamaEns's. CIaque and Pay on n ssHth
American Tour-NowH OF tue SlnEeTn.
Lilli Lehman was lately interviewed In Der.
lin in regard to tho rumor that she was again
to become a member OF tho company at tho
Royal Opera House there. The report proved
to be unfoundod, as when she appears again in
the theatre which was tho scene Of many of her
earlier triumphs 1t will be in tho same, fashion
that she has sung there recently-as a guest
which is the German professional way OF
describing the appearance OF n person not regu.
larly associated with the theatre. She talked
with characteristic frankncss to tho reporter
and admitted that she was so years old and had
made her debut at Prague In 1868. She could
afford to take this frank view OF the situation,
as she had just returned from Vienna after a
season at the Imperial Opera thoro that proved
as successful as any she has ever Known. In
spite Of her gray hair, Frau Lehman looks
younger than 80. She expressed her opinion of
some of the singers CT the day and their def.
cioncics.
II hate anything that is half way" she said,
'and to-day 1t Is either the singer who acts
well or who sings we. that one finds every
where on tho stage. 1t is rare that ono hears
OF the person who both sings and acts WELL"
SiRrid Arnoldson is about to be heard in Car
men, at the Berlin Opera House, and this Will
be her first appearance there, although her
musical studies were begun and nearly COM
pleted in Berlin. Her teacher was Artot-Pa'
dilla. who removed to Paris some years ago.
Mile. Aruoldson's father was II Swedish tenor
who formerly sang with success in Berlin. She
will appear in Carmen" which would seem
about MS we'll suited to her as Britnnhildc. She
is one of the mediocrities who made no impress
| sion in this country, but arc constantly praised
in Europe, as IL they we're notable figures Of
the operate stage. Marcella Sembrich's ltal-
ian company is shortly to give a season at the
Opera in Berlin, and Jean Lassalle, whose sea-
son began there without any notable success,
has returned to Sing;a several performances.
One Of his parts will be the ponderous Escd-
| milo, which he exhibited hore, and another his
Don Juan.
A new opera founded on ono OF Henrik Ibsen's
plays will be produced next season in Berlin.
Tho music is by Stenhammer, the Norwegian
composer. Camille Ernest, n Fronchman, born
in Lyons, had been for several years an actor
at the ducal theatre in Darmstadt when he de-
and cultivate his voice. He was only - years
old, but his failure to meet the requirements
for admission excited him so that he commit,
ted suicide. None of Cosima Wagners pupils
here ever exhibited qualities that would make
1t seem difficult TO be admitted.
One of the curiosities of tho Music Exposition
formance of Don Juan" on Oct. 30, 1877. at
Prague, in the national theatre. Mozart con
Don Giovanni ossia il DGissssolpto PuRito. Dram:
ma siacosa in due atti con BALI analoghi, paroli
del Sign. Abbate da Ponte, musica del celebre
maestro, Sign. Amadeo Mozart Sig. Luigi
Accompanying this is a score of the work, with
notes made in Mozart's own hand writinE.
Teresa Maltcn, the popular soprano of the Roy
al Opera House in Dresden, and one of the best
known Wagnerian singers OF her tine. is about
to 20, celebrate the ni tTTen n.y. f tfaat al ann' yer airy, of of
heard in the first three roles in which she sang.
sAg9 I fr E5SG, and PG xnrn Irob R1Gent TeyiIa Us
Weber's "Euryanthe."
Felix Mottl has been as much praised since he
decided to keep his word and remain in Carlsruhe
as II he were the most admired of prima donnas.
The Municipal Council has honorcd him with
Grand Duke will give him another decoration.
The conductor promised the Grand Duke of
Vienna. lie, has not been asked to go there.
not accept the offer from Munich. In Berlin
last year at the Opera ~fifty-four operas were
sional nnd Of sHi the ao@ nn5ts's WEI" wss F divided The IN this nh,
way: German. fifteen: French, Elk. and Italian,
six. During the same period tlfly-,hree operas
were given in Vienna and ten ballots. There
We're seventeen German compositions, seven
French. four Italian, and one Russian; As a
contrast to the musical activity OF the leading
German cities, the Grand Opera House in
Paris presented nineteen operas during the
past year. Ten of these were by Frenchmen.
hive by Germans, and four by Italians. Blu it
is only far to say that the number OF perform
anGes, ut the Opera Comique should have been
included in order TO make the comparison be-
tween the three cities n fair one.
The latest work produced by the directors of
the Grand Opera in Paris, in accordance with
opera. was The Bell Of the Rhinc." by sam
uel Rousseau. 1t was sung the other night with
apparent success. Rousseau was a pupil of
Cesar Franck, and he is said to have many
He won the first prize in the organ classes of the
Conscrvatoire in 1877. and was n daily assO-
ciate of Franck at the Church of st. Clotildc,
where he was one of the choirmasters.
He was born in Ncuvemnison in 1858, stud
led with Francois Bazen, and made his debut
work in one act, done at the Opera ComiQuc
after having won the pre- in a competition.
"Merovic," a lyric drama In three acts, written
by Rousseau. He is a writer on musical topics
with the days Of the strifssle between syinS
paganism and the new religion of Chris dhuity.
On the banks Of the Rhine there lives an old
chief, his grandson. a priestess OF the old faith
and a handful Of followers Near his castle Is
a monastery. and there Is swung by some
the hearts of the pagans when Its sound IL hoard.
TO the castle comes a young girl sent by tho
lief. She fails, and Just as she Is about to pro;
tect herself by falling on the old mans sword
t oP it D saus of the the % nhi%f to Gyop SH %e"a. The TIE r shofR
- 81 NNNAhNS 1850 ~ fAh III
is about to be sacrificed by the prtcstess and
the crowd whom she is saved by the inLerven-
ton of the grandson. Her release is ordered by
kOnrdd, who, determined to avenge his grand.
fathers death. finds 1t impossible after meet.
ing with Herridc, the Christian girl. lie falls
IN love with her, and the two are interrupted by
the chorus of nuns reminding the girl that her
VOWS demand her return to the convent. Goau.
ed on by the rage of his followers and the i'm.
precautions of the pagan %priestess. kOnrdd sal,
lies forth, burns the convent and throws the
bell into tho Rhine.
Hcrride ia drowned In tho Rhine. In the
last act the lover is wandering in "A forest by
the river. He prevents a human sacrifice by
striking the knife from :he uplifted hand OF
the p~ricstess. lie is deserted by his followers
and condemned to die for this act. After he
has been mortally wounded, the sound of the
bell Is heard from under the water. The voice OF
Iic1'ride Is heard, and as the opera ends the
souls of the two are supposed to have been
united In the faith of Christianity. The crit,
cism of the work is in the main favorable. The
three operas written by NJ. Rousseau have al
been necessarily confined within the limits o
the connections in which he has been entered
and the composer has complained bitterly in
published accounts Of his works of the neoessi.
ty which compelled him to observe these re
striCtions. One rule of tho opera which he haC
to observe in tho present case, for instance, wa
tho Limitation of scenes to two. In order IA