The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-04-27
...:..1heafres ~. ~.

at the Providence Opera house tonight.
by the Bostonlans. the San Francisco
Chronicle OF recent date says: 1T GER
tainly remains the very best the most
thoroughly enjoyable OF the musical com
positions OF these later years. AS the
familiar and favorite members OF the
Bostonians came on the stage the well
come given them by large and fash
ionable audience had something personal
in IT, Mr.. Barnabee had OF course the
most enthusiastic. but rockingham. the
amusing Friar Tuck. ran him very close
and Macdonald and Miss Bartlett shared
the general acknowledgment. These
people have played their parts so long
that they are all much more real to the
public as the characters I'm the opera
than in their own persons"
e.
II does not appear possible that any
dramatic artist can meet with too great
success i'm any role. but that is the ex
traordnary experience of Il. II. Sothern
in his portrayal of Francois Villon, the
poet, lover, warrior, hero of "If / Were
King in which he will be seen at the
Providence Opera house the last three
nights of this week. matinee Saturday
Frank Stockton has good humoredly said
that no artist should create a master
piece. for IL would surely dwarf all his
preceding and succeeding efforts. When
sothern first gave his picturesque and
poetic creation OF Vilon to the stage two
seasons ago, he was OF course. pleased
at the unusual honors he won, but when
every audience and manager demanded
his temperance in the role again and
again, and when recently his engage
ment In New York was prolonged to six
times that OF his original run in the play
there. SothaJn realized that he was
likely in time 70 become known as a one
part actor and his fame TO rest simply
upon his creation of Vilon.
Sothern remembered the experience OF
his father with the role OF Lord Dun
dreary, OF Booth with Hamlet. and Jeffer-
son with Rip. how the desire OF the public
held them In these roles season after
season and determined that his fate
would be different He is set In his de-
cision not to be seen in IF Were King
after this year and is making n grand
tour OF the country I'm his farewell ap-
pearance of the play. This city Is sin
gularly fortunate in being able 10 see
him before he takes up his new role in
the play that has been written for him
by Justin Huntly Mccarthy. which he
will present In September. Sothern brings
the entire production. company and auxil-
iaries of II | Were King intact from
the Garden theatre, New York
e.
In connection with the presentation OF
the drama, "Ben-Hur" one OF the princi-
pal features OF interest is centered In the
incidental music. Tho story bends Itself
admirably to musical treatment OF the To-
| cal color order. and Mr.. Edgar Stillman
| Kelley. an authority on Oriental and an
| cent Greek music, hc1 solved the prob
| lem of clothing themes built on ancient
and Oriental scales In modern harmonic
and orchestral garb. preserving absolute
homogeneity throughout
The composer has invented his themes
| with regard TO the chief incidents OF the
| play and has drawn upon these themes
for the different scenes by the process
known In musical composition as aug
mentation OF diminution. The main
themes In the prelude and first act are: CD
'The Prophecy" (2) THE Star In the
East" (S) THE Magi in the Desert" (D
/ "Ben-Hur." 90 '"rhe Power OF Rome. -
| (6s Vengeance" The latter is derived
| from the "Ben-Hur" theme. The first Is
! used I'm the prelude by the invisible
! chorus. The second is suggested at the
words. Arise! Shinel for thy light Is
come" and Is later developed when the
| chorus sings. THE Lord Shall Arise Upon
/ Thee" The star theme is fully elaborate
! when accompanying the increasing splen-
| dor OF the star, and is utilized afterward
! in alluding 10 Christ, the Light OF the
World. The third serves to illustrate the
| journey OF the wise men through the
desert TO Bethlehem. Fourth announces
| the entrance OF "Ben-Hur." The NTH,
| the passing OF Gratus and his minlons
through the city OF Jerusalem. and the
sixth IL first heard at Ben-Hur's invoca-
At. l..Fa 4 L..
| the hour OF Thy vengeance mine he the
\ hand To put upon him"
In the second act an appropriate theme
| IL used 10 characterize and accompany
| the rowing OF the slaves In the Roman
| galley. Theme nve leads 10 the battle on
deck, while derivation OF theme seven
shows the wreck in the open sea, and
/ same theme. siven ont fartissimo. signi-
I hes the rescue.
/ Tho third net introduces y new theme
/ heard at the words OF Esther: Then I'm
/ Heaven will We put our trust" In this
act arc other fresh themes. introduced In
/ the scenes In the Grove OF Daphne, and
| upon them arc built the music for the
/ professions and the strange rites and
revelries sung by n MIXED chorus.
The fourth and nth acts contain
themes. some OF which are Egyptian In
character. In the sixth act the vengeance
theme II cleverly used. when Iras finds
herself foiled In her rises In Ben-Hur.
and when the fall OF Messiah II accom-
/ plished. In the Mount Olivet scene, a
theme built on the Oriental scale and
treated contrapuntally ls sung by the peo-
pie from Jerusalem. and IL answered by
/ the throng coming down the mountain.
The star" theme Is again heard when
the brilliant light IL thrown on the lepers.
symbolical OF the healing In the final act
the Star theme is given out by the or
chestra, underlying the chanting OF the
"Nunc Dimittis." while the sopranos and
bassos bring the whole 90 a conclusion
with This 4 seJuessou)remeGmn-z -zekvno
with This IL Jesus OF Nazareth. the King