New-York tribune., 1902-10-17
MUSIC.


-r- % -.a
work 1pou which more than ans Other since Cav
,r.-r Rusdcaaa" Sieuor Naslazni relies 10 main
an himself ar the amazing altitude 20 which his
,,-.e .vr.e tragedy lifted him IL has .-taile6 a
,s-ge expenditure of money and work and KS per-
.orua1re commands admiration for the pluck zeal
end endurance ot the compose no matter what
~. p-r-.r cr critical verdict On tho composition
-v5v .Lrso II might he easier 10 answer +ra
,1es-.0n r. if we've put IN the negative. Why not
.----r T1a name Is pretty. T. suggests rosestz
skies bows of promise. aovery heids messages
sp.s-ly borne and fun If uorteut The name in
rss 10 music and to radiant raiaent and II serves
,+e .rl-rese vastly better here than in The orbar
rr. now ..-deu'ae Tie local stage with IT'S ~eecr,
muck lIsscsgu and his ubrsrust do not SEEM
90 r-ve been aole % md term with which -
define r.e.r creation. They call y simply Iris"
-or a lrau-Ua per mlsics." like the FTorerttrs
,ryertors q. rle opera did their art-fo-rn. nor q
.reI51-aur.-' nor ..r-asedia Per unusIca-.
-5~ an opera in Elusica." OF which The
,5uveuu.La. and generic opera" is The zbbrevIa-
,ior. nor even '5rauma ,irlco.' which is the
.s-n chosen hy Nerdi for his "Fa,sta1" and Puc-
ri,! for his .1JaroD Lescaut' In truth Iris" IS
,r1s ot -h-ze. i begins as an aueeory. grows
.--o uav ana ends again In aueEorv beginning
ara end l--5sd. being Ike same. poetcaIIy ana
r-usicaIE S.sDor lllca went 10 Sar Pela6ar and
fA-nu1c.1 :lr his sources, but placed The scene
~ IRIS" .a Japan the land OF flowers and Ga
achieved r-- privilege u making ir a dauiarce
with pseG5g-g hi-os0pnic symbols and gorgeous rai-
Ynert NOW SYMBOLISM is poor dramatic matter.
tIt Il car furnish tortl mColy hood for music and
.skv robes spun or Iris woof' appear SIN more
re5lsn: 10 -le eve when The eag. TOO is enlisted
,s-ossness and plralence stain the dramatic e!e-
merit in ;ae piece but, when all is over. pictures
,rs music have done thetr wo~H OF mitisa-lcu and
ar q. thz t---Ieu- rai.e there arises a n1rure OF
most, besLry. vision os suffering and triumphant
innocenoy "a-eA n-eaas noTlne'y for nar-onins
embrace
.Ti.ht is t-e language Of the eternal ones-hear
az urocal~s Tie uh-=Itist IN that portion Of his
t,ok WHO is neither sand nor sung nor played
sudnktHs s.u that siuss with divers voices after
tie curtain has risen on 2 nocturnal scene, and
he orches-a has sought 10 depict The Gepa-ture
~ he nig1r the break Of day. tho rsvividcation
~ The foUe.s and The sunrise As Byron sang Of
Lin Sc PhIbus Apollo celebrates himself The
cod Of life end poetry and light but does not stop
tbere Es is also Infinite Beauty. Cause, Reason
Poetry and Love The music begins with az all but
'rsusible descending passage IL The hasses an
svsred by sweet ccrcor5sct harmonies. calm
song tells ~ the l-st st-eaks ct light woodwird !
and harp add rh5ir voices @ meInhuous hymn
chants the s-irr.1c flowers. and leads into rLyth-
moaIy more llc.sive bur sun sustained, orchas- /
tral song which bears upon its surface the choral
procauauon Of the sun J am I an life, ] an /
Beauty mantle TIE fux and reluA ot the in
strumenJal surge grows in intensity. the music /
begins 10 slow with color and pulsate with eager
life ana reaches mighty sc1lr.r.-. sorsed with /
the crash OF @ u-lrIrude n tsu-tauls. r.ubslS !
drums and bells, az the cn-actsEic reiterauon OF
Galore. Luce, Amor The Piece is thIiIlirsly /
effective out L-rle ouerarc as the unurDab-
uatory chant at rhe Cheru-l-n IN the prologue Of
Botos '..-e@s--feie.'
