New-York tribune., 1911-02-13

OF an air are of small Importance to the
COMPREHENSION of the business or the
piece" he remarks: they merely express
a sentiment, a reflection. feeling; 1t Is
quite enough If their general import is
known. and this may most frequently ne
gathered from the situation. aided by the
character and expression OF the music
Hogarth wrote some sixty or seventy
years ago before the modern lyric drama
had come into existence. but we fancy that'
holding as he plainly did that the essential
thing in an opera Is its lyrical element, ne
would hesitate were he alive now and an
admirer OF Tristan und Isolde TO say
that he would appreciate the duet in tne
second act Of that opera quite as fully on
the lines which he has laid down as il he
were forced to hear and understand every
word uttered There, if anywhere in oper-
attic literature. the music is subIimatlon
of the text: the words are, so to speak,
held in solution by the melody and har-
mony.
Assuming now that Il e essential that
the words Of an opera he understood WHAT
ehsll we do. educate the public down TO
the low level of the majority OF popular
opera texts or effect a reform or the rep
ertory? If the latter how are the people to
he satisfied who have acquired craving
for operas whose texts reasonable enough
In the original tongue. become prosalc ana
ridicuIous when translated? We all love
Carmen" but how many Of us would
keep in a serious frame cf mind II we
Of Don lose IN
meIodious rectative: "Is your building the
factory at which young girls are empioyeu
a, cigarette making?" Who that heard the
National Opera Company's performances
of "Lohengrin" did not smile broadly Wheh
I'm the climax Of the scene before the cathe-
dral Mr. Candidus's clarion voice rang out
In Elisa, with whom conversest thou
The eager champions Of orera in Engnsh
have not reached this branch OF the SUD-
iect but. like everything connected with
~ Il is as old as English opera itself we
have said that ii is particularly essehtldi
in modern opera that fine regard for the
music be had in transating foreign operate
| texts into English. Addison thought so,
I too. two hundred years ago. He not only
nIeaded i'm his way for English opera and
wrote the book of one, out lie assahed
italian opera, whether I'm the original or
| translated. or (as was the habit in this day)
! I'm both tongues. with his prettiest w.t.
In ono case he tells of an Italian line
,yhjch read literally 'and turned my rage
ir,o nity." but for the sake Of rhyme was
translated and into pity turned my rage.
Rv this means he said, the sofs notes that
were adapted 10 pity In the Italian fell
.1,a IfeIt md hp
angry sounds that were turned to rage I'm
the original ware made to express pity In
the translation. Are there English ver-
sions OF foreign scores which could stand
eucb test to-day? Would il not be neces-
sary TO first appoint a commission or lit
ororv musicians or musical literary men 70
revise or retranslate all the operas for the
English repcrtory? We open some or the
scores most conveniently al hand. In
the English "Parsifal,' in a passage oil
| Kundrv's recital to Parsifal Thy father :
1--we and death is given as Thy rather
death and love" whereby a sweet conso-
napt harmony fans upon the word death
and \ poignant dissonance on love.
uumperdnck's "K0nigskinder' was to have
hsen given originally in English at the Met
I
ehorId have heard "tiptoe' accented on the
second syllable. have seen the Goose Cir
bring a kew out Of the witchs hut wher
sha was sent for dish (the translator
having read "schlussel" for 'schusselD
have heard the witch tell her to sing while
kneadine the poisoned loaf whereas sh'
was strictly enjoined neither 10 sing MOI
laugh. and have heard a strong stress laic
on red" instead OF rage (an exchange
like that mentioned by Addison haVint
beer made nv the translator. and all thi
within five or ten minutes OF the beginning
OF the opera.
There are other things which were di
verting while the discussion OF opera y
English and English opera was merel!
academic. but which may take new phas'
now that the Metropolitan directors have
crown so eager 20 produce an opera tina
,hav cannot wait until their jury reports
on tho prizc competition. which six month
AGO. tho managing director said was to D.
nut off another year at least MI Rcord
said It was folly to say that America coul'
no, nroduce voices. We had never hear'
such An utterance here or abroad. IL any
hody had been foolish enough % make
INV student Of operatlc affairs might easill
have sllenced him by reading the following
,ceter Of Americans who have sung II
ora,a here snd In the capitals of Europe
and the list is not complete: Clara Louis
Kellogg. Annie Louise Cary, Minnie Hauk
Alyina Valleria. Emma Nevada. LilliaI