The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-15
.LONDON'S LATEST
 OPERATIC SUCCESS Baron Frederic D'ErIan ger Achieves Notable Triumph OF AMERICAN DESCENT In "Tess," Mile. Destlnn's Charming terpretatlon-There Are Chances
 of It's Presentation In
 America Soon.
OF AMERICAN DESCENT

London. August -(speciaD-With the exception of M. Debussy's "Pelleas ct Melisande," the most notable operatic Covent Garden, in London, on the even ing of July 14th. The work referred to was Tess" whose composer Is Baron Frederic d'Erlanger-which gives the opera double interest to readers on your side of the great water. by reason of the fact that Baron d Erlanger is of American descent.
 Cable advices gave but meagre indica- ton of the enthusiasm with which the composers work was received by Her Majesty Queen Alexandra and one of the most critical and distinguished audi ences ever gathered within the historic walls of Londons ancient opera houses.
 The musical critios-not only of Eng land but of the continental press-ac- claim ''Tess" as a noble work which is assured position among the magnum opii of the worlds great composers.
 It is of special interest to Americans to know that Baron d'Erlanger is 8 grandson of Senator slidell of Louisiana,
 
 of the Slidell and Mason episode in the time of the war of secession. He was sent. it will be remembered, by Jefferson Da- wis to represent the Confederacy in France, and embarked on the Trent with MT. Mason, who was going on a similar errand to England. They were both ar- rested while under the protection of the English flag, and imprisoned in Fort William till their release was enforced by the English government; but not be- fore the incident had caused enormous excitement and almost led to war.
 Perhaps 1t is from his American grand father that Baron d'Erlanger has inher- tied the energy which enables him to combine two exacting pursuits-those of banking and musical composition. Through the Slidell family, moreover, he is related to General Beauregard, the victor of Bulls Run, and Commodore Galbraithe Perry, who opened the ports of Japan to the commerce of the world
 Baron d Erlanger has been a musician all his life. The combination of music and high finance has had other notable examples besides Baron dErlanger. Mendelssohn and Meyerbeer were sons of bankers as, in our own day, Is Baron F'ranohetti; but Baron Frederic d'Erlanger is the only composer who has also taken active part in the direction of a great banking house, at any rate the only one whose works are performed by the greatest artists and in the principal opera houses.
 Baron d Erlangers latest opera, Tess, |" the libretto of which is by Sgnor Illica, and based on Thomas Hardy's novel, had an unique fate It was produced al San Carlo in Naples during the last great eruption of vesuvius. before a houseful of almost panic-striken listen- CTS, who had literally waded to the thea Ire ankle deep in ashes, almost choked and blinded by lava dust. Tn spite of this fact the Naples performance is his toric in the success 1t attained. Before the performance the roof of the Market place of Naples fell in under the the weight of the lava, causing the loss of many lives. The theatre was closed on the following day by order of the Town Council.
 In November, 1908. the opera was pro- duced at Milan and its success there &C., counts for the large attendance which greeted its opening London performance. where opera first nights are usually much less patronized than established favorites.