Evening journal., 1909-01-13
MADAM BUTTERFLY
AT OPERA HOUSE
Brilliant Performance Of Jap
aneSe Opera Given Before
Large Audience Last Night

When John Luther Long and David
Balasco gave to the stage their book
on the opera Madame Butterfly, they
adorned their tale with more truth
than poetry if history is not altogether.
as a great man once said, conspiracy
against truth" Let it be known that
the music of Madame Butterfly is by
Puccini, composer of La Boheme and
other successful operas. The opera
was given last night at the Grand
Opera House before large audience,
and strange to say. those present were
not overly enthusiastic. .notwithstandine
the brilliancy of the score and the
intense story of the opera to which is
attached the fact that the opera has
scored heavily everywhere It has been
presented Perhaps the coldness Of the
audience was due TO the strange theme
Of the opera story for surely the music
alone was treat, a rare one, too. In
brief the story runs: Cho-Cho- San
Madame Butterfly is the daughter Of q
Japanese official of rank who incurs
the enmity Of the reigning NIkado. who
sends him an order to commit suicide
He obeys. leaving Cho-Sau all alone
in the world. lieutenant Pinkerton.
4. $. n. who is stationed i'm Nagasaki,
meets Cho-San falls in love and she
with him. They arc married in Jap
anese fashion. and when this is known
her uncle proceeds to chastise her for
marrying a foreigner one beneath her
i'm rank She is disinherited Pinker.
ton swears undying faith and devotion
to his little jap h.idc. whose happiness
is supreme The second act opens up
i'm the home Of Cho-San. Pinkerton
has returned TO America. and is gone
three years. Meanwhile child is
born TO Cho-San. The United States
/ Consul Sharpless comes to tell Cho-San
Of Pinkertons return and hints at his
unfaithfulness buf she won't believe il
/ She makes ready 70 receive him. She
dons her wedding garment, paints her
/ face, that of her baby and scatters
wisterias and chrysanthemums about
the floor OF her room. Evening comes
and she. her maid and baby set t.
watch for Pinkerton. whose ship car
be seen i'm tho harbor They arc
watching from an observatory window
when the curtain goes down. The
third act finds the baby and maid
asleep. weary with their long vigil. but
not so Cho-San All tho constancy OF
a Japanese woman when she truly
+ lovos-as constant as Aspasia! Pinker-
ton returns. bringing his American
Wife The truth at last dawns upon
/ Cho-San. and she. like true japanese.
makes ready to commit suicide. Her
preparations are really touching She
sends for her bahv amid the tears ana
protestations of her maid. fondles IL
4 kisses it, and then slips behind a
screen and plungcs dagger into her
breast. In her death agony Pinkerton
enters. but poor loving. faithful Cho>
San. she who was of princely heritage.
and who could nave married into her
own rank. but preferred the love Of a
foreigner. laws dead. Poor little Cho-
san. who didn't pity her? And who
didn't revile that wretch Pinkerton?
Aside from the poetical side to the
opera. it is said on good authority that
IT'S common for foreigners, staying in
Japan for several years. to marry a
japanese Girl aud then desert her. It's
TO be hoped that men of the stamp OF
Pinkerton are few in number in
America.
Miss Adelaide Norwood, as Cho-San
was graciOusly pleasing. she acted
we'll sang effectively and scored. Her
voice is lyrical IN quality. and Will,
some Of her tones may not be tunefulls
true. especially her middle register
she possesses a voice fun and round
Henry Taylor. as Lieutenant Pinker
ton. was disappointing. He has {
good voice. but not for Puccinis music
and tho best that car be said Of hin
Is that he strutted beautifully in his
white hannels Suzuk, the maid. az
J sung by Miss duo Ere Houston. was
chic and nayiete Ottley Cranstou. a.
the consul. was also good What littl'
4 work the chorus did was effective. Th'
orchestra was augmented for the oc
cnsion Dv the coripany's own mon
Karl Grossman conducted