Omaha daily bee., 1906-03-18

the situation In the second act OF Carmen"
beautifully and thrice beautifully, the song
La F1eur que tn m'aYais Jetee," and had
knelt to weep upon the scheming heroines
neck. The audience burst into delighted
applause; and 1t was deserved The emo
tonal situationl was tense; the public en-
thusiasm trrestibly seductive. Should any
Italian tenor consider the dramatic verities
of more Importance than this sweet morsel
or admiration? Don Jose left for moment
that alluring refuge Of his anguishing soul,
disentangling himself as we'll as at tho
moment was possible from the fringe Of
Carmen's shawl, bowed politely to the as
sembled multitude and returned to his
knees, to continue his weeping upon her
charming shoulder blade.
Not q bit more ridiculous than other
things Mr.. Caruso had done a hundred
times before, in situations as critical, and
no more destructive of the dramatic IL
fusion. But the absudity of 1t all was a
little too grotesquely obvious this time and
houseful of admirers. The moral was OBJ
vious, but there is not the slightest danger
OF its teaching lesson"
'Hansel und Gretel" selected by Presi-
dent Roosevelt to be presented for the
benefit of the Legal Aid society. was given
at the Metropolitan opera house Thursday
evening. The souvenir which Louis Wind
muller prepared for the occasion contained
new synopsis for the play, illustrated by
well known artists. 1t shows children at
dance and play; shows the protecting an
gels guarding them while asleep In the
woods, depicts the witch as she surprises
them breaking cakes from her gingerbread
house, enchanting and threatening them
and finally the witch herself after she has
been converted in her own furnace into
an edible. sweet morsel. Other contribu-
lions to the souvenir were made by Arthur
Won Briesen. president or the society;
Henry T. Finck DR.. Lyman Abbott. Mark
Twain, Andrew Carnegie, Brander Mat
thews and H. w. Loomis.
.
In the course of a conversation at the
eharmingly artistic residence studio OF Mr..
Thomas ]. Kelly, a few days since. the host
related how he came to write the song for
which he has just been awarded tho
Nordica prize. The composition dates back
to the time when that talented couple, Mr..
and Mrs. Peatte lived in Omaha. Mr..
Peattie became fired with an ambition to
bring forth an opera 70 be based upon
LAS You Like 1t" the operate name to
be "Rosalind.' He enlisted the aid OF
Mr.. Kelly, who went to work setting
suitable music to the dainty verses; "It
was Lover and His Lass" and later
upon Under the Greenwood Tree" The
opera project died out with Mr.. Peattio's
declining health, and the little songs lay
dormant for a number of years. Last sum-
mer. however, Mr.. Kelly resurrected the
second Of these songs. polished It up. and
after trying 1t first on some discerning
friends, he became encouraged about 1t
and sent It TO John Church & Co. to pub
fish. This the firm declined to do, not
from any lack OF merit, but "Shakespearean
songs" were not salable. Now, behold the
rejected song has become, mayhap. the
chief cornerstone Of Mr. KeIly's fame as a
composer. Other work. and fine work, too
has come from the pen of Mr.. Kelly. He
has done some excellent church music
being just now at work on a 'Te Deum
which will be absolutely different In style
from the common idea used in most musica
settings Of this part of the church ser
vice. the new ideas being the outgrowtt
OF the needs of a choir as viewed by a
thorough drillmaster, such as this versatile
man is. Mr.. Kelly has studied harmony
and counterpart for years with DR.. Bae
tens and much may be expected in the
future from him.