The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-10-21

than to the romance Of drama2 Why
shouldn't a notwithstanding American
young man of the name Of Benjamin
Franklin Pinkerton, wearing a naval uni
form. be as eligible for heroship in an
up-to-date Puecini music-drama as a
young man of the fifteenth or sixteenth
century wearing the costume OF his age
and bearing an Italian or French or
Spanish name that sounds 10 US romantic
and picturesque because it is foreign and
unfamiliar? Is there fashion in romance
as in shTtwaists and theater wraps
There seems to be- Probably We will
come in time. under the leadership Of such
modern innovators as Puccini. to ind
William Henry and Mary Jane quite as
suitably romantic names for the heroes
and heroines OF opera as Gualtiere or
Enrico. Juanita or Mercedes. It is true
the present disposition of the ordinary
patron of opera is TO vince. If not
smoker, at heroes or heroines bearing
such commonplace names as William
Henry or Mary Jane. or even Benjamin
Franklin. But ii remains for the genius
Of music magicians to change all this by
suffusing them with the glory OF their
melody and the romance that exhales
FROM it.
No doubt a heavy percentage Of the
people who witnessed the representations
OF Madam Butterfly" the past week
went TO the Columbia Theater half ex-
peeting to find that librettist and COM
poser had turned John Luther Longs
pathetic little story into trite IL not
clumsy musical work that would neither
move nor please. They felt that the
theme was not susceptible OF treatment
as m opera or music-drama. There WAS
not enough substance 20 it. in the first
place Practically one event was all
there was I'm il calculated to make q
strong appeal 10 the emotions This was
the tragic ending. The waiting OF the
deserted japanese bride offered little Cd
DoTtunity for action or stage representa-
ton. little that could be made to stir the
feelings. As for the wOOing. If wooine t.
could be called, and the marriage, the
trail OF The serpent Of shocking CONNER
CIIism was over them. The marriage was
Of a. far less worthy or romantic kind
than the marriage de convenience Of
the French and other occidental nations
certainly so far as the groom was con
could not put this out of mind How
could this portion Of the story be treated
unsteady or otherwise so as TO relieve #
Of suggestions abhorrent to occidental
ethics and feelings? And above all. on
the artistic side how could the glariu.y
modern atmosphere be softened and en-
puTPled with the haze Of romance which
even the most ardent devotees of "scien-
the music must admit should stilI have
place in opera and musiC-drama2
To be sure, the scenes were laid in
the geographically far-away land of
Nippon, which, despite its modern move
ments and our rapidly increasing knowI-
edge of it. still remains more remote
from us officially and artistically than
may be expressed in measured miles. But
wouldn't the attempt 10 harmonic the
Earring atmospheres Of Occident and
Orient, an essential part Of the artistic
problem confronting librettist and COM
poser, lead 70 certain disaster2 Even
knowledge Of the skill Puccini had dis
played in handling such works as NTur-
gers Vie de BOheme" and Ia Tosca"
didn't inspire confidence that he would be
able to turn Madam Butterfly into an
interesting and pleasing opera. In these
works the problem had been to reduce to
the reasonable simplicity essential I'd on
cratic treatment complicated stories fun
OF incident. In Madam Butterfly" an in
cident had to be expanded and diversified
and embroidered unsteady and dramati-
cally so as to keep up the interest of an
audience Tor three hours. The task was 4
very dlHerent and apparently far moro
olIncult one. It Is safe to- say that most
OF those who went last week To discover
how Puccini and his libTettist had under
taken 10 solve their problem expected 10
be disappointed with the result. That
they were pleased instead, and in most
cases greatly pleased, will make them
Tor the future strong believers in the
genius Of Puccini. and ready to accent
on faith any new work Of his as worthy
OF their confidence and patronage.
The composer began his work under the
inspiration Of the pathetic denouemont.
Fhe American naval lieutenant and the
japanese Geisha girl were alike for him
swathed in the romantic haze of distance.
He found the little story full Of appealing
suggestion. From the first notes of his
score sounded OminOusly forebodin-s Of
the tragic finale. as in the "CavaUeria
Rusticana' of Mascagni. Puccini has
plainly learned much Of the latter. But
Puccinis music for Madam Butterfly
is artistically adapted TO the repressed if
not milder emotions Of northern races.
and the peculiar demands Of his special
subject. There Is in it none OF the fierce
passions Of love and hate that throb in
MaScagni's masterpiece. There Is little
OF the frankly passionate about il. II IS
subdued. tender complaining. appealing.
Ii reflects eXquisitely the moods of tbt.
deserted but devoted and hopeful little
bride. But the forebOding echo is ALWAYS
reverberating softly in the background
There is evil to come. The auditor never
escapes this note OF doom. and its con-
slant recurrence enVelops the work from
the beginning with a pathetic charm that
transcends whatever there may be of the
unworthy, the commonplace. in story and
character. The warm sympathy Of the
Italian the skill of the musical artist. |
conquer the commonplace and bring forth
a fascinating little masterpiece that will
no doubt take high rank in the esteem
OF devotees OF music-drama, although its
appeal may be slight to the lovers Of the
old order OF Italian opera.
Had Puccini made concessions to the /
latter there is little question his work
would have attained far wider popularity
than now awaits it. Had he yielded to
temptations that probably beset him and /
introduced solos and duos and others of I
the Old-style embellishments of the ear
lier Italian school, Madam Butterfly" |
would have appealed Immediately and
much more strongly to the general public /
unframed in the school of Wagnerian mu- /
sic But he stuck unfiinchingIy to the
ideal OF the music-drama and no doubt /
vii nd d