The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1909-11-26
~ 5Af4ns a. EDeBRToN.

n YEAR By year tie general Amer
lean reading public ID becoming
more and more interested IN
grand opera. THIS h not only
true IN the larger cities where classic
music 10 now heard. but In all sectiOns.
and among all Glasses. While some
VINO speak no tongue bat English re-
fuse 10 grow wildly enghuslastic over
songs sung % italian. French or der
man. others sec0gniEe that music has
q universal language that tFanScenda
any mere differences In wOrda NO
one Who loves q concOurse OF sweet
sounds could fail 70 be moved by tue
mystic significance Of Wagner's SPAR
sifal" or GOuuOd's -Faust" oF 70 re-
sp0nd % the magnificent sextet 10
Lucia" the duet IN the Marriage OF
Figaro" or half 3 hundred other splen-
did passages. even though these were
rendered In ChOctaW or Chinese.
The year now opening promises 20
be the most brilliant IN the history OF
grand opera IN America. The center,
OF course. Be- New York. where both
the Manhattan and Metropolitan have
put on several Of the pew successes OF
Europe aud have gathered the leading
singers from all the world. The Man.
haitian singers will also appear az Mr..
Hamm0rslsin's branch house In phil
adelphia. while the Metropolitan 10
keeping up q chain Of opera houses
one IN Baltimore. one IN Boston and
one 10 Brooklyn. IN addition, Il will
give two operas each week IN the New
thoateP OF New York, the famous house
that was built b. =. r.. M0rgan, the
vandeFbllts and other New YOfk NIL
li0naires and at its opening vas pro.
nOuncsd 81 the regular theatrical
critic o. ths London Times. WhO came
across the ocean 10 witness tbs event.
the squal Of anything n Europe. The
New theateF n the hrut endowed
amussmont house IN Amogica.
A Milder sal0me.
The opening &C the Manhattan on
Monday sVening. Nov. 8 waa ss fun OF
color. sparkle and enthusiasm as any
ever witnessed at the Metropolitan,
with lts famous horseshoe diamond
and ell the rest. There vas g packed
house Notwithstanding the fact that
CO ths same evening the New theateF
was formally opened % the public and
che Metropolitan Opens company start
"a CO. soasos at the Academy q Music
81 Brooklyn. The Opsfa was Magse-
nets "Herodlnds." given Tor the 1rkt
time 10 America. ''HerOdiads" q q
mlider and less erOtic form Of the
-ealoms" theme which stirred up such
not b the musical and r6llgiOna
worlds q few years ago. 1assenet's
salOme % conventional and Respectable
compared 10 the one created by Oscar
Wide and Strauss. Indeed. shs is ~
most q perfect lady. For my single
self ! prefer the Massenet version
even n 4 does lack. or. rather because
Il lacks. che disgusting scene o. slab.
bering over the bloody head % JOhn
che Baptist % the Nanhattan open
TAG gal0me was sung BY Lima Cava-
ieFi who gained her triumph laSt
year "a ths same house. HeFodia9 b.
hmo. 0erviIle- neache. Herod ~ Man
nee Renaud and John the Baptist By
Charles Dalmorss. who lent dignity %
tha eharactsF and dominated The entire
piscs.
Ths sensation Of the Manhat9an saa-
con Wfll BE- Richard Btrauaf ~nlsktra."
A. Strauss before gave such e boogt
% ne Hsmmerstsln opera hs win b.
Depended o. 20 % 4 again. Not only
-Elfktra.' which was q BuFopsan sue
GEES q last year. bot ~Feasrsnoth." an
earlier WORK o. Strauss. VIII also D.
pat on. IN addition WIN b other op-
ofaB b. Masssnst and all TIE old "a
voritcs. such as "Tbaia." Faust
ada" The Daughter q TIE Regt
msuG" -I.uela." ~CavafioFia Rust
cana" -Lohengrin- and many nora
Ths leading Singer. besides those 3D.
fsady mrnti0nrd a. appearing 10 the
opsning. srp ibe Old Manhaitan favur.
itea. me maFy Garden. TefFaSzini snd
Mma. t'AiFaFek Wbo sang nj ne pre-
nmlnafg nraHoa lasl fali and made
aneh { favogship lmprrmlcn test she
uas lpiainpd ~ one ~ ~ leate1s f0g
tilo rnrulag soanuh 10 fhh SO vas
moss lorgunnls thaD nlhoa e laEss