New-York tribune., 1909-12-18
MUSIC.
Hand Books for the Opera
GOer and Student.

GOer and Student.
A BOOK OF OPERAS.-Their Histories,
Their Plots and Their Music BY Henry
Edward Krehbiel. illustrated. 12mo, PIP.
xvi, 345. The Macmillan Company.
SUCCESS IN MUSIC AND HOW 1T IS
chapter on Tempo Rubato,' by Ignace
Jan Paderewski, 12mo, PIP. xiv, All.
Charles Scribners Sons.
GUIDE TO MODERN OPERA. De
scription and Interpretation of the words.
and music of famous modern operas
BY Esther Singleton. Illustrated 12mO,
PIP. xxi. $50. Dodd Mead & Co.
STORIES FROM THE. OPERAS. With
Third series. BY Gladys Davidson. Il
lustrated. 12mo, PIP. Isl. Philadelphia:
J. B. Lippincott & Co.
sToKEs's .ENcYCL.oPEDIA OF MUSIC
period of musical history from the earli-
est times to the season of 19O9,,Io OIL BY BY
L. J. De Becker. Svo, PIP. vi 75S. The
Frederick A. Stokes Company.
Readers of The Tribune will recall the
series of articles by it's musical critic on
certain operate subjects published last
summer and in the autumn. They will
be glad of the opportunity to obtain
these articles now in a compact little
volume, aptly brought out at the height
Of the musical season. OF the making
OF such manuals as this one there is as
suredly no end, but very rarely are they
composed with the authority exercised
by the author of "A Book of Operas" In
his subtitle Mr. Krehbiel indicates that
he is concerned with the histories, plots
- -; ,Ia
is with singular skill that he unites these
threads In his argument. The fact is
that an opera is for him, first and last,
simply work of art, an organic unit Of
character, and hence his analysis of its
individuality communicates an impress
sion very full and rich, an impression
which seems wildly to reflect the color
and movement of an actual perform
ance. The book is full of learning, but
the author wears his scholarship lightly
and he Is ever ready to enliven his page
with an anecdote, as in the following
passage from his chapter on Mozart's
great comedy:
The air Non pu andrai" is in
vigorous march rhythm. Benucci, the orig
inal Figaro in Vienna, had superbly so
norous voice, and Michael Kelly. the Eng
lish tenor (who sang the two roles of Don
BdstltO and Don CW-siO) tells us how thrill
ingly he sang the song at the first re-
hearsal with the full band Mozart was
on the stage in a crimson pelisse and
the time to the orchestra. Figaro gave
the SONG. with the greatest animation and
Mozart" says Kelly, who, sOtto roce was
repeating: Bravo, bravo, BenucCi" and
WI, when Benucci came to the fine passage.
'Cherubino, ALA Vittoria, ALA gloria mill
tar, which he gave out with Stentorian
| lungs the effect was electricity itself, for
the whole Of the performers on the stage
and those in the orchestra, as if actuated
by one feeling of delight, Vociferated:
Bravo Brave bravo, bravo, n3iHa maestro! Viva, viva
thought would never have ceased applaud
ing by beating the bows of their viOlius
against the music desks The little man
acknowledged by repeated obeisances his
thanks for the distinguished mark of en-
thusiastic applause bestowed upon him"
This is a good specimen Of the enter
tanning material which Mr. KrehbieI
draws from the literature on his subject
and deftly fuses with the expository and
critical parts of his study. He is always
critical, a fact substantially enhancing
the practical usefulness of his book. 1t
may be added that his selections of
| operas embrace Italian, French and Ger
man masterpieces Musical quotations
are freely used and a number of inter-
esting portraits are added
Mr.. Henry T. Finck, the able musical
critic of our neighbor THE Evening
! Post" follows in his book on Success
in Music and How 1t Is Won" a method
! significant of knowledge but well ad-
| justed to the needs of the general reader.
| This is no dry treatise, but a frankly
! diverting chronicle of merely human eff
! fort and achievement. The author freely
! states his principles and opinions when
! occasion arises, but his chief purpose is
! to narrate facts and to sketch vitaIized
! portraits. He Will not envelop his theme
in an esOteric atmosphere In his open-
| ing chapter he bluntly asks. Does
Music Pay" and in answering this oues
| ton he cites figures with all the candor
! of cold blooded statistician There is
much that is suggestive in these opening
| pages of his, suggestive of the hard row
| that the musical artist has to hoe in
| Europe-and of the exceptional gift no
| must possess if he is to secure the nro-
digious reward which America has IN
bestow upon the performer of her choice
Mr.. F1nck's types of success, to whom
he deVotes the bulk Of his book. all on
force the same lesson. His singers MAN
lists and violinists were born to triuponb
but they have been tremendous workers
and have suffered heavy discipline
Their biographies as here briefly SET
forth are made delightfully."- readable
Their artistic traits are clearly cherac-
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