New-York tribune., 1908-11-24
MUSIC
ur. D,4Ibert's Opera "Tiefand.


n 0- -, s-.-,etisf the music BY pianist !
= s-,-.isr birth whose grandfather was -. -
-..-sf-v officer. father Frsnce-S'eI l'
So an English dancing master y go
mother a British woman ana - - -.
T,,5o-ese IS the first novelty OF 1He OF 80
- ,oe --,,s ,rera is entitled 'Tlehand, the
.+hcr ~ its book IS Rudolph L2'har' tne col'-
-oss- ~ its music Eugen tonce Eugene N"ai '7
[.-,ss TD,ATbert. the time OF Us Hrs1 american
-z----to- vrss last night and the theatre the
ss--,..-- o-,a-s House Z may be that Milanese
s- +,z+.Ilv hailed when one-haE OF the
s-,,-isr-7ron q cur chief iyTlc thea1re was non
+. hs,oues on Sunday night. are 70 prevail
go h,r tfe thought does not receive much
--sse-7enr from the circumstances OF this Hrst
- --osucrior- on the contrary. there is a
.~-r-e u elements here which required little
- "a enable a discriminating chronicler 10 set
:, arrn as n d large sense almost work which
c-,xh- 10 make a strong appeal TO the American
b.e-1 Many years ago IL was remarked by the
music reviewer OF this journal in support OF q
co7teurion stesdfascly upheld for a quarter OF a
century rrat eventually America must and will
have d3scnctivelv national school OF music: that
O. was only waiting for the vigorous forward
man who. as Walter Bagehot argued in his dis
cssior o. the origin Of literary schools, viii strike
cut rough notion OF the style which the An1ert-
czr people VIII find congeniaI, and which for that
reason viii find imitation The characteristics
mode q expression which viii be stamped upon
The music OF the future American composer I've
are sr.u awaiting that vigorous. forward man.
a
Americans freedom from conventional methods and
ais inherited predictions and capacities The re-
fectIve German, the rnercurial Frenchnaan the
stc-id Englishnan. the warm hearted Trishman, the
iupulsve Italian. the daring Russian, each was
invited 10 contribute his factor the sum CT na
tonzl taste. The tolH-nelodies OF al nations were
&c yield up their characteristic charms and dis
close 10 the composer a hundred avenues OF
emotional expression which have not yet been e&-
pIore6 The American composer VIII be the tTuest
.-r--1 ---tg~
be -he trses- rvpe of 8 citizen OF the World-
The uev administration OF the Metropolitan Op-
House (the Nilaoese aT0 Ntle-~1 SiN9 u -
n sneak with greater accuracy has announced
So. s,s -----osa 20 hasten the coming OF the
be7rx time long ago f0reshadoWed here' py the
ancient artificial and genera-ly 1u'e p1ooes %
p-1ze comp 1peI1on--coucnlns tHe 0I-eI -
which disclose utter but easily paToonaois ls-
,o-.-.s - 0reraric history tn New York That
soo6 fortune may attend the adventure is a duti-
ri wish which vii naturally III the soul OF every
ratrotic lover q music II the United states, how
ever ~ may think about the wisdom OF the expert
rrent. and On that score nothing need be said
Il vas only rhe singular racial snd national ANAL
ga--ztion illustrated IN the new opera which
brought ire subject 10 mind, and with 1t the Ques-
tiou whether or not such al opera as 'Tefsnd, I
were an American 70 produce Il, ought TO suffice /
Us T-ncuestiouabIvs Had M D'Albert been /
born and educated n the United States instead OF
Great Britain il would as difficult for Arler1-
cans 10 glory in his citizenship il is for the /
has expat-iated himself He is the musical Man /
without Country So far he has professed /
any allegiance ac al. Il is 70 Germany though /
there is less o1 German blood II his veins than 4
O. French English Il would not be difficult /.
neither altogether fantastlca 70 find the influence
Of MS expetr1arioa the music OF his opera. Il /
IS Spanish subject and subject Of such a TO (
--ancic nature and with such elements as invite
Z they 90 not command. use Of local color, an .
employment of national musical idious- Yet OF .
THIS there IS scarcely more than a hint The story /
has been -ehearsed several times IN this paper. II
vas outlined last Sunday: = discussed by Nj /
Winter last March 11 q review Of an English yer
sic- q the Spanish play by Angel GUiuera pro
6uce6 rhe Garden Theatre under the title
Marta q re Lovlands"; year and half be-
f--e that /; had been seen by the inQuistive few
a. ne Manhattan Theatre. Il plays high Up on
the mountains and low down in the valleys OF
Catalonia and presents a vivid picture ot wicked
ness misfortune and primitive virtue such
easily D. believed 70 be existent amid such sur
ros1dings as Il presents To serve bis own ends a
" s-ous lord q the manor lures e shepherd from
hz hills the valley. and IN the guse Of bless
ing 1or which The highland man had long been
rrzr11E gives him 10 wife The woman whom he
had held vicious -h-aldOul for years gives her
. niu only IN mama. 70 further his own mercenaTy
purposes but rurpostng 70 keep her nevertheless
Cor tie grzrtfcariou OF his appeTttes There .
IS period r5rie1 for the action IS swift and al
coupzssec within TIE space Of a day) IN which
bo-n victims remain ignorant; then a. awakening
which II Ths woman replaces disgust an1 haIred f
for her nominal husband with love- and turns the
ooedence Of the simple man Of the hills into mur
6e-or.s rebellion Re stranEles his fendish lord .
and master - death, and taking his wife into his
s-rs carries her 20 his mountain home, whore in
g pu-e- air she Is 10 awake TO 2 purer life
TIE 6ra-ns resembles some Of the eXpositions Of .
blood and dlcr which tire younger 'veristc" school
r italian composers have tried 10 fructify with
-net-- get there Is that IN lis presentation of the
better elements u human nature. as well as IN its
literary structure. which puts II higher plane
i cannot be- said 70 --yearn'' for musical
preston. IS WaEner insisted that the book Of a
l--f- drama should. bur IT contains elements with
winch music meet IN mutual Ily beneficial union.
There IS IN -he symbolism of the book. express
tae helsE-s ard vice 81 the lovIauds. Verbal .
pre- -zr-=--= ~ this kind are more likely 10
a-1lserre-- than 70 awaken reflection stir the /
euc-s1-=. But for such symbolism music has a
most potent language. L IS the orchestra which :
can 1--e- II best. Very different are the moods
represented br the hut OF the shepherd Pedro and
the maI far below Of sebasriaro. Mr.. DAlbert
seerrs to have realized That here the field
f7- The activity of his creative fancy and what Is
best IN his score Is reflection Of the two moods
The music begins H-ira RAM des Vaches. and
with early strains. which are aimed 10 depict
the coming Of dawn. are mingled discreetly the !
sol- of pasture bells At -he close q the prologue
,-e-e Genes Az inle-mezzg l. accompany the
change OF scene from the mountain height
T. the vale below. which m0dulares IN mood
s1d II rue-odic themes from the pastoral
s-6 f1uocerr element 70 the urban and tragic
This is OF course. Instrumental music
and II only what the orchestra utters
taat Is likely to interest anybody from a musical
point Of view The vocal part of the score is nearly
al l=c-azuat1rE cizrr.E floating instrumental
current which by harmonic and Instrumental eddy
ings and WRITINGS seeks 70 comment OF color the