The Washington times., 1904-01-24
Opera in English.
Not d Condescension TO Pop
ulaT Taste, Eut a Fulfill
ment of the True Purpose
Of Opera.
oil OpeTa.

OF opera.
All the backwoods church organists Of
the country have lately been turning
somersault high In the air. The oc-
CASTOR for their loss OF sClf control is an
innocent announcement made by Walter
Damrosch that much value was lost in
presenting grand opera IN America be-
cause the tongue used was not English.
IN America, said Mr.. Damrosch,
where singers are paid more. and
where the best in music costs more than
in any other country in the world. OPP
eragOeTs can never hear the lyric mas
terpieces sung in their own language by
the greatest of the worlds artists Mel
ba. Nordica. Patti. Games. AIbani-all
OF these singers are Americans by birth
or adoption. and yet none OF them has
ever sung I'm her own tongue in her own
country. No singer can appear in the
Paris Opera House unless he is able to
sing in French. nor in the German the
alters unless he can sing in German.
Il hope the time viii come when we
can compel our Terminus, our Eameses,
our Calves. and our GadslSis TO sing
here in English. and in good English.
We must overcome the lack OF pride in
domestic art which compeIs our painters
and our singers 10 go abroad and secure
a foreign reputation before they are APP
preciated at their own value in their
own country"
A Storm Of Protest.
To the calm mind this viii not seem
in any sense astounding. But there are
musicians and not all OF them preside
over bacl1woods organs. who were
shocked ten years nearer their graves
by that simple expression of opinion.
Grand opera in English" they hast
,ened to exclain. Grand opera in Eng
lishl What vulgarity, what vandalism.
We don't go to the opera TO see a play
or hear story or listen to separate
songs. No, MOI We go TO grand
opera to hear music. music Of the grand
est nature. and we view an opera as
unified. rounded musical work in which
the words are entirely subordinate 20
their musical setting
Everybody knows that music is
thing of art by itself. 1t does not need
words-or how could the Bach fugues,
the Mendelssohn overtures. the Mozart
chamber and the Beethoven SYM
phonies have lived?
Besides all that. everyone exccTt
Walter Damrosch. apparently, knows
that English is too harsh to sing
Italian or French must be used if we
would have true opera
And not The least interesting aspect
of this argument is that It has been
espoused in print by occasional critics.
Washington is soon to enter upon its
season of grand opera, an engagement
fortunately for US all-of grand opera
in English. 1t is true this season will
last but week and comprehend but
two or three operas which are really
Efff &c l,.s. -
itals only taste OF grand opera, and it
will be well if now. in fun time before
the opening night, this mistaken loyalty
to the languages of other countries can
be dissiDatcd.
Drama Set to Music"
Opera is not now and never was a
unified, rounded musical work in which
the words are entirely subordinate to
their musical setting. 1t is instead
drama set 10 music" Music in opera.
far from being the sole reason for the
existence Of opera, has no purpose what
ever save to vitalize and illustrate the
text
This is not only true today but it has
been true always, ever since the first
opera was written-a work called
'Dafne" by the poet Rinuccini and the
musician GiacomO Peri. written in the
year 1894. Those old fellows sought to
give the music of their day something
OF the Importance they attributed to
''musica" in the drama of the Greeks.
and when they wrote that memorable
first operate composition their object
was-not to compose enhancing melo,
dies. and sensuous harmonies-but 90
initiate in music the infections Of the
human voice.
lf44f.
fiuences tended to cultivate the merely
musical element at the expense Of the
dramatic element Of opera But a strong
musical figure, Rameau, soon restored
opera 10 its balance. and there IL swung
until the rise OF Gluck and the begin
nings Of German opera.
From Gluck to Wagner.
3 In the field Of German opera before
the day Of Wagner, the two greatest
hgures-they were, indeed. supreme in
the opera Of all the world-were Gluck
and Mozart 1t Will throw light, maybe.
on the value OF the text In opera to see
how those two men regarded that form
OF art So orthodox an authority as the
Musical Guide" says OF the former:
From this miserable condition IL
(opera) was delivered by Gluck. who
added TO a musical gift greater than
that Of the majority OF his predecessors
a strong sense of the value OF drama
tic basis for the music" and OF Mozart:
The Marriage OF Figaro and Don
Giavonnf seem to combine Handlers
rnelodic beauty and power with Gluck's
Intensity OF dramatic expression"
Opera in this form found It's highest |
exposition at the hands Of Wagner. Of |
course. who regarded poetry, music. and
stage craft the means to an end
which was the drama itself Yet every |
notable figure in the history of modern |
opera belongs TO this same class. a class
OF men who regarded opera as ultimate
~ dramatic form in which music play
ed part only. and not musical form /
In which the drama played a part |
Music and cheap comedy were the aims |
ot Rossim. Donizetti. and Bellini; and /
who would weigh their names against /
those OF Gounod. Blzet. the mature |
Verdi, Gluck, Mozart. and the whole |
senool OF German romantics-Herold, |
Cherubini. Beethoven, and Wagner?
Essays at Dramatic Writing.