Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-03-18
METROPOLITAN MUSIC.

(From Our Special Musical Correspondent
NEW YORK, March 1.-THE music
incidental to play is seldom
worthy of mention, but the quaint meas
ures that accompany Mr.. Belasco's beauti-
full Madame Butterfly" are so thoroughly
in keeping with the views of Fusiame and
the surrounding flower fields that notice
must be taken of them and a tribute paid
to the artistic skill that in planning and
executing one of the daintiest artistic
effects that has been seen upon our local
stage this season, has given it a thoroughly
Asiatc musical setting as well. This gen.
tie Eastern people, always picturesque
and always charmingly polite, is brought
to view in so intimate a way, the scene,
the characters, the atmosphere-every-
thing connected with the production is so
perfect in its local coloring, that it would
be sinful to accompany it all with music
of the Western barbarian, and so the
orchestral voices are Joined in strange soft
combinations and melodies in minor keys
with harp and woodwind accompaniment
complete the visual picture and give it a
tonal unity as we'll
You know not why it is, but the moon
light is more enhancing, the cherry bios
little heroine knock at your heart with
more persistent effect, for the musical
accompaniment that peruades the entire
nuances.
1.-The Flying Dutchman' is given so sell
dom these days that it's mere announce
ment should fill the Metropolitan. Unfor-
substitute for Tristan" and we all feel
annoyed with any substitute offered in
place of an anticipated pleasure. and it
matters not if the pleasure presented be a
greater one than the expected original, we
resent the substitute. And while it cannot
be truthfully said that THE Dutchman'' is
an improvement upon Tristan" yet it
is so melodious and so full of movement
it always will remain a great favorite ex-
cept with the ultra Wagnerians. On Mon
day Ternina was the Seute, appearing in
the role for the first time, and bringing
to it as she does to all of her imperson-
atoms conscientious study and an artistic
understanding of the meaning of the char
acter. She sang with great tonaI beauty
and presented charming picture of the
imaginative maiden of the North who fol-
lowed her fate with unquestioning faith
and devotion.
The manoeuvres of the "black brig as
she first comes to anchor reminded some
of those in the audience of a similar scene
some years ago when the same opera was
given on the opening night 1t was Herr
Reichmann's first appearance here, and
Mr.. Edmund c. Stanton was the impress
saro, and a number of New York's fore
most yaehtmen were upon his board of
directors. AS the vessel neared the shore
and rounded the impossible (but truly
artistic operatic) corner she came to an
cher in the most unseamanlike manner.
The wit of the pressroom remarked to Mr..
Stanton that he thought with so many
good yachtsmen on his board of directors
they should certainly be able to drill his
stage seamen TO better seamanship than
that
That is all very WELL" replied Mr.
Stanton, but you must remember that the
captain of this ship has been on a seven
years cruise, and that he has probably
forgotten in that time how TO come to
anchor" Possibly the same excuse may be
pleaded for the eccentric movements of
the Dutchman's ship on Monday-but there
was no witted Stanton to voice it.
On Sunday evening last the choir of the
church of the Ascension sang Dubois set
ting of the Seven Last Words" 1t is a
work little known here, and rarely given,
and on this occasion had but a semi
public hearing. as it was sung at one OF
the regular services of the church. But
1t is work of importance, and ex-
hibits the virility of the modern French
school as emphatically as does Massanet' s
La Navaraise" and other purely theatric
ventures of some of the lesser Partisan
lights.
1t is TO this same modern French school
that we must look for musical progress
during the opening years of the new CEN
fury. Its members will be the world S
/ leaders in all forms of composition and
although the sons of Italy are pressing
their Gaelic cousins hard for first place in