Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-10
PROPHET IN OWN
COUNTRY WINNER
BRITISH COMPOSER HAS TWO
OPERAS PRODUCED
WORK SHOWS WRITER HAS EX-
CELLENT IDEAS
London Will Have Pageant Next Year
if Promoters Ideas Are Aca
cepted by Historical COM
n1ittee at London

LONDON, Oct 10.-lt is one thnS
for British composer to write an
opera, but for him to get it produced
is quite another matter in his own
country. In this respect Alick Maclean
may claim, for his part, to have been
unusually fortunate, as at least two
operas from his pen have seen the foot
lights in London, while another is said
to have won goodly welcome to Ger
many.
With "Petruccio,' one of the two
aforementioned, Mr.. Maclean carried off
prize of $500 offered in competition
some few years ago by Charles Man
ners, and he owes it to the same man
ager that another similar work of his
has obtained a hearing. Looking at the
popularity achieved with short operas
by Mascagni and Leoncavallo, 1t is
not a little strange that more British
composers should not have taken
leaf from the book of young Italy"
and turned their attention to the possi-
bilities of lyric works framed on SINH
lar lines.
Mr.. Maclean is said to be not Of those
who despise the one-act opera, and the
example he gave the other night pos
sesses, apart from it's other merits, the
supreme virtue of not being padded
out and over-elaborated. For his
book" the composer has gone to one
Tales of Rhineand." "Maitre Seller"
from whom the piece derives its title,
in an elderly Judge, who up to a short
time before the story opens has divided
| his allegiance between the law and
angling devoting most of his leisure
moments to piscatorial delights, ana
giving little thought to the pleasures
of human companionshtp. And so the
years pass on, leaving Maitre Seller,
like the hero in "The Professors Love
Story" untouched by the tender pas
sion until age claims him for its own.
Then it is, while passing summer va
cation with his old friend, Yeri, a
Swiss forester, that his elderly heart
succumbs to the fascinations of his
hosts daughter, the pretty Lotte.
Leaves Aged Sweetheart
In a woodland glade we find him at
curtain-rise, indulging in his favorite
sport and med1tating on the charms of
the fair one, but when the latter comes
down from the hills, where she has
been tending her goats, he fears to be-
tray his feelings merely limiting vague
ly at a wood-nymph whom he loves.
AS events prove, however, May is not
destined this time to mate with De-
cember, for Lotte has secretly given
her hand to youthful lover, Wilhelm,
to whom, nevertheless, her father has
| forbidden his door Little suspecting
the impression she has made on the
old judge, Lotte hopes to obtain from
him an appointment for her sweetheart
which will reconcile her parent to the
marriage, and before appealing to him
for assistance in the matter she
| fashions for him a posy of flowers.
The discovery by Wilhelm that the
| blossoms are not intended for him leads
to violent outburst on his part, anc
the young lovers quarrel Returning
| later to tap at the window of his be-
trothed the youth is seen by Seller
| who. demanding an explanation Of his
presence draws from him the confess
| sion that he and Lotte have plighted
their troth. In the end the old man, ac-
| cepting his disappointment with resig-
nation, bestows his blessing on the
young couple. obtains from Veri his
! consent to their union, and, after TAX
| ing tender farewell of the heroine,
| goes sorrowfully on his way
| 1t is a simple, pretty story, idyllic In
| character and calling in its musical
treatment for none of those qualities
OF stress and storm in which not a
few present day composers appear to
take delight.
Keeps to His Story
Wisely recognizing this fact, Mr..
| Maclean has not attempted 10 put INTO
| his score more than the subject de-
manded. but has been content to fash
| ion his music on straightforward lines
| and to base his appeal mainly on the
! claims of unaffected melody. Against
modern complexities, in this instance,
! he has clearly set his face, and while
| his tasteful orchestration reveals tho
| hand of the practical musician, 1t re-
| fleets in it's simplicity and the clear
ness of its texture the character of
the whole work. This, of course. is as
! it should be, and on their side the sing
ers entrusted with the performance OF
the opera will doubtless be thankful
to the composer for providing them
with music which is always grateful
| to the voice and for the most
part effective as well. A rather Sulli-
vanesque song in praise of chamois
| hunting caught the audience amaz-
ingly.
The prospects OF London having a
pageant next year appear to be very
| favorable, and steady progress has
| been made with the preparations. The
! scheme has been twice postponed-last
year on account of the Franco-B British
exhibition and this year because of the
| English church pageant Frank Las
cellas will probably be master of the
pageant, and one of the leading spir-
| its is G.. L. CONNIE. Before the first
postponement the historical committee
! drew up a rough scheme of about
! twenty scenes, representing the most
striking events in the history of the
metropolis from the dawn of history
until the present day. and full ad-
|