The sun., 1901-03-16
"L'AFRICAINE."
Msyerbeers Grand Opera sung for tho First
Time This season.

Meyerbeer's "I'AfriCane" narrowed last
might In the Metropolitan opera House.
being sung In French by Lucienne Breval.
suzanne Adams Journet. PlanCon, Cam
panari and Jean de Reszke. Philip Flon
CONDUCTED
-L.'Africaine" had its nrst hearing in Paris
at the Opera April. 1865. Scribe wrote its
libretto In ls,o. the score being finished nine
years later. As tho book did not suit the
composer, scribe rcwrote It in is5? Tho
music was revised in 1880. but Meyerhcer
did not i've 10 hear II. Your dycd-ln-the-
wool Meyerbecrian never pretends to liking
for this exotic work It, tunes are not 40
catching ns those In the earlier operas while
the subject has not the historical interest
~ Les Huguonots Yet for all that, and
despite its comparative poverty in thema;ic
invention "I'Air.cain"" shows more OF the
ass,luous flo than any other opera OF rs
creator
And tho musical numbers are not lacking
I'm dstinCtiou, although full Of rylng echoes
from the youthful compositions. jncS's ro-
nance, "Adieu, mon douN rvaEc. In the first
act Sshka,s slumher song. sur me. sepouI Ms
tui rhommase. both In act two; the septct
the female chorus, le rapde et leger Navlrc
the prayer and N,nsho'S famous legend.
Adm"nastor, rol dei yasncs proi9ndcT
lndenne. IN act four ldScoS favorlt" air.
PdradS sort du s"ln de londe %, the b :
duct betueen EdSco and Srhka. Mutt d'lT
resse, and the symphonic prelude in act
Ave, followed bv S,hkd's dying song under
the poisonous mano hincel tree all this va
rlcl and mplodIc music once made L'Afri-
came" as much sought after as is Tristan
una lsold" to-day
The SCORING shows more finish than in any
ot the Mcyerbc"r works u l. closer knitted
and less bizarre Nerdis lihrettsts liked
t,v hgr - t.,. kn ia,
larliy Of thcm' the two saVnsos and tho
love Of The dUsly maiden FOR a white man
a. m Aida But the latter opera is infinitely
moro dramatic and poetic The mnch;dis-
10 It for his first scene In "Trstlu" was a
nero vast" - paper and ink Tristan
an laoide was produced IN Sej; a fcw months
after "I'Africsin", ~. music being written
het Ve"n the years 1857 and $50 II Is do4ht
fll II tho Rayr"u'h composer ever heard o'
Mrverhcer's opera until after H. proluc-
The less said about S~rho's book the better
Tds.o. as much ot phlanGerer a. Wo'rr. -
~ no time sympa'lcur N'hbI' knpwl"dg"
81 navigation would onab" her TO pass an
examination before the woSt rigorous board
Of pots Thar map music il n trinr too
much for modern Icail-'- And the work
Lacks vital movement Itrroco"d- smgri-hv
with conventional ms" ohO-uSc- sung hy
In.gs.tors md Frnhmin prlC-'s, and thc-r
l. the usla, iHundernus N"vorb"crian rnHl"s
The stpr" needs wings not oven N" mus, NJ
ina SlHatloU Of Richard Wagner could have
nn pprf ,rnanco l-s' night va f-r from
being u br iiant one H. his familiar char
sC,rT " Vus,, Johu de- Res1Ae cndcav,rcd
- throw into n ml,ir N" sane enthusiasm
he display In MOI. modern r0,rs. lUt IN vain.
ne ii not rNiIly a'o 80 himself until lis
RrHvn ~ sshkr was a picturesque ngur-
81" l. q hsud-uu" woman And she sang
hrt',r than -" has thus far thi- s~H-rr.
Wcr anal r.onnln ggr wi- Dramatically .lr-
4 q. mot g.,