New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-10-05

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OF lbretto. Al the solicitation OF some friends
TarGioni in Leghorn, decided 10 write a "Caval-
lsila hus,l , Tor me- My mind was long oo-
cupled with the finale. The words. They have
murdered Godfather Turiddu" were forever
I ril.g IN my ears | needed few mighty or
chestfal chords 10 give characteristic form TO
the musical phrase and achieve an impressive
close. HOW n happened I don't know but one
morning. as ! was trudging along the road 20
give my lessons at Canosa. the idea came 10
me like a stroke Of lightning. and had found
my chords They were those seventh chords
winch conscientiOusly set down in my manu-
script. Thus I began my opera al the end
Mhen received the first chorus Of my librettO
10y post IL composed the Siciliano 81 the prelude
iatefD said an great good humor 10 my wife.
To-day We must MAKE a large expenditure"
w nat torf' An alarm clock" Why To
wake me up before dawn so that I NAV begin
10 write on faValleria RuSticana' The
pehdlture caused a dubious change IN the
monthly budget but II was willingly allowed.
bs,st,,i, ~ losether, ana after good deal OF
nal gaming spent nine lire. ! am sure that
can ma The clock. all safe and sound. in
SeLlSIola. l wound il up the evening we
housht n. hut II was destined TO he Of no ser
wee 10 me. for in that night son. the FIRST OF
a row or them, was born 10 me. In spite Of this
carried out my determination and In the
Huihlhs beSan To write the first chorus Of
- Naileiia came 10 Rome in February.
lN'H IN order 10 permit the jury to hear my
opera they decided that II worthy Of per
leIiiahct. returning TO Cerignola In a state
OF the greatest excitement, I noticed that I
ula nov nave a penny i'm my pocket for the re-
turn trip 10 Rome when my opera was 10 he
rehearsed- Signor Sonzogno helped me out Of
my embarrassment with few hundred francs
Those beautiful DAYS Of fear and hope. OF
ENCOURAGEMENT and confidence. are as vividly
before my eyes If they were now I see
again the CONSTANT Theatre half filled. | see
how, after the last excited measures of the or
SheStfa' they all raise their arms and, gesticu-
late as n they were threatening me: and in my
soul mere a"akens an echo Of that cry OF ap-
lr"Ndl Mhlch almost Frustrated me. The effect
made upon me was 50 powerful that at the sec
ond representation I had 70 request them 10
turn down the fOotlights I'm case I should he
L. inc 1fpkf ned he
10 me. like a fiery abyss that threatened 20 en- |
gulf me.
"Ca"aileria Rusticana" precipitated an anus
ing but extremely lively managerial battle when 1
II reached New-York. Those who watched the 4
operate doinGs Of Europe were aware OF the fact /
that the opera spread like wildfre from town /
10 town Immediately after its first success at I
Rome. Fast as IL travelled, however. the Inter \
mezzo travelled faster. Seidl had seized upon # 4
in the summer OF 1891, and made n a feature OF 4
his concerts at Brighton Beach. Then came 4
simultaneous announcements of the production /
Of the opera by Rudolph Aronson and oscar
Hammerstein in the fall. Mr. Aronson wanted \
10 open the season Al the Casino with IT, and let \
II introduce a change in the character Of the /
given there. Mr. Hammerstein !
had also announced the work. but he had no /
theatre at his ready disposal He thought Aron-
son was poaching on his preserves and there
began an amusing struggle for priority Of per-
Torrance from which nobody profited and the
opera suffered. Amid threats Of elimination
and recrimination Aronson precipitated what he
called dress rehearsal OF he work at the
Casino in the afternoon OF October l. 1891.
Like the king in the parable. ne sent out into
the highways and hade all he could find in 20
the feast. Especially did his servants labor in
the Rialto and the affair had all the appear
anoe OF a professional matinee Nothing was
quite in readiness. but Mr.. Hammerstein had
announced his first performance for the even
ing OF that day. and must be anticipated at all
hazards Yet there were singers and scenes
and musicians in the orchestra. and Mr.. Gustav
herker 10 steer the little operate ship through
the breakers On the whole the performance
was fair. Laura Bellini was the Santuzza of
the occasion. Grace Golden the Lola. Helen Won
Donhoff the Lucia. Charles Bassett the Turiddu
and William Pruette the Alto. Heinrich Con
ried staged the production. In the evening
oscar Hammerstein pitchforked the opera on 10
the stage of the Lenox Lyceum-an open con
cert room and a poor one at that There was
a canvas proscenium, scenery 10 speak Of
costumes copied from no particular country and 4
no particular period, and general effect Of |
improvisation. But the musical forces were SUI
perior 10 Mr. Aronson's and had there been a |
better theatre the Casino performance would /
have been greatly surpassed. There was a really
fine orchestra under the direction OF Mr. Adolf /
Neuendorf but IT sat out on the floor Of the 4
hail, which reverberated like drum. Nine
Internationally. an exceedingly capable artist
was the Santuzza. Mrs. Pemberton Hincks. Lola:
Mrs Jenny Bonner. Lucia; Payne Clarke. Tu-
riddu, and Herman Gerold. Alto.
While all this pother was making "CavalIeria
Rusticana" was already three weeks old in Phils
aelphia. where Mr.. Gustav Hinrichs had brought
II forward with his American Opera Companv
A. the Grand Opera House. Minnie Haul. with
her company, had given il IN Chicago the night |
before the New-YorL wrangle and Emma Juch |
md her company We're rushing forward the
preparations for a production in Boston. The
opera came with precipitation but has remained
quietly with since. Nine CaIve has
been its prop at the Metropolitan Opera House
rs she has been the prop Of Carmen" an i'm
finer work. IL entered the Metro
'otan repertory three months later. on Deem
'er 80. 1891. and doubtless all the critical con
;regation remember that dream OF an accordion
Heated dress which the Sicilian peasant Emma
Games wore on the occasion, and also the free
nd easy artistic conscience Of the stage man
ger, who kindly raised the curtain while Signor
IaleTo sang the Sicilisno I'm the introduction.
hen lowered il again after the tenor had bowed
is acknowledgements over the footlights and
epeated the song from his hiding place behind !
.olas house. The opera has been absent from
ne Metropolitan subscription repertories only
nee since then. which was in the season Of
s9s'99 IN would be rash venture upon
guess at the number OF times II has been
eard in different garbs different languages
nd different houses. The Santuzzas AT the
Metropolitan Opera House in the ten years Of its
ojourn there have been Mines. Eames. Calve.
dira Heller and Gadsld I'm other houses the
art has been enacted by Mines. Laura Bellini.