Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-12-15
ABOUT
COMIC
OPERA

Somebody has said that comic
onoro is a niece made up Of words ana
music. ending we'll That is the trutn'
hnt A is not the whole truths for, at
that rate. works such as "Fidelis' anu
,,Freiscbutz" in Germany or 10
.onb,, in France would be comic op
oras Now they are all three, even
tbo last. more than 1000 miles away
from it. And the reason for this Is
rreeisclv the lack Of third character.
is,ic which. after the two first, will
be investigated and defined.
The first, this mixture Of music ana
speech. has made from the very hrst
tbe popularity Of this genre Accord
ing to acute, perhaps too severe
Judges Il equally makes for ambigni!
or weakness Of nothingness.
M Romain ROLAND in his book on
"The Opera in Europe" has called
comic opera a "pretty monstrosity'
NJ Rene Doumis styled IL for us, in
this very review, with vaudeville, a
prc,ty good type Of the false genre
that has always remained "outside
tnthu Hegol had already affirmed
tbat the "operctta" or little opera, y
as he calls comic opera, "is mixed
or inferior genre, in which the words
and the music mingle without inti'
mately combining"
The prose words Of the dialogue
alternating with artistically treated
pieces Of music always has something
that shocks tho taste. Il is that the
natural effect Of art, that Of freeing
tho soul from the real, Il not then
complete
tt does touch them. aflirms a great
modern musician (Saint Sacns),
at the cost of sometimes woundine
them. But the "slight disagrcoablo
shock that We fool at tho moment
when the music stops TO make way
Tor dialogue" is a small matter beside
"tho opposite sensation" and the do
lHghtful effect that is often produced
In case OF tho singing following che
speaking"
| II ia not musician, Il 10 n poet
who perhaps has bost distinguished
tho two elements Alfred Dc
Mussct Analyses kocnly
the relations which tho speaking ant
tho music should bear 20 each other
II h necessary, no says 10 seiEe The
precise moment whom tho action may
bo stopped, and the passion, tho pur'
telling. bo shown aud developed
These sorts Of scenes whore th'
thought OF tho author leaves, 10 {,
speak, his subject, (sure Of present.,
anding II again) aud throws himself
outside OF the plot and the piece even
into tho purely human element
are extremely dinieult. That Il poetry =
part, Comic opera Is precisely the ON,
Of an genres In which this time OF ar
rest most distinctly shows itself, thil
point Of domaFoatloh between aetioi
and poetry. Indeed, 80 long as th,
actor speaks tho action advanoos-or
az all events, may advance. But, al
soon as ho sings, Il IL clear that actor
is stopped. What becomes then Of N,
eharaeteFl Il is wrath, II Is prayer, a
Is jealousy, II Is love. Let the char
aet,r be named as Il will-Agatha o.
Elisa, Dernanee or Valeour-the musi,
Is not there concerned, Melody takei
possession OF feelingi Il isolates Il
whether II concentrates Il or pours h
out eopiously, il wrings from Il the
final cry. Now lending Il a truth NOR,
striking than speech, now surrounding
Il with a light as clear as thought, II
plunges il headlong or lifts II up
sometimes even il turns il aside; ther
leads il back 10 the favored theme. a,
II 70 compel the soul 10 remember. IN
il tho muse takes wing and give,
back 20 the leeting action the pIae,
that she has stTewn with flowers
translation made for the Literary Di
geat from article IN Revue des Due,
| MOudes