The independent., 1907-02-07
Henry Watterson
in Europe /.
Music in Barcelona.

and the anarchists in Europe and OF
their exploding a couple of bombs on
the Rambia in honor of our arrival
Ridgeiy contends that no such distific-
ton was meant for us. He says the
objective point was the Grand Opera.
Each season according to Ridgely,
but you know RidgelyD for three years
just on the eve of the opening OF the
opera, these demonstrations have been
made to scare the people away and
Kill the management They seem to
have succeeded. Though the opera
house Is surrounded by troops without,
while, within soldier meets you at
every turn, and though every suspi
cious person seeking access is taken
into an improvised police station end
examined, the stalls and boxes are half
empty and the parquette almost de-
serted, whilst the galleries are crowded
by the hoi polloi expecting to witness
in safety something not set down upon
the bills.
This opera house is one of the largest
in the world. 1t is of the old style,
has five tiers and a red drop curtain
with gold trimmings. We go there
without the least concern as perhaps
the safest place in town In bomb
throwing it is the unexpected that hap
pens. "Piff, paff, poof!' and away you
go. All the same, these fellows have
ruined the opera season and vacated
the hotels, albeit Mascagni is here with
a new opera C"Amica') and the ole
spot in Europe where the sun shines
and the weather is glorious, is BARGE
Iona. That is why we came here.
Just as Colonel McClung knew whom
to kick, we know where to go There
6anQarc fhic oi6a nf 40
Atlantic than anarchism and anarch-
lists.
AIascagni's new opera, "Amica the
name of the supposed heroine, a peas
ant girl Of no great beauty and / am
afraid Of no great virtue-lacks the
popular qualities of Cavalleria Rusti-
cana, but Is fine, resonant compost.
ton, full of description and dramatic
music 1t was admirably rendered by
the local company, with the composer
himself holding the baton
Mascagni leads like a house a-fire.
1t is a kind of frenzy from start to
finish. Yet the famous maestro is n
little potbellied Italian bourgeois, who
eats three meals a day with perfect
deliberation and abundance. I know,
because we sit at adjoining tables in
tll1 Yale VI TIE NTIdllu HOlpl ana lDueGQ
have adjacent apartments. He is GER
tainly man of genius and, though
this "Amica" may lack the popular il
is masterpiece of pure harmonies ana
of orchestration now and again rising
to Wagnerian dignity and power.
In Spain they take everything seri-
ously Even the vaudeville perform
ances are solemn. 1t is only at rare
intervals that an alleged French com
pany, imported not from Paris but
from Marseilles or Lyons, comes to
town and interposes its levity and vul-
garity.
The waits between the acts arc
something awful-lasting from forty
minutes to an hour. This is partly to
promote the bar" and partly to
crafty the Spanish habit of visiting"
the whole house disporting itself in TIN,
'foyers" and the '1oges.'' The little
shows initiate the big ones. Barcelona
IN truth turns night into day; nothing
begins before o'clock-few things be-
fore 10 or 1.-THE earliest dinner hour
). There are but two classes: the ricl,
and the poor. The rich amuse them
selves. The poor do as they may.
III
The scenario of Mascagnis opera
may interest the musically inclined
among Courier-Journal readers and
give a rough translation of the book
The opening scene takes place i'm one
of the Alpine valleys of Piedmont II,
the court of the country residence of
canoine. peasant farmer. Dawn is
breaking and reapcrs and Shepherds
are singing in rivalry witt tho birds
and the sound of the sheep bells ia sa-
lutte the splendid light of the sun.
which is tinting the mnuntaina Win
his rosy hues. Camoine Is happv. hf
Is going 10 announce the wedding ar.
ranged between his niece Amica, Ia
whom he has been as father since
her childhood. and Giorgio, of whom he
il the friend and protector
Giorglo and Rinaldo are two brothers
One day they were found abandoned
on the high ROAD hy Camoine who pro.
who was strong and fearless, was pro-
tectlng his little brother weak and
slckly camnine took pity on them
brought them 20 his farm where they
grew up. one of them gentle and sub
mlsslye. the other rebellious and will
full Rlnaldn. the willful In the end had
10 hn sent away from the farm and has
4 st44s fsass