The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-31
TIE English Tongue in Grand Opera
What Walter Damrosch Heinrich Conred Have Say
the Subject Interesting Musical Discus
OF the indianapolis Journal.

Correspondence OF the Indianapolis Journal
NEW YORK, Jan. 29-There has arisen
in New York the much-discussed question
as to whether vocal music should be rem
dered with it's original verbal text or
whether a translation into the native
tongue should be submitted. During the
recent season of Manager Henry ". Saw
ages English Grand Opera Company in
the metropolis season that was in every
way successful-a fresh impetus was given
the subject with Walter Demrosch, Helm
rich COnreid. Mr.. Savage and their aumer-
Gus followers, including both artists and
the general public, ranging themselves on
one side or the other Of the long mooted
question. Mr.. Damrosch has had the last
word thus far, and Notwithstanding his
adherence to German opera in the Wayne
rian tongue, as ii were, his argument may
be placed on the side of English grand
opera.
in America says Mr.. pamrosch
where singers are paid more. and where
the best in music costs more than in any
other country in the world, opcragoers can
never hear the lyric masterpieces sung in
their own language by the greatest of the
worlds artists. Melba, Nordica Patti
Games, Albani, all of these singers are
Americans by birth or adoption, and yet
none of them has ever sung in 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 Ger
man Theater unless he can sing in Ger
man.
Il hope the time will come when we can
compel our Terminus. our Eames, our
Calves and our Gadskis to sing here in Eng
fish, and in good English. We must over
come the lack of pride in domestic art which
compels our painters and our singers to go
abroad and secure a foreign reputation be-
fore they are appreciated at their own value
in their own country"
+
Even Heinrich Conried, that devotee to
the language of Schiller and Goethe, is a
firm believer in opera in English, at least in
homeopathic doses and has announced a
production this season Of at least one opera
in English at the Metropolitan in New York,
and expects next year TO make several such
productions. However, the greatest artists,
and even one Of David BisphamS reputation
and supposed patriotism, still decry the
English tongue the language of the future
in opera Their strongest argument is the
lack of melOdiouS Syllables Yet with all
to claim the German tongue more melodius
than the English.
In the meantime, the history of Mr.. Saw
ages big organization is establishing the
fact that the masses of music lovers in the
cities annually visited by his English sing
ing company generally throng theaters for
his season of opera in the vernacular. while
ii is not infrequent that a season Of Italian
opera is only feebly attended. From an alb
stract argumentative standpoint there would
seem 10 be absolutely no excuse for an opera
in an unintelligible tongue. The music drama
is indisputably the highest form of lyric art,
and should be within the reach Of ALL Yet,
with thousands upon thousands of sincere
music lovers in this English-speaking land,
there are few opportunities to become famil-
lar with the greatest masterpieces sung by
really great singers. except at prices that
practically bar the average American citi-
zen, and even then they are given in a
tongue that is meaningless 10 Americans
Only an English-singing grand opera COM
pany is able TO present worthy productions
and capable ensemble performances at
prices that are nonprohibtive.
+
Literary masterpieces in all tongues are
translated into English, and any student
by the mere act of reaching forth his arm