New-York tribune., 1909-08-08


the hu~oon IN It. who having donned the saro OF
responsibility commissioned Beethoven to compose
she only opera which that supreme master gave I"
tf> world. The opera is Fidelo, and II occupiesN a.
unique place operate history not only because "
is ~. only work OF kind by the greatest tone
gov, ;haf ever lived but also because OF its SUBJECT
The lyric drama has dealt with the universal pas
ever since the art form was invented Dun
Fadelio Is the only living opera which occurs 10 me
now except Glucrs ''Orfeo'' and "Aceste.' which
hymns the pure love Of married lovers The bono
between the story OF AlcestiS. who soss down 10
death 80 the life Of Admetus. aed that OF
L~onoge who her life TO save Fiorsstah Is
closer than that OF the Orphic myth, for though
"a. slloy only serves 10 heighten the sheen OF
Eurydics's virtue there is yet srossness in fhe
story OF arismuss unlicensed passion which led 10
her death shas strongly dinerentiates II from the
modern tale OF Wifely love and devotion Beethoven
was no asc.tic but he az sincere ana severe
q raoralisf IN lfe as ne IN art In that most
melancholy OF human documents. written at Hem
e.nstadt in October. 1902, commonly known as MS
. will he says his brothers: Recommend TO your
children uirfue; II alone can bring happiness ho'
money ] speak from experience. II was virtue
which bore me up in time OF trouble; TO her next
TO my art ] thanks for my not having laid
violent hands on myself"
That Mozart had been able TO compose music 10
such libretu those Of don Giovanni and
.scosi fan rutte'' filled him with pained wonder
Moreover he had serious views OF the dignity or
music and OF the which It might be put in
the drama, and more advanced notions thah ne
mas generally been credited with as to how music
sns the drama ought 10 be consorted Like ali
composers, he longed 10 write an opera, and II Is
not at all unlikely that. like Mendelssohn after
him, he was deferred by the general tendency OK
ihe opera books OF his day Certain II is that
though ne received commission for an opera
early In the year 1908 it was not until an opera
on the story which is also that OF "tidelio" had
been brought out at Dresden that he made a de-
fntive choice Of subject The production which
may have influenced him was that Of Ferdnando
Pnsr's ''Leonora, ossa rAmore conjugale," which
was brought forward al Dresden. where its COM
poser was conductor OF the opera. on october 3,
iss This opera was the immediate predecessor OK
BeethOven's, but il also had predecessor in
French opera, "Leonore, on FAmour conJugal,' OK
which the music was composed by Pierre Gayeaux.
= musician OF small but graceful gifts, who mad
been q tenor singer before he became a composer.
This opera had its first performance on February
IS I7es. and may also have been known 10 Bee
,hOven. have been brought 10 his notice While
De casting about for subject AT any rate,
though e known early June. ls03 that
Beethoven intended TO compose opera for the
Theatre der Wien, and had taken lodgings with
his brother Caspar IN the theatre building more
shan months before. IL not until the
winter OF 1905 that the hbretto OF "Fidelie" was
placed IN his hands. II was a German version OF
she French book by Bonilly, which hae been made
by Joseph Sonneithner. an intimate friend ot
Schubert founder Of the Gesellschaft der Musk
f'eunde, who had recently been appointed secre-
tary OF the Austrian court theatres successor
OF Kotzebue. Beethoven had gone 10 live in the
theatre building the purpose OF working on the
opera for Schickaneder, but early in 1904 the
Theatre de. Wien passed out OF his hands into
those OF Baron Braun The intervening sum
mer had been passed by the composer at Baden
and Inter D6bling in work upon the "Eroica'
symphony. The check upon the operate project
but temporary. Baron Won Braun took
schickaneder into his service and renewed the
contract with Beethoven. This accomplished the
composer resumed mis- lodgings In the theatre and
began energeticaly work upon the opera. Let
two facts be instanced here 10 show how energet-
csly and how paiIstakingly lie labored. When
he went into the country in the early summer. as
his custom, ho carried with him 346 pages OF
sketches for the opera. sixteen slaves on a page;
snd among these sketches were sixteen begin
ginss OF FloTestar's great air. which may be said
70 mark the beginning OF the dramatic action in
the opera
For the rest Of the history OF the opera I shall
Draw with permission upon the preface 'Fidelio''
which wrote three years ago for the vocal scor.
an the Schirmer collection. The score was finished,
including the orchesration. in the summer OF lsl5
and on Baethoven's return 10 Vienna rehearsals
were begun. II the beginning OF a series OF
trials which made the opera a child OF sorrow TO
the composer The style OF the music was new TO
the singers, and they pronounced il unsingable
They begged him 10 make changes but Beethoven
was adamant The rehearsals became a srieyous
labor 10 all concerned The production was set
down for November 20 but when the rnornenfous
cay came II found Vienna occupied by the French
troops, Bonaparte Al Schonbrunn and the capital
deserted by the Emperor the nobility and most Of
the wealthy patrons Of art. The performance was
failure. Besides the French occupation two
things were recognized initiating against the
operas suceess-the music not TO the taste OF
the people and the work too long Repetitions
followed on November 2 and p. but the first YER
dict was upheld
ya~rss
greater than that Of his friends though ne WAS
perhaps. less willing than they 20 recognize the
causes tnaf lay IN the work Itself. meeting was
promptly held in the house % Prince IAcbnov,sl,,,
hnd the opera taken in hand for revision Number
by number IL was played on the ptanofor+e .,,, =
discussed. Beethoven opposed veber,en,l,. -
every suggestion made by his well meaning friends
10 remedy the defects OF the book and score b,t
sleloed AT last and consented 70 the sacrifice ..
some of the music and remodelling OF tho b,ol, Co.
'he sake OF condensation, this part Of the task be
ins Entrusted 10 stephan Breuning who under
took 10 reduce the original three acts TO two a.
,he opera Is performed nowadays il is in three acts
but this division is the stage managers or
directors who treat each Of the three scenes as ~
aci. At the metropolitan Opera House Mr. Nablcv
has introduced a division Of the first scene ,n,o
s~o for what can be- said 10 be merely picturesque
effect since the division is demanded bv the
dramatic situaiion) When once Beethoven had
been brought 10 give his the proposed
changes. he accepted the result with the creates,
good humor; IL should be noted. however. that
when the opera put upon the stage again on
March q. 1906. he was 50 dilatory with his musca
corrections that there was time for only re-
h"arssl with orchestra. In the curtailed form
'lideliO" (ss the opera stil called though
Beethoven had fought straOuously from the begin
ming tor the retention the original title Leo
nnrs") made distinctly better impression than II
had sour months before. and this grew deeper with
'ha subsequent repetions; bur Beethoven quarreIec
with Baron won Braun and the opera was with
An aa