The Washington herald., 1908-06-07


We Of this generation recall or read
about the circumstances with surprise.
No qualm distresses US when the work
is placed on the stage. Indeed, we roll
the music as a sweet morsel under our
tongue and swallow the subject without
straining. But la Traviata" shocked
the moral sense of the sos as no
opera had done. and even reused the
Times 10 indite a laundering leader
against that lyrical representative Of the
Evil One. says the London Telegraph. 1t
was. however. shrewdly suspected by
people who kept cool that no little sham
qualified the Jovian explosion as well as
propriety's outcries. London then had
two opera houses. and each had partisans
In the press and among the public. From
these facts IL is easy 20 infer that any
thing likely 10 damage one house was
made the most Of by partisans Of the
other At that time, moreover. Verdi was
by no means persona grata with many
prominent amateurs and critics. These
pounced savageiy upon the new opera
and its composer, and went about as men
who hold their noses against the emana-
tiOns Of putTidity. Among hostile journals
the Examiner was conspicuous. and
cannot do better than quote from its first
notice Of La Traviata."
Calls IL Verdrs Worst.
I'VE must candidly say that II is the
worst opera by Verdi that has found its
way TO England. while his very best is.
on its own score. barely tolerable to the
ears OF any well-trained London audience.
Generally. too. in each of Verdrs operas
there Is some one thing that. II not good.
passes for many among the many. In
the 'Traviata' there is absolutely moth
Ing. Grant a decent prettiness TO the
brindisi. 'Libiamo. and the utmost has
been said for an opera very FAR inferior
in value to the worst of Mr. Balfe's.
We hope soon 10 hear Mile. Pic
colomini in a better work. but. in the
meantime, though Nerdrs 'Traviata' Is
a thing 20 fly from. PiccolOminfs 'Travi-
alta is a thing 20 seek" Finally. the
Examiner summed up the opera in this
wise: bad music. detestable librettO"
This deliverance on the part Of a jour
nal supposed 10 be an expert in art and
ethics was as the sound of a fre-bel
From many sides streams OF cold water
were poured upon the new opera, and
the public was warned away from Il in
less, excited Joy and Thanksgiving in
Clapham and parts adjacent.
The Spectator was good second to
the Examiner Here are some sentences
from its article OF August 3. 1886: The
highest society In England has thronged
the opera house night after night 70 see
a very young and innocent-looking lady
personate the heroine of an infamous
modern French novel who varies her evil
life by frantic passion suddenly con-
ceived. and is brought up TO the modern
standard Of interest by dying OF con
sumption on the stage.
Spectator Calls IL Outrage.
we should have thought the produc-
ton Of La Traviata' an outrage on the
ladies OF the aristocracy who supported
the theater If they had not. by crowding
their boxes every night, shown that they
did not notice the underlying vice Of the
opera"
So the cry went round. raising many
echoes. There were. IL IS true some few
journals OF character and standing which
intimated "A belief that the protests Of
their contemporaries We're simply a dis
play Of unreal virtue IL was not long
before anonymous newspaper correspond
ents Joined in the fray. one Of them hav-
ing the audaCity 20 write 10 the Times
in opposition to the opinions Of that jour
nal 1t was, however. with the Specta-
tors article that he directly crossed
swords l give a trenchant paragraph
from his letter: Has the gifted writer
and virtuous citizen who Is author OF the
article and who shows such praiseworthy
anxiety about the morals OF the female
aristocracy,' never heard of an opera
called Lucrezia Borgia or Don Clio
vanni.' or RigOleJto'? The subject OF
the first is lust and murder. Of the sec
Ond. unbridled debauchery. and in the
third. the public is made to witness the
sequel or violence and to watch low in
trigue The female aristocracy' Of Brit
ain. and Of many another country beside.
have season after season sat and wit
messed these operas, and applauded the
performers. The writer in the
Spectator ought to know that there is a
great difference between dramas like
those Of Victor Hugo and young Dumas
and the liberetto of an opera which is
but an entangled travesty of the original
story. II is for the music. not the wretch
ed libretto. that people go to the opera.
From the opera they bring away with
them but the airs, as from the drama
they bring away the words and the
story" The last sentence is a snrewd
hit.
Times Comedies License.
For a reason not wholly obscure the
Times printed the letter from which I
have just quoted. and then used It as a
target for the heaviest artillery Of Print
ing House Square. The great Journals
leader appeared on August 3. 1856. OPEN
ing with a confession that it did not often
turn from grave matters 10 discuss ques-
tons Of dramatic propriety I'VE are no
Puritans, the writer magnanimously
confessed, "and are perfectly willing to
concede a large measure of license to the
stage" This was proved by certain ex-
cuses for lioentious classic drama. after
which the writer proceeded: There is a
wide step from these representations to
the impression OF all that is most foul
and hideous in human nature, and its
exhibition upon the stage with all the
alluring additions OF scenery and song.
To come 20 the point, for some months
past an opera bearing the name of La
Traviata' has been represented at Her
Ma1esty's Theater which from its sub
ject. should never have been exhibited on
any stage. This opera is founded upon
a tale as profoundly immoral as itself.
which was published not long ago in
Paris. The subject IS this. 1t is
unnecessary as IL WOULD De disgusting TO
enter here into minute particulars. Suf-
fee II to say that all the interest IS con-
centrated upon this wretched girl. II is
for her that pity is asked. and 1t is to
her that pity is given. She is the erring
but repentant slnner-the heroine for
whom ouT sympathies are aroused. and
upon the stage is added a clinical lecture
on consumption in its direst FORM
Read II with JOY.
I am convinced that Mr. Benjamin
Lumley, who has produced La Travi-
alta" read the Times leader with exceed