AId n0E sIlsQry makes room for the drama N /
the door OF her cottage, eLboWered on the banks /
0i Quiet stream, comes Lrls- The peak OF Fusl- /
yzns CLOVIS the sunlight. Iris IS fair and youthful
and innocent A dream has disturbed her. Cor 4
suns and Ey6ras and Chtmaras dire" had nlled her
--7r H-- dol -faH z7e had
20 assp under a rose bush But the suns rays /
hgrS; forth and The monsters fed. she lifts her /
dA and moves ITS arms IN mimic salutatOn 10 /
he sun Osaka, wealthy rake, end Kyoro, pan /
der, play and spy her actions gloat on her love
huess and plot 10 steal her and carry her 10 the
NoshiE2ra. To this end they 80 10 bring On . 4
puppe; show that irz diversion may enable them /
10 steal her away without discovery. Women come I
doVa 10 the banks u the river and sing pretty 4
metaphors AS they wash their basket loads Of 4
frusAas Gradually the music q ssInisens (Japan-
ose guitars, gongs and drums approaches Osaka 4
and kyoto have disguised themselves travelling j
PLAYERS. gathered together some GeisLas and mu- 4
SeaHs and now SET Up Inarlonet1e theatre lrls I
comforts her L-ld father, the only object % her
loTe. beside her doll and promises 70 remain AZ 1
hs See. The punpet llay tells the story OF a 1
maiden who s,-ers abuse from cruel father, no
fhTea1ers 10 s-l ba- 70 merchant Che IS a WL-S-
Key neychzuJ-n JLe Interest of realisrnI IRIS Is /
nuce a1ecte1 ~ rh- sC-roEs OF the puppeL 1he /
g.
Osaka singing without The melody Is Tie MELODY !
of Tu--adus Sic-auu. but the wo-ds are promise
q & hEsscEL Eisstul death and thereafter NE /
svs-!asc-g The pCppst dies and with Jcr dances 4
% .to Alrrez2- Now Lhree Ge-shas, representing |
bSa-Sy. Dez-h and TIE Vampire, begin dance
Ayoso disl-acts She a-Ieruo2 of the spectators
vile the dazoers nauIt their skirts higher and
wnG urdl thsir folds conceal Iris, and Osaka's
1snES seizz har and bezr hey on toward The city
ASo'o R-sces le-1er ana money a. the cottage
car for lie band father. Through pocier ana
ae Uo--z- IL lezrzs rhzc lis daughter IS gene 10
pS az innate o. LLe TCshiEars- he implores the
pSzls Who Lad been jesr-nE him n lead him
1ias-, t-ar he may spa il her face and curse her
As IS aslsep upon t-sd IN The Green HoIs+
Nc district. which needs no oeScrsoucL- a
faas. ac,ompa-ied by the tUaEg-Dg OF sa-nlsen
s1- Tn changing o. tzDszrns. L sung hy three
r-Ah4E kEooo to1-Es IN Osaka ID ADMIRE hsI
ee-ay. and SIS high Price UIson L. Osaka senos
" 9eUe.z- LIS aE-kas and spec1-2les Z pH--S
SRlla~1 vein touching the question cl her eASs-
sao& SIC cz11oe be 5eac. for death brings EloT--.
e-ss ar pz-zcise scy. b.. she Eeeps- Osaka ap-
s~f@ BE praises her raptGIously-he- fern -e-
a. her eyes. hG- nOu-h her smile LIS taliAs
IN Ver.lzaly Jcr. son of the SlD.' but ne says
rs lane Il -F'lezsEre-~ The maiden reools IN
-tTur p-les1 kzd Taught her In an 2Lesc-y tnAL
Pleasure AID Dez-h were one, Osaka ioads her
u OEsz. 1On6las her. draws hep 10 his breast.
~As7 ner pSassiula1Ely lrls Weeps- ehe klloNs
-----aS q. Ezs1u-. aE9 loass OILY for heT ia'-er'
= eoIsase ald heE garden Osaka WeaT7sS OF Us
e-.s- o1z kgCIc plans 10 play st1n turner npon
A rs lis cloths her IL richer robes, b1t more
N~-SE2-e1r, Places her uEon z balcony. a-d- VIII
E@F'1S cIEszin. eIhIhiIs her beauty 20 tic
~lellns IN l..e suset. Ana1sd cries Greet t-s
s4s-2uor- Oszkz -erarns and Ileacs for heT love
- j Is Ihe cry u TIE bind man hunting the
S-1 whom L. thinks has sold herself tnto dis
tses1ul szvery- The crowd 1zIls hack before hiIn-
N--s lr1s r1shes forward ths edge Of tie Ve--
saaA snd cr1s= 0gi 20 ham. ta2r ne may know her
ESelct- he gathers hzlsfui of II 10 from the
seeet and lufIs 4 y the direction q her voice.
@hsrs, Ia your face. n Yo1g forehesd, In your