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

heard. Had ne lived to see his successor?
Some Of the Nestor's most fervent admirers
willing 20 hope so; but ten long ana
eventful years have yielded only so many dis
appointments. and, though admiration for Cav
alleria Rustioana" stin burns brightly, the mod
ern methods OF advertising have been diligently
employed in behalf OF it's composer. and the
world stin looks forward with eager interest
and hope 20 his doings. the Judgment OF the
3udicous Is that expressed In the sentiment
which. the story goes, Won Bnlow embodied in
letter 10 Masoagn after the appearance OF
Nerdi's last opera. This is what ne is said TO
have written 20 Italy's youthful hero: En-
crossed in the mastery score OF Verdrs 'Fal-
stan ] am happy 10 he able TO inform you
that you have found successor in your prede-
cessor-one who viii long outlive you"
The interest and the romance in MascagnTs
life are confined TO the period which preceded his
sudden rise TO fame. His father was a baker
in Leghorn and there he was born on December
e. 1868 or humble origin and occupation HIM
self. the father nevertheless had large ambi-
tions for his son: but not in the line Of art He
was 20 be shaped intellectually for the law Like
Handel the boy studied the pianoforte by
stealth in the attic. Grown IN years ne began
attending a music school, when. il is said his
father confined him To his house. when his
uncle freed him and took over his care upon
himself. singularly enough, the man who would
now like 20 pose the most Italian Of Italian
masters had his inspiration FIRST stirred by Ger
man poetry. Early IN his career Beethoven re-
solved 10 set Schillers Hymn 10 Joy." The
purpose remained in his mind for forty wears or
and finally became a realization IN the spaIa
OF the Ninth symptoms. Pietro Mascagni re
solved as a boy 10 compose music for the same
ode and did IL at once Then he set TO work
upon two-act opera, II Filsnda" His uncle
died and Count Florestan there is sno,ber
Beethovenian echoD sent him 10 the Conser,-
atory at Milan. where. like nearly all OF his
native contemporaries. he imhibed knowledge
tand musical ideas) from Ponchielh
After two years or 50 Of academic stu5y ne
yielded 10 gypsy desire and set out on his
wanderinss. but not until ne had chose, as .
companion Maffeis translation Of Heina's Pa
ohn"-a gloomy romance which seems 10 have
caught the fancy OF many composers. There
followed i've years Of as checkered a life as ever
musician led. over and over again ne Was ~,
gagged as conductor Of ftinerant or STATIONERY,
operetta and opera companies. only 10 have the
enterprises fail and leave him stranded No
phorically speaking. he measured the distance
from Schenectady 10 Troy many times. For six
weeks in Naples his daily ration was a plate .,
maoaroni But he worked at his opera stasn,
although. as he once remarked, his dreams 20
Fame were frequently swallowed up IN tbA
srowls OF his stomach. which caused him more
trouble than many a millionaire suffers from
too little appetite or too much govt Finals,
convinced that ne could DO better as a tescbsr
OF the pianoforte. he ran away from an enespa-
ment which paid him 50 day. ana. sending ~,
the manuscript OF 'Ratcliff' in a portmantasu
settled down IN Certgnola. There ne became a.
rector OF an orchestra school, though he hsa
nrst 10 learn 90 play all the instruments. ne slso
taught pianoforte and thorough bass. ana eked
out trOublous existence until his success a.
competition for a prize offered by Sonzogno. thu
Milanese publisher, made him famous I'm a a.,
and started him on the road 20 wealth This
opera, with which he won the prize Wa IA.
masterpiece and has been his only real success
How Mascagni came 10 compose .'Csvauar,s
Rusttcana" he has himself told us IN a hr,sn,
sketch OF the early part OF his LIE ,h,oA
appeared in the "Fanfulla della domenica" !,
Rome shortly after ne became famous Re
counting the story OF his struggle for existence
after entering upon his career he wrote:
In 1879 only few scenes (of s'TRatclir,.., -
manned 10 be composed; but let them lie 50
nave not touched them since. The Thought "a
CaNaAeria Rusticana" had been in nv bsss
Tor several years. ! wanted 60 Introduce ~,
pealed 10 several lbrettists but none was ,,ss
ING 10 undertake the work without a croraDta. /
or reccnpense. Then came notice OF the So
zoshY competition. and eagerly seized the on
poItunlty 70 better my condition. But my SAT
~s Oh iV IRE. to which nothing was added
s~'e0' the Tees from few gianoforte les