The sun., 1902-12-14
PtCCINI rs ITiLI'S IDOI.
Demand fer His New WorI, Opera and
Singers In south America

Giuseppe PuCCni H. the operate idol
of his own people to-day, and in nearly
every Italian city "Tosca" and la Bo-
enc are as popular as they were when
they wer" first sung. Persons who have
heard the music Of Mime Butterfly" de-
clare that this opera will greatly enhance
the composers reputation
Since "tavallcrla Ru-ticana" no opera-
10y contemporary composers have cnjoved
anything like the popularity of these two
works by Puccini. And in other countries
they have met with success
-rosca" was lately sung in Dresden
under the direction Of Ernst Won Schuch
and met with genuine triumph la
Bpl . ne" has been successful in number
Of German cities where II was perforinn.i
in the vernacIlar. and has been sung in
Italian in Vienna and Berlin.
Already there is a demand for the rights
to Mime. Butterfly" Mime Scmbrich
has practically secured them IN Italian for
this country and Germany, where she in
tends to give the opera, with an Italian
company.. at the new Royal Opera House
in Berlin In October next.
There j. a rimor that PIccini i at work
on a musical version of "Adrienne Ie-
couvreur,' but that seems scarcely prob
able, as an opera mad" out Of Scrile's
play has Just been sung AZ the Liricn in
VI ii.
who has already brought ont two operas
! One was founded on "LArlesiennc.
Tn" work l. In four acts and follows
| closely the five acts Of rh" play II met
with great success, and seems 10 have
opened auspiCiDuslv TIA" season at Son
apgro's Opera HotI-' r. rico Caruso had
the leading roe of MGurico de sdre and
| j. said to bc ~ delighted with the work
| that he will try 10 persuade Lady de Grey
AID the rest Of th" Coycu' Garden people
| t. do the opera there ia the spring
| FranChetti'- "tri-t,phrr Columbus"
| opened the Dal Nerm" theatre iu Milan
| which really remains IN" operate centre
| nf Italy, supporting, a. il dor., three opera
| houses La Scala has, of cour-e. suffered
through the death of the Duke Modiuo, it,
most liberal patron.
| Ncrdis "frn nj" has been revived this
year in Nclic" and also opened the
| opera season IN Florence. II will be pro-
ducrd NJ the Metropolitan ny Mr.. Grau
| within three weeks with Nine SrmbrCh
and NM. de Mirchi. de Rce2kc and Scott
| Ia the leading roi"-
A. this j. the approach Of summer in
| South America, all the | allan Sr gers who
| have been employed thcr" during the Italian
| summer arr hurTyirg home to find engage
| ment- in Italy. l. j. fortunate thing for
! these performers that they are able To keen
| busy during th" IN in" year
| In the spring, when their Italian engage
| men's AZ" flashed, they can always go TO
the South American countries, wh"r" there
| il four months more of work for them Ia
| that respect, South America L. a grca, i'm
| provemcut over this country.
| Marie Barrientos, who j. n Spaniard
| has this year lepn IA" star of the Italian
| company al Bu"noS AyIos. She l. a light
| culorature soprano, whose PRINCIPAL artistic
| equipment is sad to ho the ability TO sing
| remarkable staCCa'o notes.
| Rio Gc Jan'irO, Vail laraiso, Santiago and
| San Paulo-all had their s"a~ois Of Italian
opera. The dramatic soprano of The season
| in RIO dc Janeiro. which il usually tho
| most important in that part Of the world
| was Iicrclee DarClso. the beautiful Kuu-
| panian soprano, who was the star of the
| last Madison opera company TO come 10
| thia country
| High salaries ara paid. although they
| are not now uearly so large as they were a
| decade or more ago, when fabulous sums
were given, for instance. To Frnesto Ia
magnO. The great women singers, with
| the exception of Adcliua Patti. have never
| gone there. Neither Mime. Srmhrich nor
| NINE. Nelha, who sing the light Italian
| revert Oiro. has ever gone there,
| In South America II il the tenor who
counts and whom the public desires Ia
| hear, Prima- -donnas are not nearly so inn
| portan' They may 20 hRrr, So long as
| there IT, a tenor who can come down to the
! footlights and emit high G.
Since the days of Tamagno, Emilio dc
| march, who j. now n tie Metropolitan has
| been the most popular tenor there. He
| earned IN few seasons there "A fort une
| but, unlike some Ot lor 'cnorS, hc could not
| keep it--Cr a least all Of il.