New-York tribune., 1910-01-09
'TrOjans IN Carthage" Songs
-BeethOuen's S0natas.


A feature Of the music festival in Gin
cinnati next May will be a production in
concert form OF BerlioZs opera Les Troy
ems en- Carthage" For this production
Frank Van der Stucken has edited the
music and II. Z. KrehbieI the English
version OF the text which viii be used.
The vocal score, prefaced by an essay on
the opera, and also the libretto. have been
issued from the press OF g. Schirmer. Con-
cerning the adaptation OF the opera for the
concert performance Mr.. Krehbiel says in
his preface:
A remodelling of the opera by an adept
III the art. OF dramatic construction might
save The TrojanS in Carthage" for the
stage, but the prospect that II will be sub
miited TO such q process is not imminent
one plan to give its music a hearing under
circumstances which viii insure its appeal
10 the fancy as Well as the sense seemed
feasible, however, and this was put into
execution IN the present arrangement or
the book and music. The advantages Of
scenic decorations and visible action have
been sacrificed. but instead the advantage
Q: more efficient factors than can be count
cd on In operate representations rule
has been gained. Besides this, many musi-
cal pieces which are in themselves uninter-
esung, but are essential TO theatrical rep
TesentauOn. have been either abbreviated
OF removed and the clmacteric moments
10 the score thereby brought into more
vivid relief.
Finally. il will not be amiss in view of
the present tendency in musical taste and
..Trluclsm' if attention is drawn to the fact
mat the music of BerliOZ is not TO be
qudged from the point OF view fixed by the
lyric drama Of Richard Wagner. Berlfoz's
style roots in the manner of Gluck and
epontini, and il is by the standard which
they set and his. own confession of his
artistic purposes that his achievements
spoken plainly. MY style" he 'II9 re-
marks, lis in general very daring, but It
has not the slightest tendency to destroy
any Of the constructive elements Of art
On the contrary, I seek to increase the
number OF those elements I have never
believed. as has been foolishlv Imagined
IN France. In writing music without
melody. The dominant qualities of
my music are passionate expression in
ternal fire, rhythmic animation and unex-
pected changes. When ! say passionate
expression / mean an expression that
EAGERLY strives TO reproduce the most in
ward meaning Of the subject even when
me subject Is foreign to passion. and sweet
and tender sentiments or the most pro-
round calm are TO be expressed"
How far he has realized the ideal thus
set u Is not my purpose TO discuss, but a
performance of The TrOjans in Carthage
will disclose many instances Of passionate
anc truthful dramatic expression Some of
these have been mentioned heretofore in
herlioz's own words. To them ] would add
[he remarkably vigorous ensembles Of the
IItt li.it part. the descriptive symphony. the
QUINTET septet and love duo OF the second
Vart and the profoundly Impressive cere-
1nony about the funeral nile. A Trojan
march. drawn from La Prise de Troie," rs
introduced in the prologue and used
throughout the score 20 characterize the
zero and his mission. against which the un-
IAppY Dido's life is wrecked. and finally TO
suggest the eventual overthrow of Car
ntsee by placing IL under the course Of
tlfests which the Carthaginians hurl after
H's oeparting ships of the Trojans.
ne Oliver Ditson Company, Boston. has
issued another volume in it's >"Muscians'
i-!9fary" II is the third book of Songs
itoin TIRE Operas" edited By II. +. Kreh-
''ei and devoted 10 selections for the con-
Halto voice These Songs from the Operas''
'''e preceding volumes were for soprano
"'d nezzS-sopranol are unique among pub
icatlons Of their kind and have the double
purpose of extending knowledge Of operate
MUSIC III f." the concert room and reViving
i knowledge Of the old methods Of song
me songs are arranged chronologicaIly, and
cover the entire field CT opera from the
Desihiing Of the seventeenth century down
10 ne end Of the nineteenth. The songs
are assigned 10 the character of voice for
"hlch the composer designed them. are
printed in the original keys, with the
.iIelhai words and good translation and
" lae manner in which they were sung at