New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-18

act NAMES bAc OiSAd. II -
something altogether new, very touchln5
IN feeling ana very beautiful Ia setun6. IL
shows human nature al us best ana nhus
the composer ia inc most responsive moou.
'ihe music Illustrating the section IN Whlcn
johnson - about 10 be hanged ana ms en-
treaty that Minnie snail not be told OF ms
death must be accounted some oil the most
DeautIIul SlgnOI HucclEi mas written. ne
climax OF the scene Is maintained In Inc
score boa "a manner tndt SHOWS thc manu-
OF a master. and with Its suppressed pas
SION. weird grace and wonderful descilp,
fiVcuCSs constitutes passage uhtqudl'tu
lu opera. The earlier portions OF the Notk
10 not impress by their originality, tn"t 49,
Ia com ariSOn TO the other WORKS or tnis
composer. III seems 10 be mace up most OF
mannersms. which the somewhat tentative
use OF American airs lslcl does nut Ii!Ii''i,
ism There seems 20 be some lack OF wei
graded climax In the scene OF the game OF
cards for the mans life, but II must ne
admitted that the tenseLess OF the Who'V
act is very great. IL j. series OF clma%es
that produce the inevitable e1cct OF emit
mating all climax. The HrSt scene IN Inc
real nome Tor the boys drags. II may d
due 20 the want Of contrast brought about
nv the absence OF "a female chorus, ana
by the somewhat too Southern ldmenta-
tons Of the homesick miners. whose native
land would seem to be Italy, rather IMAM
America The best music is found IN the
interview between the Sheriff ana Minnie
hut the constantly changing incidents are
not met by sufficient variety in the man.
ner OF the music.
Tho Daily Telegraph:
OF the music curiously enough. there is
not q vast deal 20 be said. Clearly, the
play is the thing. and. frankly. the music
often hinders its progress. Puccini II Is
true, quotes no other composer than NM
self. But he makes many references TO
'"Tosca" and more 10 Butterfly, and IN
return gives Us little enough Of their
lyrical grace. His snowstOrm music has
not the icy blast OF the snow music IN
-'Boheme." which is particularly chilly.
Jake Wanaces pretty. sentimental ballad,
we imagine, is based upon negro melody
1--we had supposed II more nearly based on
acknowledgements ], and the fascinating
yalse will surely be acclaimed TO be lovely.
moreover, il occurred in a particularly
charming scene. and was extremely effec-
tive But, when all is said ana done the
music is only cleverer than any fucclm
has hitherto given US, but II Is not by any
means so mellihuOus or so spontaneous, so
original, so fresh.
The Daily Mail:
signor Puccinrs. music on paper looks
noisy, scrappy and insignificant. The stage
effect is far more favorable. lie has, IN
deed written very clever score f6r The
Golden West with explosions OF violence
and of sentimentality altogether IN f me
spirit of the text. The composers infai-
lible flare for the theatrically effective dld
not betray him when he chose Mr..
Belasco's play for operate treatment; II
vention in 1.-The Golden West is less than
in two. at least. OF his earlier operas, ana
that we hear echoes OF La Josca ana
Madame Butterfly" The composer has
treated the librettO in the one way pos
sible-has written vehement rapid, concise
music which (such Is his skid AT once
heightens the melodramas sentimental
force and never impedes the action.
Characteristic of his methods is the
theatrical way in which the passion OF
the duet in Act II is underlined by the
bowling snOwstorm and wind. not in
orchestra but at the back Of the stage;
and. as the lovers kiss. by the banging 10
and fro Of the door under stress OF The
storm. while the curtains are blown about
and the lamp flickers low. one must ad-
nit that the chief tune of the duet C'Dolce
vivere e morire'), Of which much is heard
during the opera. is one OF the composers
most banal ideas. ON the other hand.
| Johnson's airs "Quello che tacete' at the
] end u the first act. and "Chela mi crede,"
sung as he is about 70 be hanged, are
really pretty spatches Of song.
But the relative unimportance Of the
music and quality is the popularity Of the
opera.
The Standard:
THE Girl Of the Golden West" which
was produced for the first time in Eng
land at Covent Garden last night. is very
clever. very ingenious and very interesting.
hut Il is not Pucclni at his best-that is TO
say Puccini in his most melodiouSly COM
polling mood The music does not flow
with the same spOntaneity as in the COM
pOSeTs previous works, for the simple rea-
son that the nearer you get 10 drama in
opera the further YOU get away from
nusic-Or. rather. from melody. which is
the basis of music. Puccini. with that
keen sense Of the theatre peculiar TO the
Latin races. has been content TO give his
drama-Or. rather. melodrama-hrst place
lie seems so anxious that nothing should
hinder the action Of his story that when
he has the opportunity of penning those
which .
himself so adept his hand seems 10 lose it's
cunning. He has been content TO let his
music 90 20 the wall, with the result that
the most that can be said for II is that IL
gets as little I'm the way OF the stage traf-
fc possible. Indeed. il might be de-
scrbed as a running commentary upon the
text. which for a time II points and pune
tuates-if il does not enforce with singular
skill. In It's ever changing tonality, va
carries Of mood and figure and general way
wardness IL suggests the influence OF De-
busy: and the composer makes frequent
use Of the whole tone scale-though that
Of course. is not the monopoly of any one
musician in particular; As in Madame
little things Of life amounts almost to
genius. and If his score were only vol
nntary as il Is urgent and l0rcefu all
would be well. OF course, there are ex-
ceptons. as in the final scene, which is not
only quite exciting but really vivid and
actual.
The Times:
In "Tosca" Puccini showed in what a
mastery way he could handle a melodra-
matte subject. and once more in the new
opera he can send a thrill through his
audience when ne wants. In the poker
scene for instance. and in the last act
where the miners are worrying their prey.
and again In the hut. where the lovers re-
main locked in each others arms uncOn-
scious of the storm outside, which is blow
ing the door and the curtains TO and fro.
the surest touch is used with thrilling eff
feet, and time after time the right atmos-
phere is created with extraordinary skin
and also with economy OF means. But
"Tosca" would never have been the fine
opera that Il is II it had contained nothing
What turns a large part OF IL from melo-
drama into opera is the Inclusion of a
number OF lyrical episodes and the exist
ence Of lyrical background for the melo-
dramatic incidents. In the new work, in
spite of few scenes, il is the absence OF
the lyrical element which strikes the lis
tener.
This is due partly 10 the rapidly with
which the action takes place. and partly
10 the act that the composer has not al
WAYS awaited himself of such opportunities
as the lbretto affords. There are. OF
course lyrical moments Of great beauty
the moment, for instance, when the camp
minstrel sings the ballad that makes all
the miners homesick. the moment when
Dick Johnson explains himself to Minnie
fonce more we think OF Blanco PosneD.
and again in his last farewell, with the
moose about his neck, when he sings a
tune which in shape and harmonizatlon re-
calls a song in the second act or Madame
butterfly" There is also a delightful
waltz. accompanied with the soft clapping
NJ hands. the theme II which Is used twice
aver again In slightly different versions,