The sun., 1902-12-14

| posers striving after effect and Of its de-
structive results II the great coronation
scene. Here Meyerbeer exercises all the
resources Of his unquestioned talent, all
the materials of his extraordinary craft,
to build up All imposing picture as the
frame for powerful situation. The pomp
and gorgeousness Of the ceremony are to
be- contrasted with the poverty Of appear
ance and the dcspairing emotion Of the
mother Mr.. b lasco in his proudest
moments never conceived anything theatri-
cally more Effective.
The stirring music Of the coronation
march. very imposing piece Of music
whatever critics may choose to say about
II. opens the scene and inspires the mind
with trumphal thoughts. The chorus of
the cens.r boys sings impressively. Priest
and acolytes. soldiers and courtiers throng
the stage. AT length comes the crucial
moment. II Johns mother claims him, he
II no Prophet. but plain innkeeper. Death
hovers in the air and drawn daggers gleam.
He asks her if he is her SON She sobs,
mo, ! WAS deceived. have no son"
Then she bursts into solo of which the
music is 80 ridiculously cheap and trivial
that there is no descriptive epthet To fit
Il. But il l. the theme of the finale and il
is spirited. brilliant and easy for the auditor
10 remember, So Meyerbeer's process of
cold calculation stands out in bare relief,
and any one who puts valua OH honesty of
art Is filled with vain regrets
such /, the nature of the work of this
gifted man. He is continually approach
ing great thing-, and just AZ continually
throwing in his own path the insurrnoUnt-
able obstacle Of greedy desire for the
immeiiate crrpitation of applause. And
that applause is SO easy to get Meyer
beer could have had i, at half the price
His works hold the stage by the force OF
the hig ideas which are in them. 10y the
cleverness of III" stage craft with which
those id, are presented. and in spite Of the
ant-climtxes in which they abound.
That h" had greater influence on the
development of modern opera than any
other composer is undoubtedly true, for
such writer's as Spontini, Auber, Mehul.
Halevy MasSenet, Gounoi Reyer. Saint
; a ms. Franchetti. Puccini, even Verdi,
ana in "Rienzi" Wagner himself owe 10 him
their skill in the arrangement Of effective
Alterations of scenes and situations Great
is the spirit Of commero ialism, even in
art.
The week which has Just ended had
other Interesting features, One of them
was Emma Eames's assumption Of the role
of Toscd. but discussion ~ that has been
published in these columns within twenty
four hours Something will have TO be
said later about this admired artists as
rirations 10 become a dramatic soprano
II used TO he a familiar saving in the
theatrical business that no woman was
old enough 20 act Juhct till she was too oil
10 look the part. In operate circles Juliet
j. easily within the reach OF the young and
beautiful sopranos, thanks TO Gounod's
moonlight music and rose-t tinted passion.
But Isolde is not for the children of song,
despite the remarkable achievement of
George Moore's Evelyn Inness. Let us
hope that when Nine. Eames comes To
sing 10 ide she will be able TO look the
ravishng Irish Princess Incidentally let
us also hope that she will he able 10 sing tn.
role
Another feature Of the past week was the
visit of the Boston symphony Orchestra
II has been said hat the writer Of this
department praises the Boston orchestra
at the expense Of home organizations That
l. an incon'estable statement Such praise
will continue 10 appear in this place from
time to time with occasional intervals
for rest and refreshmsnt," till this writer
departs or till Boston ceases to have a better
orchestra than New York. The fact that
there is in this city determined oppositi ion
10 all eHorts to supply New York with all
orchestra suitable to the needs Of the city
showing the greatest amount u musical
activity will not operate to alter the views
Expressed here.
This L. sui ty department Of criti-
csm II il no, the advocate Of any interest
or policy. The naked truth il that New
York has not such an orchestra a. il ought
10 have, The argument that il does not
need one because all the good orchestras
from other cities Coile here to give con-
c"rts Is an open confession Of weakness
New York, the largest and riches, and most
industrously musical Of American cities
ought to be sending orchcstras to play in he
other towns. We ought To have an orche.-
ira Of our own so good that it could supply
II the orchestral concerts We need and even
shut ont the visiting organizat ions
Yet we are actually asked TO pocket our
pride and not do anything tow ard organiz-
ing permanent orchestra Of our own
because Boston's orchestra il good enough
for Us. so II is; but l. ii not humiliatiug
to think that city with one-seypnth the
POPULATION OF ours and about one Ier cent
of our number Of wealthy men can Possess
an orchestra ranked second to none in the
worId' some day something Is going to
b" done about this matter. When it is
there Will be Wee ping and wailinp and
gnashng Of teeth, but The world must
move W J. HENDERSON.