Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-20

for It will be the first serious operate
work from the pen of an American COM
poser to be included in the repertoire of
q royal opera. That the particular insti-
tuition which has consented to stand
sponsor for this creative effort from the
new world is the exclusive and conserva-
tive opera which Emperor William II
subsidies with many millions of marks
each season increases the significance
of the recognition which has come to Mr..
Nevin.
When the young American composers
score was finished he knocked at the door
OF the Metropolitan Opera House in New
recommendations Of no lesser authorities
than Alfred Herty and Nine. Johanna
Gadski, who were glad to bespeak for
the work the interest of the late Helm
rich Conried The work was refused
sight unseen" and the composer Jared
no better at the hands of the Manhattan
chef, whose advice was: Take 1t to Eu-
rope and get it performed there! If it is
success, then bring it to me again."
This Indifference on the part of American
managers might reasonably have been
expected TO create suspicion in the mind
of their European colleagues. and the
question naturally arose: You have
written an opera based on the Indian
folk lore of your native country and Yet
cannot get it produced on one of your
own stages. Why"
Il
The answer was simple one: Be
cause American impresarios have not yet
the courage of their own convictions, but
wait for a European cachet to be put
upon an art work before venturing TO
present it to their own boxholders.
European methods are notably slow.
and Mr.. Nevin had long and disheart-
ening period Of waiting; in fact. he had
become convinced of the futility of his
hopes and had returned to America.
when the cable brought the news that
''Poia' had been accepted by the Berlin
royal opera. The testing" process Is
applied rather severely here in Berlin,
and the Nevn work went through
many hands before the fiat 1T Is good"
was pronounced upon 1t. The libretto
had first to pass muster under the
readers. the stage director and the d.
rector general. while the score was
subjected to an equally close scrutiny
by DIR. Karl Muck and Engelbert Hum
perdinck, who are among the 'eXamin-
ers" at the Berlin opera.
American composers have never been
taken very seriously in Germany-Ed-
ward mcdonnell, Edgar Stillman-kelly
and now Arthur Nevtn-being practi
cally the only ones who have met
with recognition. The productive eff
forts of the average American have
been considered to begin and end with
the 'rag-time" music which is popu-
lar at the vaudeville houses all over
the continent, and for that reason the
entire American music world Is to be
congratulated ON the fact that Germany
Is to become acquainted with the serious
effort OF serious composer.
The material used by Mr.. Nevin in
his opera was not gathered at second
hand. by the reading of old chronicles
and historical tones, but was taken
fresh from the lips of the children of
the soil during the two summers the
composer spent in the reservation of
the Blackfoot Indians on the slopes of
the Rocky mountains in Montana. The
way had been pioneered by Robert Nc
(1intock-1ike Mr.. Nevin. a Pittsburg
man-whose chronological researches
had led him into the camp of the
BIackfoot Indians: here he endeared
himself so strongly to the hearts of his
copper.colorcd hosts that he became