New-York tribune., 1910-07-24
A NEW OPERA IN LONDON
Beecham Brings Out "A Sum-
mer's Night" at His Majesty's.
MR.. GALSWORTHY'S CLAIM
Playwright Wants Credit for
Prison Reform Bill, Thereby
Arousing Suffragettes.
TBy Cable 20 The Tribune J

TBy cable 70 The Tribune.l
London. July o3.-Thomas Beecham
while awaiting with convinced optimism
the results of his ombination with the
Metropolitan Opera Company of New
York for a brilliant season al Drury
Lane next year continues TO present
novelties at His Majesty's Theatre g
Il Clutsam's opera, a Summers
Night" has been produced with as much
painstaking care as Richard Strauss s
complex works. although il contains only
one act. employs five characters ana
lasts barely an hour and g hail. 1t is
highly romantic comic opera, suffused
with the spirit Of joyousness, in spite OF
an atmosphere of intrigue, and the score
Is modern and scientific. constructed on
the basis of the representative themes
and making fuli demands on the re
sources of the orchestra and the con-
ductor's talents for leadership
The composer has written his own
libretto from the story in the "Heptam-
erou'' of Margaret Of Navarro The SIN
sic scene is the Tuscan farm where
wager is made between two friends over
the capture of pretty maidserVant
ring. and where follows comedy OF er-
rors. in which everybody is fooled There
are fine lyrical passages, but the best
feature is the orchestral lnterluoe, oe-
noting the coming Of dawn The vocal
parts were well sung at the first per-
rornance by Muriel Terry, Walter Hyde,
Harry Dearth. Lewys James and Bea-
trice La Paine The opera was heartily
received by a large audience. and the
work of the orchestra was briilant
throughout.
T +. Benson. after spending life
time in enacting Shakespearian parts IN
London and the provinces, will be re-
warded by a well merited honor TINS
will be the freedom of the Borough OF
Srrarford. which viii be conferred on
Monday. when he will open the deferred
r1r7r,er season at the Memorial Thea
ire. This honor was paid David Car
rick. Nine plays Of Shakespeare VIII DE
produced in the course Of three weeks
with Masks and Faces" and The
Piper" the prize play by Josephine Pres
Ton eabody. who will receive the COM
raittee's award of 1900
Johr; Galsworthy does not hesitate TO
describe Winston Churchill as con-
vert won by a sermon in the theatre
The reforms in prison management ao-
yocated in Mr. Galsworthy's play, JUS
tjce." with which Charles FTohman's
Repertorv. season was opened, were the
abolition of solitary confinement and the
o1- s,f1 a
TEN. Mr. Churchill saw the play more
than once, and is now bent on carrying
out these leading ideas in humane iegls-
latiou. Mr.. Galsworthy, accepting full
responsibility for inspiring the Home
Secretary's new prison policy, adopts
with good grace his proposal for sys-
fematic entertainment Of convicts with
concerts and lectures.
Prominent suffragettes are disposed TO
condemn Mr. Galswortny for conceit in
taking all the credit for influencing Mr.
Churchill They assert that their eX-
posures of the mismanagement Of
prisons have compelled the authorities
TO abandon their revolving system of de-
g-ading criminals and making them
thoroughly uncomfortable. They con-
tend more OF less vociferously that the
blood Of the suffrage martyrs was the
seed Of prison reform
Gertrude Elliott appeared tonight for
the last time at the Duke of Yorks The
atre in Mrs. Burnett's THE Dawn Of
Tomorrow"
Nelson Terry is playing 20 crowded
houses at the Haymarker in Countess
Arnini's Priscilla Runs Away
Cscar Wildes The Importance Of
Being Earnest may hold the stage at
the st. James through the summer.
Sir Conan Doyle's The Specklec
Band" at the Adelphi, is equally sue
cessful in filing the stalls and galleries.