New-York tribune., 1902-10-09

a faithless lover She bribes jailer to connivs
at the escape Of a robber as he Is being led TO
execution Him she elects 10 be the instrument
OF her vengeance Right merrily she lives with
him and his companions IN the greenwood until
the hand captures the renegade lover on his
wedding journey Ttlda rushes upon the bride
with drawn dagger. but melts Nhen she sees
her victim IN the attitude of prayer and sinks
on her knees beside her. only 10 receive the
7esth blow from her sedaoer. a picture OF
piouan. contrasts: and there are tarantellas and
Ave ,tsr,ss in the music or take the story %
Giordano's "Mala Vita" Here the hero Is
vo,ng DIVER whose dissolute habits have brought
ON consurnntton. The principal object OF his
anoours Is the wife Of a friend. A violent
hemorrhage warns him of approaching death'
and stricken WITH coWardly fear ne fushes 10
the nearest statue OF the Madonna and registers
a vow: He will marry a wan'on, redeem her
and save his own life. He pledges hImset 10
the heroine. who meets the requirements ana
she feels momentarily bleSt but the married
siren the Lola in the case. winds her tolls about
rim again and gloats over the unfortunate one
who sinks nfeless at her door Piquancy again
achieved now without even that poor palliative
-punishu,ent of the evildoer. The list might be
extended: Tasca's A Santa Lucia" has an ap-
petizing story Of an oysterman's son who de-
serts woman by whom he has child, in order
to marry one to whom he had previously been
affanced The women meet In dainty brawl
and the hancee strikes her rivals child 10 the
ground. The mother tries 10 stab her rival with
the ever ready dagger. which act stirs up the
embers Of C1ocillo's love. He takes her back 20
his arms and 20 his fathers house The child
must be some four years old by this time hut
the oysterman knows nothing about the rela-
tions existing between his housekeeper and his
son. dear unsuspecting old man. and dreams a
dream Of marriage with his common law N~-gh-
ter-in-law. Enter the discarded hancee ~
tale for Ciccillo's ears % his mistresss inhdel-
ity. 1T Is not true" shrieks the poor woman
but the wretch's ears are deaf 70 her protesta-
tions and she hurls herself into the sea CiccIlo
rushes after and hears her 20 the shore. where
she dies in hts arms. gasping in articuiO mortis,
1T is not true" The highly delectable tale OF
"A baSso Porto" has been told on the local stage
and reed not detain
The stories OF the champions OF "verisuo'' are
all alike II Is their filth and blood which
tructihes the music which rasps the nerves as
the plays revolt the moral stomach. We repeat.
Looking back over the decade IA which the
so-caIied veritisn has held its orgy "Cavalleria
Rusticana" seems almost classic It's music Is
highly spioed and tastes hot tho mouth but
its eloquenoe is after all in its eager passionate.
wrote fifty years ago for the last act - III
Trovatore" II neither MascaEni himself nor
his imitators have succeeded In eluaIlng u il
is because they have thought too much OF the
external devices % abrupt and uncoUth change
Of modes and tonalities Of exotic scales and
garish orchestration. and too little ~ the funda
mental element Of melody which once was the
all and end-aH Of Italian music Another
fountain of gushing melody must he opened
before "Cavaneria Rustcana" finds its success
sor Ingenious artifce. reflection and technical
device will not serve. even with the blood and
mud OF the Neapolitan slums as fertilizer.
The audience that hlled the opera House and
hacked the aisles al the rear 20 sufocation
aiterally not metaphoricaIy) was unmistakably
Italian. unrnistakably proud OF the visitor from
italy. and eager TO let him know il Mascagni's
anpearsnce was the signal for the first burst
of applause, which rose so high and lasted 50
long that the composers back might well have
grown weary. as he was kept bowling. his hand
on ms heart While 'Zanetto' flowed on and
on. cnering no logical pause for applause the
enthusiasm OF the Italian audience got head
again. and kept bursting cut where II had no
busiress 10. Some Of the more conservative
manifested their disapprobation at this but
with Indifferent success.
when '.Zanetto" closed. the patriotic Italians
hurst forth without restraint and ca led tba com,
ncser to the stage He received flowers in set
nieoes punches and baskets. ana a large Framed
carti6cate OF some sort other al OF which
he accepted gracefully, boWing TO the an
plause During the performance OF "Cavalleria..
more enthusiasm broke out. repetitions even
U-ere demanded and finally given. and thu IT,,
ternezzo reaped the whirlWiud Altogetber !,
,,ss a great night for Little Italy .'Zanet.-
and .'Cavalleria" viii be repeated this eventns-
neither Of the other operas promised being i'm
readiness.