The sun., 1908-12-06
4 SHAW PLAY SBT 70 MUSIC.
"ARMS AND TEE MAN" MADE
INTO A COMIC OPERA.

--
New. Opetetts BY Oscar Strauss, Composer
Of "The Waitz DFeaEi," Heard IN
vlenna-s0me Of ne shayian Flavor
Eliminated. but the Music Pleasing'
vrHNNA. NoY. I6.-When Bernard Shaw
some fourteen years ago wrote the frat
Of his so-called peasant plays for the
New Theatre In London he certainly
never dreamed that tdt would at some
future day be used { the hbretto Of q
comic opera. And Yet the omnivorous
Vienna librcttist. In search Of material
from the dramatic literature Of all climes
and all ages. has not hesitated to tread
whore English adapters have 40 yet not
venhired TO set foot.
Herr Rudolf Bernauer and Herr Leopold
Jacobson have hit upon Arms and the
Man" and fashioned therefrom book
which they have named -The Brave SOL
dier" ("Der Tapfere Soldat'), securing
the valuable cooperation as composer
Of Herr Oscar Strauss, who ever since the
success of bis waltz Dream" has stood
In the very foremost rank OF modern
Vienna musicians. Original serious COM
|
Of day in the Austrian capital. Plays
that have more than a passing vogue are
far more likely to be introduced In Berlin
than here. 1t Ia only in the field Of comic
opera that Vienna can claim to be more
productive than any other capital on
the Continent.
10 be sure, among the endless success
sion of more or less valueless works
that appear from season to season mar
ketable articles such as Merry Widow
or waltz Dream" or even Dollar Prin-
cess" were few and far between. But
for each new work when it is brought out
the hope exists that it may prove a record
breaker. and especially as in the present
Instance. If it has issued from the pen
of either of the two composers whose
fame has travelled to all parts Of the
civilized world.
That Oscar Strauss Brave Soldier
has been looked forward to even out
side of Vienna with no little. curiosity
goes without saying, so that its first per-
formance last evening attracted not only
the customary Austrian contingent but
also veritable congress OF managers
from all parts of Europe. Their journey
hither will fortunately not have proved
in vain. for though it would be idle
at this early stage to speculate upon
the precise commercial value Of The
Brave Soldier it may at the outset be
stated that the new work created an
| indisputably favorable impression.
Herr Oscar Strauss has in this his
latest composition fairly surpassed him
self, his score having all the distinguish
ing characteristics OF his former work
charm. hymor. distinction and individu-
ality Arms and the Man" though
very much more valuable as q play than
The Brave Soldier" is as a libretto,
adapts itself exceedingly we'll with GER
tain notifications in which. alas! good
bit of The Shavian favor is lost 10 the
purposes of comic opera. and if the re-
suit is not distinctly the best possible
it is at least superior 10 the average staple
article 70 which the complacent public
here and elsewhere is accustomed.
That the first oct Of Arms and the Man"
with it's dramatic situations and varied
incidents would fit we'll into the plan Of
comic opera could have been foretold by
any one conversant with tho requirements
of the stage. The second and third, on
the other hand, seemed to defy adaptation;
and yet with but slight alterations and
only ruthless sacrifice of q. b. S. e most
characteristic dialogue a fairly salts
factory result has been achieved.
OF course, whatever the original oon-
tanned that could in any way hurt the feel
ings Of the inhabitants Of the Balkan
States had at this critical time Of threat
ening political horizons to be carefully
eliminated, after which all the quaint bits
Of humor. tho curious vivisection OF human
weakness that are 90 droll. II one ID only
inclined to look on life from the authors
special coign Of vantage. had also to be
disposed Of; and only the more drastic bits
OF fooling. such as the structures on the
smorbid cleanliness" OF Englishmen. to
mention but q single instance. or the
burlesque inventory Of BluntschHs worldly
possessions, have been retained. the man
servant, Nicola. has been cut out; Louckd.
the maid, has become a relative OF the
Major" while the delightful whimsioality
Of her position with regard to the family
and to Sergius. whom she finally marries,
ia sacrificed to the needs OF the occasion.
The second act Is usherei In by the
return of the victorious Bulgarian troops
on the very day fixed for, the heroine's
wedding, which. according TO good old
operatio precedent. Is frustrated by the
discovery that her affections nave been
bestowed on the chocolate cream SOL
dier." The librettists here follow Shaw.
but in far less unconv entional way than
he would probably approve Of.
The last act is a mere shadow OF lis
model, II hardly does more than bring
the two couples together and at the same
time the operetta 10 al end. A few OF
the incidents that Shaw has merely indi-
Gated have been elaborated so as TO form
pivots on which the action subsequently
hinges, but for the most part the libret-
lists task has consisted principally In
leaving a trifing percentage of the play
and adding but little Of their own inven-
ton save some lyrics that are good
enough to have inspired Herr Strauss
TO some Of his nost delightful music.
A great charm OF 'The Merry Widow
was in the Slavic themes that Lehar had
deftly interwoven into his score. Oscar
Strauss has now followed on the same
line, and while laying ss heretofore the
greatest stress on the distinotively vien-
nese rhythms and dance forms he has
made use Of melodio material that has
pronounced local ooloring and is yet Of
| n kind TO pass muster before any nation