The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-19

prominent critic thus sums it up: by
comparing one performance with the
! other, people will discover that Mr..
| much superior to that of O'Neill as the
Miladi of Blanche Bates is admirable
beyond that of Edith Crane
The sensation of the week in eastern
operate circles was the production at
the Metropolitan Opera House of Fro
e Leandro," by Signor Luigi Mancinelli,
who has for many years been first con-
ductor in Mr.. Grau's forces. The IL
bretto is by Arrigo Boito, whose pur-
pose at first was to also compose the
! score. This idea he abandoned, and a
score was composed by BotteSini, au-
other Italian musician, but it was not
a success. The story deals, of course,
with the Inflated lovers, concerning
whom we all know a little. Another
character is introduced into the story
for dramatic purpose-that of a priest,
who is in love with Fro, and is there
fore, the enemy of Leandro. and does all
in his power to thwart him. Ariophar-
nes the priest, determines to imprison
Fro in the tower because she refuses to
listen to him, and also to place her be-
yond the reach of Leandro. The last
act of the opera shows Fro in the
tower, awaiting Leandro, who nightly
swami to her, aa we are told in the old
Story. He arrives. and in her joy she
forgess to signal the approach of a
storm. The priests come to find the
meaning of her neglect, and Leandro,
knowing that his discovered presence
would mean death to Fro, throws HIM
self from the window into the sea. He
falls on the cliff, and when, in a flash
of lightning, Fro sees his dead body,
she also falls dead The last strains of
the opera voice the regrets of Ario-
pharneS over the tragic end of Fro. The
music of Signor Mancinelli is said to
be of surprising beauty, and accord
ing to the composers own explanation.
belongs to the school of Verdi. We are
told by one critic that he is entitled to
a position in the older school, as his
score shows a. complete absence of
coarseness ard brutality of the mod
ern Italian music. On the occasion of
its first production the opera was sung
by Madame Eames as Fro, Saleza as
Leandro and Plancon as Ariopharnes.
The evening was a, continual ovation to
Signor ManciIelli. He was repeatedly
called before the curtain between acts
with the singers, and his conductor s
desk was fairly heaped with flowers.
Thus is New York fortunate enough to
have a successful novelty at the flag
end of the season. 1t is said that a re-
markable fact for a composer who has
conducted SO, many operas in his day,
is the absence of reminiscent strains
from his score.
A new musical idol has arisen in
Italy, in the person of Don Lorenzo
Perosi, a young priest composer.
His admirers have called him the
Wagner of church music" An article
in the New York Herald of last Sunday
gives some Interesting facts concerning
this young musician, as follows:
Not only musical italy, but all musi-
cal Europe is stirred up over the re-
markable work of this youthful cleri-
cal musician, who, for the time being at
least, has thrown in the shade his fell
low countrymen, the opera composers
Of the new Italian school, the MaScag-
mis-, the Leoncavallos, the Puccinis and
their associates. Unfortunately, the
American public may have to wait
some time before it will have an oppor-
tunity of hearing any of Don Perosi's
oratorios given in full, with ADEQUATE
vocalists and orchestra. as it is said his
publishers demand $4,000 for the rights,
a sum which no manager has thus far
seen fit to pay
Perosi conceived the idea Of illustrat-
ing in twelve works the gospel narra-
tive OF ChrlStS life on earth, and Jour
of these oratorios have already been
produced. La Risurezione di Cristo,'
which has lately been given in Milan,
is the last of the four. This priest is
looked upon as one of the great figures
of musical Europe. To again quote
from the Herald:
What will Lorenzo Perosi do with
his victory? Will he remain the priest
composer, or will the day come when
we shall speak of him as the composer
priest? Will his church or his art hold
him the faster?
Thus far the church has the mastery.
Perosi has taken his triumph with be-
coming modesty, and he remains firmly
set in his intention to devote his gifts
to the sole service of his Creator. That
he may continue in this spirit will be
the desire of all who hear and consider
his music"