The evening times., 1899-01-30
MAscAGNI THEN AND NOW.
His Appearance at the Production of
.Iris'-IEow He Works
(From the Pail Mall Gazette.)

tIEIS''-AtO"
(From the Pail Mall Gazette)
Mascagnis new opera, Iris has now
been given to the world ''for better or for
worse" but whether the composer has ad-
ded to or taken away from his reputation
it is somewhat early to decide The ef
feet on the Roman public, judging from
the impressions of the large audience
present at the great rehearsal. has been
complex, but the "Cayalleria Rusticana"
remains the capolayoro.
What changes few years can maket
Iris is given eight years after. in the
same large Costanzi Theatre, where. on
the memorable evening Of May II, 1890,
"Cayaileria Rusticana" was represented
for the first time. But what difference,
Then the theatre was half empty; now it
overfows, not one seat being vacant; then
| only few scrupulous critics thought it
their duty to be present. now the elite of
the city. and mobiles, writer's critics, COM
posers have come not only from all parts
of Italy, but from abroad: then to attract
people prices were lowered to 5s for the
stalls and Ell for the boxes; now the
former cost about e2 and the latter &23
Eight years ago the composer, a clean
shayen, nervous young man, totally un-
known, stood in the wings alone, pale as
death, not thinking so much of glory as
OF what depended on his gaining the prize
wife, child. home, these hung on a
thread. The overture began, people turn
ed, slightly started, toward the stage at
tention became fixed, changing rapidly
from pleasure to enthusiasm, to rapture,
to an ovation, seldom seen in a Roman
theatre. That night Mascagui leaped into
fame az one bound. Today the eyes of the
whole musical world are centred on the
| maestro for he himself in the midst of
one of the most brilliant and select as
semblies, in the chair of the conductor
radiant as on throne, leads the orchestra.
When the rehearsals of "Cavalleria Rus
ticana" were going on Mascagni used TO
sit mute in stall, not Venturing TO make
the smallest suggestion. One day turn
ing to faithful friend, he whispered.
grinding his teeth. Il would have played
that bar very differently, but if | open my
! mouth the director will eat me alive" and
the correction went unmade.
For the production of Iris Professor
Mascheroni, the best known conductor in
Italy. had been chosen to lead the orches-
ira. To leave him a free hand the maestro
left Rome, and returned only when the
general rehearsals began After listening
once only he went direct TO Professor Mas
cheroni and said: Il am very sorry, but
you really have totally mistaken my mu-
sic" Whereupon the director took up his
hat, thus giving the public the additional
pleasure OF listening 70 IT'S conducted
by the composer himself
As have noted before Mascagni'S great
est passion and delight are 10 conduct an
orchestra, for which he himself says he
has natural talent. But what is more
interesting is to watch Mascagni compos-
ing his works. His wife. Signora Lima:
Mimi. his eldest boy; Dino. another son,
| and Emilia, his little daughter-all have
their parts in it. When the maestro is
feverishly writing notes, and rushing 10
| the piano to catch an inspiration his wife
| follows him TO and fro. while the child
ren climb on his knees. he unconsciously
| running his fingers through their curls. As
| soon as he has fixed on melody he gath
ers the children in his arms and they all
| roll indiscriminately on the floor the
shouts the bumps. laughter tears, making
such an uproar that at last Signora Mas
cagni interferes scoiding her husband and
| telling him that grave musician should
| give better example to his family. She
bundles away the children and he returns
TO his desk; but a few minutes later the
scene repeats itself.
Mascagni himself says of his new opera
| "In writing Iris | have always lad in
mind the principle of being judged, not
by the drama, but by the music Music
| should not be an arid comment on the
| drama, it should be the drama itself. the
| SJOTy III llS lutAOItDie uSNt-Opl0GlI- III
| Iris l wished for this reason to reinvig-
| crate the melodramatic opera. to maintain
| the equilibrium between the voices and
| the orchestra. In it there is much music
| 1t have not contented myself with two or
| three ideals turned round every way, re-
peated, reproduced and enriched, because
| one cannot disguise the fact that they are
! always the same; | have instead searched
| for melody. Searched is only a way of
| expressing it, as, if l do not feel the in
| spiration suddenly, | wait for it to come
| The tenor serenade in the first act came
| instantly, quite unexpectedly, and / have
| used it without changing one note. l wish
| in my music to be, above all. sincere. I
l.should like Iris to be judged as a work
| of art, serenely conceived. written accord
| ing to my criterions. with ideas which
| have terminated in my own fancy"
| Nevertheless, the other evening at a
preliminary rehearsal of Iris in an ante
room of the Costanzi Theatre the maestro
turned to friend, saying in a moved
voice: 81 should be prepared to renounce
all my works with the exception of Rat
| cliff 1t will never be popular with the
public but if something of mine remains
| in music, it will be some scene from Rat
cliff" This is the masters own judg-
ment of his work.