The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-02
Paderewski'S First Opera a
Grand Success
DIFFERS FROM ALL OTHERS
Interesting Notes Concerning
the Popular Opera

one advantage which foreigners have hal
over Us; they could hear new operas a
produced uncter the supervision Of tn
composers themselves. Paderewslxi
''AIanr11-" VIII Oh had its first American
representation at the Metropolitan. i
the first Impor tant opera ever producet
here under sue b conditions. Apart from
its intrinsic mel it. this makes It an even
Of historic impo irtance. 1t is not ikel,
that Mr.. Padere wski would have crossed
the ocean this season for the sake o
giving concerts q lone, for he had mapped
out an extended European tour. Blu
great composers have abundant reason.
for v ishing to be present and assist II
first performances at their operas. Wag
ners chief sorro1y during the twelve
years Of his exile from Germany was
that he had to leaA Re his operas 10 Their
fate. often a terri lie one. Paderewsk
was Their efore wise in yielding TO the
temptation TO be pres sent at the American
premiere OF his first opera It has reaped
the benefit of his pr sence; and SO have
all who have heard it.
Last nights perfoI nance IS further
noteworthy as having brought forward
the first opera by a Polish composer that
mas AOL 4LAL4lEulckt Antlt-l ilc-AAJIdI ldGlC.
Manu- was preceded by at least one
hundred rational Polish operas. but mono
Of them is known to opera-goers TO-DAY.
Poland.s best composers devoted them
selves almo st entirely 10 the pianoforte;
and the greatest of ali writer's fo- that
instrument was a Pole. a few weeks
ago Milan Scala brought out a new opera
by an Italian that was based on the story
Of Chopin's lie, and with score built up
with melodies borrowed from the pisno-
forte pieces. OF course suc7l a pastic-
cho. however well concoCteG, was not
likely to meet with mrclr success. al
though Chopin himself, had he been op-
eratically endowed, might ave construct
Cd a delightful stage * with those
same melodies plasticaly adapted 10 a
good plot But he was thus not endowed,
and although mis- teacher, Elsnar-the
most popular of Polish composers-kept
urging him TO write an opera TOO. he
never die so. Indeed, he mas never got so
lar as TO write well for the orchestra.
He preferred TO remain. what Rubenstein
called him, the soul Of the pianoforte.
PaderewsI1i. the Chopin of the twentieth
cent ury. proved a few years ago with his
concerto and his Polish Fantasia that he
was a far greater master or The orchestra
than Chopin or any othe- Pole. And now
his 'AIav a1tests that Poland, for the
nrst tim 2. has produced an opera compos-
ct OF real genius The most surprising
thing about it is that there is 50 little
suggestion in it of Chopin. the musician
with WI ose ideas Paderewsld, as pianist
has become so thoroughly saturated
When enc plays the piano (vocaD score
(Which. b, the way, the composer did not
have time to make himself) Chopin is
when the orchestra plays, the resem-
hlance van shes Nor is List drawn up
on though he is another idol of Paeere-
wski the greatest of all MS interpreters.
The only musician with whom the com
poser OF ''NIanru" went 10 school WITH
is Wagner. and among Wagner's works
'.Siegfried'' has the deepest influence
with him. though Tristan and die
Walkure'' are also suggested. .Siegfried
IS very much in the air in the first scenes
Of the second act, ana also in the superb
introduction to the third act. Yet II can
not be said that there is more Of Wagner
I'm this first opera of Paderewsli than
there is OF Narc7lner and Weber in the
first symphonies Of Beethoven. There is
a Zeitgeist in music as in everything
else, and no young composer can escape
it. Greig has confessed that Wagner
influenced even his lyric songs though
these lie entirely outside the sphere Of
Wagner's activity.
It v OUld have teen excCsable If the
influence Of Chopin and List had been
felt in Manu-; for the atmosphere we
breathe in it is the mountain air Of the
Galician Carpathians. which are both
Polish and Austro Hungarian. Like Wag-
ners Nibelung dramas, -'AIanru'' is
romance of nature-an open-air opera;
like Carmen" it is gypsy opera: vet
the story does not suggest either Wag-
or Merimee. The plot is taken from
novel by Kraszewski entitled 8The Cabin
Behind the Wood and it gives opportuni-
ties for picturesque effects Of which the
ubrettst. Dr. Alfred Nossig. mas made
god use, though Il cannot be SAID thar
his book is worthy OF the music welded
TO it, While some situations ara dra-
matte others are weak and too long
drawn ont. and the characters are not
drawn with q strong hand. The use OF
rhyme IL an opera liDretto is an al.sur-
dity which DR.. Nossig and still lmore his
translator. Mr. II. z. Krehben. would
have done wei 10 avoid. There IS much
10 be said i'm favor Of the idea that opera
;ibrettos should he written in prose.
Modern cperatis music like that Of Man
~" is no longer tailored into symmetrical
forms. Why should the text beg
There IS no overture to "Asnru. after
lew bars OF plalntive melody by the
oboe, the curtain rises. revealing a denc-
ing-green IN tie Tilage with the Tatra
mountains in the background. HedwiC.
Galician widow, sits IN front of her
hut REVEALING she loss OF her daughter
Ulsna, who had deded her wishes and
eloped with a gypsy named Manru Her
lament is repeatedly interrupted oy the
village maidens. Who are decoratias. the
poles with flowers and ribbons They.
In turn. are interrupted by the village
sudden appearance CT UroS a ragged
hInchbacS whose face wears an assumed
expression o. idiocy. and who is suspected
CT sorcey- They scatter 80 al directions
calling hun viper. toad toads,ool.
screechowl. drago2 egg. lut these per
naraes 30 not disturb him in the least.
Hedwig asks him what he wants. ara ne
replies That every one is merry here.
While peer Eiaua elsewhere IS piniu.- TO
me she j. cead, replies the widow. .-ss
io7E rs sae rcnains q eypsy's wife know
h not- Nish these words she coes
hcr hut- The UnaiGens continue 10
nr lIek when presently UIana hey
anea-s. pale and detected The
hrrticss ualiens derlde her as ~thc gym +
Snd poke fun 81 her husband deer