Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-07-11
Comic Opera Composer
Ambitious for Orator.,

| ~ ALT LAKE knows very little OF
Julian Edwards. n composer
~ whose work is has long admired
in 'The Jolly Musketeers.' "Tht
Wedding Day. Madeline" or THE
Magic Kiss" etc a recent article in
Musical America gives an interview
with Mr. Edwards, which is sure to he
OF interest to his many western adj
mirers. and 1t is reproduced herewith.
"A man who composes comic opera
land packs a house on The most swell
tering night in the summer, yet whose
ambition is to write cantatas and ora
torlos, who was once proud TO have
Missed when Wagnerian opera was
first produced in London because he
deemed the music too revolutionary,
but who now thinks that in composing
"Salome," Strauss has reached the
topmost height so far gained in music
that Is Julian Edwards, whose Gay
Musician" is now having such a sue
cessful run at Wallack's theater
ii was on the stage of the theater,
lust behind the footlights. with the
canvas shrouded seats of the auditor
ium stretching out in front, with the
pcrspiring stage manager putting an
understudy through almost at the
MIR. Edwards a few days ago and talk
ed of opera in general sometimes OF
the Gay Musician In particular, and
once in while in reference TO some
of the many operas Mr.. Edwards has
TO his credit, such as Jupiter IN
combination with Harry b. Smith.
Madeleine. or the Magic Kiss" Brian
Boru,'' THE Wedding Day" Loves
Lottery written for Nine. Schumann-
Heink. and when Johnny Comes
Marching Home"
Mr.. Edwards was speaking of the
work of librettist and composers. II
don't believe" he said that any
composers or their librettists or, in
fact, any collaboration of creators Of
words and music, can ever be governed
by hard and fast rules
must be governed by the exigencies of
the occasion.
I'm collaboration a composer may
find it well TO alter his music, or it
may seem advisable for the librettist
to change his meter, sometimes even
the sentiment of song, so that
more harm onious whole may evoly-
ed
ITO my mind the ideal collabQra-
ton between the music and the libret-
fist is that of Gilbert and sullivan.
They stand alone. Coupled with the
class of music which Mr. Sullivan ere
lines of Gilbert. Why, one can read
'Pinafore,' 'Mikado,' Patience or any
of the rest of them through today
merely for the words, and of what
opera since theirs can this be said?
1t is an exception to find a lyric in
which, even If there be clever music,
the words are not absolutely silly.
when j say that Gilbert and Sulli-
van have not been excelled, l am not
speaking only of English comic opera,
but of light German works and of the
French opera comique as we'll.
'Of making many operas, just as OF
making many books. there is no end.
but | do not think that many of the
accusations brought against several
composers as to their taking another's
music, altering it slightly, will hold.
And so. l think there is nothing in the
allegations against Franz Lehar. 1t Is,
at least, queer that if the Merry
Widow waltz was lingering around so
many years, as some people say, no
one should have heard II before, or
that when it was brought forth by Mr..