New-York tribune., 1909-07-25

Accepting the lists Of the last two decades as
criterion. Don Giovanni" is the oldest Italian
opera. save That one is lie Nozze di Figaro
i may. therefore be said that Mozarts operas
mark the beginning the repertory as ii exists at
the present time in America Twenty-Five years
ago II was possible 10 hear few performances Of
Gluck's "Orfeo- in English and Italian. and It's
name has continued figure occasionally ever
since in the lists of works put forth by managers
when inviting subscriptions for operate seasons;
bit that fact can scarcely be said 10 have kept the
opera in the repertory. All the other operas OF
GlEck and his period have long ago been consigned
the limbo Of things forgotten by all save stu
dents CT musical history.
Our Oldest Italian opera is less than rs years
old. and Don Giovanni only 122-an inconsiderable
ege for first class work Of art compared With rs
companion pieces in literature. painting and scupt-
u-e Vet a highly respectable for opera
Music has undergone greater revolution within
the century than any other art in thrice the
period. Vet Don Giovanni" is much admired
now as Il was the last decade Of the eighteenth
century and indeed. less prejudice 10 contend
with in the minds of musicians and critics than it
had when in its infancy. and confidently
believe that 10 its score that OF lie Nozze di
Figaro opera writer's viii be turning TO learn
the methods Of dramatic characterization. Pure
beauty lives in angelic wedlock with psychological
expression in Niozarts dramatic music, and these
factors viii act as powerful loadstones in bringing
composers who laboriously and vainly
seeking devices for characterization in tricks and
devices based arbitrary formulas back TO the
gospel of truth and beauty. Wagner has had
successful inaitator. scheme OF thematc identi-
fcation and Development. in its union OF calcua-
ton reflection and musical inspiration, is beyond
the capacities Of those who have after him
The bow Of Ulysses is still unbent: but he will be
great musician, indeed. who shall use the re-
sources Of the with such large ease. free
dom. power and effectiveness Mozart used those
Of the comparatively Ingenious art Of his day.
And Yet the great opera composer who is 10 come
in great likelihood VIII be a disciple Of Gluck. Mo
nd vr-1,o ,7rd
Isolde and Die Neistersinger rather than one Of
the tribe Debussy.
The great opera composers Of the nineteenth
century CT mind touching the greatness
OF Don Giovanni Beethoven Mortified by its
licentious libretto but tradition SAYS that he kept
before him his writing table transcript of the
music for the trombones the second finale Of the
opera. Shortly after Nine Tiardot-Garcia came
into possession of the autograph score Of the mas
tsrpiece Rossni called upon her and asked for the
privilege Of looking II. adding. Il want to bow
the knee before this sacred relic" After porinE
over few pages he placed his hands on the book
and said, solemniy: He is the greatest the mas
ter Of them all: the only composer who had as
much science he had genius. and as much
genius as he had science" On another occasion
ne said 10 a questioner: ''Vous voulez connaitre
celui de mes ouvrages que Jaime le mieux: eh
ben c'est Don Giovanni Gounod celebrated
The centenary Of the opera by writing com
lnentary on il which he dedicated young COM
posers and arists called upon to take part in per-
fo-1nances of the opera the preface Of his book
ne cnaTacterlzes II as an unequalled and inlnor-
tai masterpiece the ''apogee OF the lyrical
oIana' Vondrous example Of truth. beauty of
1or1n appropriateness Of characterize ton deem in
sght into the drama. purity of style richness and
restraint In Instrumentation. charm and tenderness
II lhe love passages and power in pathos"-in one
word finished model Of dramatic music ~ And
then he added: The score Of Dom Giovanni, ,
exercised the influence of a revelation ,,nop tho
Nhole OF my life; it has been and remains for me
t - u incarnation OF dramatic and musical i'm
PeoCaolilty- regard it work without blen
ISL OF uninterrupted perfection. and This com
nlentary Is but The humble testimony Of ms, ,,.r
eranon ane gratitude for genius TO whom 7 oo
e Purest ana most permanent joys Of nv life az
MUSICIAN In his ''Autobiographical Sketch,
eaehsr confesses that a lad he cared orI,, Co.
Die Zauberhote" and that don c,io,,a,.,' ~ ~
o-stastefuI 10 him account Of the Italian -,
go seemed TO him rubbish. But in Opera ma
1919 ne says; rs It possible find anything
Aiioie peiIect than every piece in Don J,,or,9
On. how doubly dear and above an 80.
-1O%oIt 10 me that Il was possible for hin, .
s|nt music Tor Tito Ike that Of Don C,io,.arrt,
to -, iaE lutte Ike that Figaro, FIou,
sHalheIuly would IL have desecrated n7,,sio,.. -
again; Where else has music won 60 ts-ieI, -
I-ch an individuality, been able TO cbarac,.rt y
surrey SO definitely and in such exuberant rIorI
80 -eue as heneE tsee the preface TO the oners -
'ocal score published by Schiruerl "
Mozart composed Don Giovanni f -, 49,
80 al prague. which had been saved fror, -
= s| season 1851 by the phenomenal s,,ooos
- A@e u flgaro." He chose fhe r,,b,oo.
nc, - i,lsSohed Lorenzo da Ponte then oe7cioI
poet 10 the imperial theatres 10 lA,,.. ~ oIhcIaI
g DoOH OF words In doing so The ra,.r -
use OF version of the sau,a c. = .liade
Cr dleatF1cal poet named Fe-tstt 90 ~ ~
,sh-.1 VINO In 1856 gave me 4 co,,, 90 ~,
Oo' ~iHch Aozart's biograpber O,,o - @
e1oceeoeo In finding. despite ,1iIigent aI 80
- po-eeo out that Mozart also took as . .asJ
" me music TO which the co,,-,o. :, -
N1ILee had set it The title of ,ha ~ eI'z-
0.io Oazzaniga was III Convita,o "a 30,
.-au oeen Wrought forward with re-. 80
- :, venice and won wide vogue IN Tta1 eeS ts
-- III upon II II lived many ,,ea-s -.
- D.OesH. OUT MS opera. and indeed ,r.s
performed IN London twenty-tbrea - vas
Aozsrts opera got hearing II ,s 1r.s Oeiore /
ever II the London representation lid ,.,
uae work Ds Ponte poet TO the or.-a - -
"nen II Convftato' chosen for -,er,o-
ana II fell 10 him prepare the bool, % ,. -,
isste OF the English people. He tried to ner.usd
the management give Mozart's omar. ,,as
and failing in that, had the malicious satIsfact,o
OF helping 10 turn the work OF Bertati and ca
Esgfna into of literary and rnusJcal ,os
tfccio. inserting portions Of his own paranhrasa ot
Bertaus book in place Of original scenes s,d
preparing occasion for the insertion OF musical
pieces by Sarti, Frederici and Guglielrni
Mozart wrote The music Don Giovanni in
the summer OF 1TS7- Judging by the circumstance
that there no entry in his autograph catalo1ya
between June - and August 10 in that year II
would seem that he had devoted the intervening
seven weeks chiefly IL not wholly TO the work
When he went 10 Prague in September he carried
the unfinished score with him. and worked on n
there largely in the house of his friends
the Duscheks lived in the suburbs Of The cts,
Cncer date of October Is he entered the overture
in his catalogue. As a matter OF fact II was not
finished I'll the early Of the next day which
was The day Of the first production OF the opera |