The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-04-03

public, in the theatre of the school on March 17, lS79 Tschaikowsky was pres ent at the final rehearsal at Jurgenson's suggestion, and his letters to Mime. von Meek to tell of his trepidation, his timor- ous retirement. and his emotions on the eve of the performance.
 Two years later Eugene Onegin was produced on the operatc stage. likewise In Moscow. Its growth in popular esteem was so gradual that Tschaikowsky was continuously fearful of it's fate. But he lived to see his work attain the greatest popularity of all Russian operas.
 When Walter Damrosch produced Eugene Onegin'' In New York two years ago that city was on tip-toe of expectation and curiosity. The work had long occupied the same position in Russia which Gounods Faust has held so long in France. But it was practically unknown In this country. The performance proved new revel ation in Tschaikowskys genius. It proved a perfect storehouse of eXqui- site melodies, fluent, graceful and pop ular in the best sense of the word, Three repelitions of the work were inn mediately given to enormous audiences and since then MT. Damrosch has made this work the principal attraction of many of his music festivals in other cities. Critics frankly concede that eugene O1eSln IS even more Suc- cessful on the concert stage than at scenic representations. The music de- picts vividly the scenes from Russian country and court life taken from Pushkin's famous story. AS MT. Dam- rosch was the first one to introduce many of Tschaikowsky's greater sym phonic works in this country and as the composer had been Mir. Damrosch's guest during his only American visit. iea Fl " fftinp that ba eli have been the first one to introduce Tschaikowskys operatic work to our public The cast which Mr. Damrosch has engaged for the production of the work is as follows:
 Mime. Sara Anderson, Tatjana.
 Miss Nevada Van der Veerfi Olga.
 Mir. Reed Miller, Lenski, Triquet.
 MT. Marcus Kellerman, Eugene One- gin.
 A few small solo parts will be taken from the local choral ranks. The choral numbers include a charming chorus Of peasant reapers written in the style of Russian folk song, a chorus, of village maidens pluclSing flowers and the famous waltz song in the second act which rivals the well known waltz from Gounods Faust in popularity.
 Tschailxowsky went to Prague in 1888 for the production of Eugene Onegin.'
 One of his acquaintances there was Dvorak, who was at the time professor of the conservatoire. The two were to- gether continuously. When he returned to Russia, Tschaikowsky received the fol- lowing letter from Dvorak anent the new opera: .4l, ,-4a- .' ,.t ,.d.iI.4..
 Prague. IA January. 1889
 My Dear Friend-When you were with us lately at Prague, I promised to write you on the subject of your opera, Onegin. Now 1t is not to meet your request that I write. but it is by an overwhelming desire to express to you all that I ex- perienced In hearing your work. state joyfully that your opera made on me most profound impression. such as have always experienced from real work Of art. and I. do not hesitate to tell you that no other of your compositions has pleased me as much as Onegin., It is an admirable work. brimming with warm, tender feeling and poetry, at the same time, minutely worked out. Briefly, this music sways one and penetrates so deep