Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-04-01

Of the principal causes of the phenom- enal success which has ever attended this opera. The first production of Martha" was at Berlin, Mime Titiens being the prima donna. The emperor and royal family were in the imperial box, for 1t was a gala night. The op- quisite song, "The Last Rose of Sum- mer." swelled out upon the air, rising and failing in luscious waves of song, the languorous voice of the singer full of tender emotion.
 The audience went wild and recalled the singer again and again until she could but whisper the words. They threw flowers, jewels, trinkets, and even their ermine-lined cloaks on the stage. When the audience, exhausted with emotion. called for the composer, he honestly told them that he bor-1 rowed the song from the works of an lrishman, Thomas Moore
 This song. descended from remotest antiquity. freighted with the love of each passing generation, will con- tinue down the ages, thrilling the hearts of unborn millions. and will be forgotten only when all peoples cease to eXist-this peerless gem of song, "The Last Rose of Summer
 These lyrics of Moore's. so admira- bIe, now sparkling, now plaintive, here glowing with fervor. there laden with pathos, all teem with exuberant illus tration. Universal litlerature presents no lovelier or more affecting tribute to a nations mlnstrelsy than the Irish melodies of Thomas Moore.
 In common with all Irishmen Moore had keen appreciation for the gentle sex, and many poem has been in- spired by this theme. He was by no means contracted in his sentimental ap- preciation of lovely woman, all ages and types shared in his devotion Not only was he charmed with tender youth, but remained faithful through life, and nowhere Is this fidelity more eloquenbly expressed than in the much loved poem:
 Believe me, if all those endearing young charms,
 Which gaze on so fondly to-day, We're to change by tomorrow and fleet in my arms,
 Like fairy gifts fading away The love of country that pervades and inspires his theme, his simple ten. derness of feeling, that at once strikes the heart as instantly to melt 1t, his lfacflity of creation, linked with the | glad appreciation of all that is beauti- lful in nature the grace, the elegance, the sensibility, the Ingenuity, that are lmever absent-the astonishing and 1 thoroughly successful adaptation of sense to sound, of sweetest poetry to thrilling music-aTe claims to admira- tion which the most prosaic of his spe-
 cies will find 1t impossible to resist. 1 He attributed all of poetical success l to his strong and inborn feeling for
 music. There can be no doubt that
 his obligations to nature in this respect
 were very great Music and poetry
 were welded in his heart and were in separably united. With him the words
 and music We're one. So intimately
 were they united that the. sight of his
 poems crowded together unaccompan- lied by notes with which they were al
 ways associated in his own mind gave tliim positive pain.
 IRELAND'S ANCIENT. MUSIC. Let us leave Moore and his labor of Hove and step backward into ancient history, glancing once again at Ireland
 in the sunshine of her prosperity. St Columba, or Columbkille, was the Ihead of the Irish bards about 1,4OC
 years ago. So great was the honor in
 which minstrels were held that an Irish king bestowed the barony of Ross. Carberry upon one of them for writing
 a glorious song Now, when we want to express an idea of the cheapness of
 anything, we say, Tt is not worth a song. At that time In Ireland, a song, If well written. set to original
 music, and if the harper could skill
 fully sweep the chords of his harp So
 as to excite joy in the heart of the mon-
 arch, that harper received a crown of gold, broad lands and titles of nobili- Ity.
 The pfefy and peace which shone up-
 on Ireland in those sunny days was tested by kings and chieftains in very
 original manner From the northwest lpoint of the island, young maiden. radiant i'll beauty. alone and unpro- tected. covered with jewels. travelled the whole length of the land. at any hour or rne morning. midday. or even- ing. From the center of the island she crossed the Shannon, sweeping the western coast of Munster. and enter 1 Ing the heart of royal Tipperary. She met her countrymen on every mile of the road. but no man offered her even fixed stare. no man addressed an of- fensive word to her. The poet de- sclihes her AS meeting foreign knight who came to behold the far-famed glory of Ireland.
 Rich and rare were the gems she wore. And a bright gold ring on her wand
 she bore:
 Rut. oh. her beauty was far beyond
 Her sparkling gems and snow-white | wand.
 | These peaceful times were rudely
 broken by the landing of the Danes on
 the coast of Wexford, and for three hundred years the country was
 plunged in war which threatened the
 religion even Of Tho co4'ntrv. When The
 Danes and the Irish met in the county
 of Wicklow. they encountered each
 other near the Sweet vale of Avoca. ;
 The battle began at six in the morning land lasted till nightfal1 but the sun se+