The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-03-02
Reigning Musical Success Is
BullS-eye Approximation
of Popular Favor.
GOOD LIGHT OPERA
EXCELLENTLY SUNG
Production Has Deeper Signifi-
canoe Than Passing Craze.
Elements in Appeal.

For a year and half now a certain
merry widow has vailed her way into
our American life. She has captured
our young lady performers on the
piano, made millinery her own, created
q new form OF the waltz. and been re
produced in ices. salads, and playing
cards Finally she has come to Wash
ington-havinE been held off for a day
when the Capital would be filled with
visitors from all over the naticn-and
last night at the National she was dis
closed in all her true form cor almost
au).
This city at last has opportunity then
to answer for itself the questions this
svayins, rhythmic, ubiquitous young
woman mas inspired. Why should ali
Europe lose its heart to her? Does her
stay of an even year on Broadway
mean that she belongs IN the unclothed
company Of typical Broadway sue
Cesses? Is she anything more than a
craze like the chestnut bells Of our
childhood. or ships That Pass In the
Night or Happy HOOliEan2
One sight of her may not he basis
for the answer. But as far as one
sight OF her goes here the answer Is.
She is a sort Of MaXimed Robin
Hood" She is a llS-eye apprOXlma-
ton OF public taste. She Is proof that
good light opera. eNcelltnuy sung,
boldly seXed. and brightly performed.
has as wide a public charm as any
other form OF entertainment the mod
ern stage may offer. She is a kind OF
musical and feminine Lawrence Stern.
Earbed in melody and harmony as in
genious, at times as puTrinG, and
always as sinuOuS as that rOue wit S
English style
Materials Familiar.
Her extraordinary success Is wrought
out of materials almost as familiar d.
bread and butter. The scenes are laid
in Paris, the story has 10 90 with a
rich young widow who seeks to be
married for the sake, OF love only, the
costumes range from the Journalism
of correct evening attire IN the French
Capital to the brave color of the
Balkans, and the music consists OF
set solos. duets, ChOruses, and dance
movements.
The Widows musical attire It is
which puts her most apart Franz
Lehar has composed for the pOpulace.
but he has rated the popular love Of
music higher than his American con-
tempOraries rate il. Each Of MS main
characters, for example, is fairly well
identified with d theme and these mo-
tives are fairly we'll developed as Il
musical story until they reach their
climax in the haunting waltz move
ment. which has been picked out with
one niger on every piano IN me lNlleu
States. Not undertaking 10 dispense
with dialogue, Lehdr has yet written
occasional recitatives and pended inn
Portant developments of the story upon
words sung and not spoken. he has
composed for the orchestra as though
ne loved The color Of other instruments
as we'll as the cello and the French
horn, wherein again he differs widely
from most of our American authors
of opera
But the most distinctive quality Of
his music IS that whether he has writ
ten arias, recitatiy es, wallpaper lyrics,
or WaltZes he has 50 clearly defined
his themes and infused local color into
melodies and harmonies so beautiful
in themselves that those wEO do not
know anything about music but can
tell when a piece pleascs them are
as content Is anyone else. In this re-
spect Herr Lehar has repeated Mr..
DeKoven's success in Robin Hood. 80
Synopsis Of Plot.
Most OF the chara cters are citizens
Of a bankrupt Kingdom. Marsovia. re-
siding for the time in Paris 4 non
chalant prince and the Widow are old
sweethearts. There is the threadbaTe
theatrical expedient Of a challenge from
the one TO the Other-that the prince
Will or will not say q love YOU
Through an ambaSSa dor's ball. Mar
sovian fete given in the villa rented
by the Widow, and night ~ Maxim's
they contest. The Crux OF the warfare.
I'm story, music and acting alike. is
reached in song of temptation Ike
that or Carmen IN the inn OF LUas
Pasta
This is the waltz. Analyt;caIlv il is
worthy, substantial treatment Of Il
simple theme OF four notes. stated
twice. transposed twice. varied twice.
and varied partly bE inversion for the
finale The best remembered melody OF
The Beautiful Blue Danube" is built
on a theme Of six notes stated three
times with q finale. The two are Of
Ike character and mCrit-wlich Is hIuE
enough praise and offers nope enough
FOR the future. even for the .'Merf--
Widow waltz. II sings itself And
the vague sensation OF something bend
ing and undUlatinE, something faeci-
mating and yet snakeiike, is 4 fair re-
duction OF the opera.