The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-01
MADE GREAT BY AMERICA.
Straass' s4Blae Danube waits" Began
Its Success In This Country.

Its success In This Country.
Johann Strauss said short time before
his death that the success OF THE Beauti-
full Blue Danube began in the United
States. 1t was sung first in Vienna by a
choir Of male voices. and having made no
great impression cropped out Of use for
while Here 1t was introduced as an or
chex,rai number and was popular every
where. before Vienna and other European
cities became nearly SO familiar with il.
The last Of the Strauss waltzes TO be In
troduced here was The Song Of Spring"
which the composer wrote several years
ago for Nine. Sembrich. 1t was 10 hear
this that the composer went TO the theater
for the last time q year ago during Nine
Sembrichs season at the Carl theater in
Vienna The success of DE F1edermaus,
when II was gwen for the first time by the
singers of the Royal opera house In Ber-
lin several weeks ago. was so great that 1t
has been decided to add another work by
Strauss to the repertoire of the theater.
and "Ritter Pasman." composed for the
Imperial opera in Vienna in 1892, will prob
ably be selected. The opera, In spite OF its
beautiful ballet music. was soon dropped
from the repertoire in Vienna. as II did
not attract the public, great as the popu-
larity OF its composer was in his own city.
It Is possible that THE Gypsy Baron" may
be chosen in its place for this Berlin honor.
as its involved and trivial lioretto cannot
interfere with the enjoyment Of the beau
tifuI and characteristic music. The same
opera will be performed by the company
Of the Imperial opera house In Vienna.
Strauss was said to be at work on ballet
shortly before his death. He had with DIFF
ficulty secured an appropriate scenario az
ter a competition in which more than .
thousand efforts were submitted to him.
He was often urged TO write complete
ballet score, and 1t was thought that he
would certainly produce a work worthy 10
rank with Delibe's "Coppelia" or Sylvia"
The difficulty of finding an appropriate
subject was always urged as his excuse
for not undertaking the task. But 1t was
known that he had very little sympathy
with the art of dancing as such, and al
though waltz king, 1t is said that he had
never danced himself. The Strauss oper-
ettas have not retained their popularity
here. chiefly on account OF the inferior lib
rettos provided for most of them. This in
terfered, indeed. in Germany with the sue
cess of such later works as "Jakuba" and
'Waldme.ster." These we're never trans
lated into English, and the second
was never heard here. except at
the performances gwen by the German
companies. THE Merry War; was prob
ably the most successful of the Strauss
operettas here. II the number Of perform
ances be taken as the standard. THE
Bat" with all its beautiful music, never
gained any popularity, and probably has
been heard here more frequently in Ger
man than In English .'The Queens Lace
Handkerchief probably stands next to
The Merry War" in popularity, as
Prince Methusalem'' and "The Gypsy
Baron never appealed very strongly to
American audiences. 1.-The Bat" has al
ways been the most famous OF his works
in Germany and Austria. 1t was chiefly
the librettos that limited the American
vogue OF his works Usually they were bad
enough in themselves, and local adapters
certainly never improved them. In Eng
land his operate music was scarcely known
at all on the stage. Viennese operetta
never gained a hold there even In the case
OF such a master as Strauss. Paris has
always supplied the English demand for
imported comic opera.-New York Sun.