The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-05-03
$4,000 OPERA
PRIZE IS WON
BY YALE men
Mona" Composed by HoratiO
Parker, Professor of Music,
With Brian Hooker, Young
Eli Writer, Librettist, Takes
Metropolitan Laurel

To Yale University goes the honor
of receiving the prize offered by the
Metropolitan Opera Company for the
best grand opera by an American COM
poser and librettist. The opera COM
pany announced yesterday that the
committee of judges had awarded the
! first place to the opera Mona, COM
| posed by Prof. Horatio Parker, pro-
lessor Of music at Yale, and written
! by Bryan Hooker of Pennington,
| Conn. a former member of the Yale
| faculty.
| The jury of awards consisted of
Walter Damrosch, George w. Chad
| wick, Charles Martin Loeffler and AL
| fred Hertz. According to the terms
| of the competition, which began last
| summer scores and librettos had to
with the correct names of the authors
and composers in sealed envelopes.
When the jury brought in the decision
that the opera Mona, signed with
the same name, had been awarded the
| first prize, the sealed envelope was
opened in the presence of Paul D. Cra-
vath, chairman Of the Grand Opera
| Contest committee of the board Of d.
rectors, and the names Of Prof. Par
ker and Mr.. Hooker were discovered. T.
The prize consists of an award Of
| $4,000 and the right to a production
of the opera during the next season
of the metropolitan Opera Company.
The idea of such a contest originated
| in a proposition made by Gatti-Ca-
saZza to the board of directors about
two and half years ago.
The scene of the story of Mona" is
| laid in Britain during the Roman in
vasion. Gwynn, the son Of the Ro
man Governor and British captive.
has won place and power as a bard
among the Britains, moving them to
peace with the Romans, and is en-
gagged to marry Mona, the foster
daughter of Enya and Arth, the last
of the blood of Boadices. A great re-
bellion against Rome has been brewed
by Caradoc, a chief bard, and Gloom,
a Druid, and Mona, who is Gloorn's
foster sister, is called upon as leader,
! by right Of her birth and through old
signs and prophesies. She has been
bred to this purpose and hates Rome.
| This Gwynn tries to Withstand, but in
vain. Though he is for peace. he is
obliged to join in the conspiracy of
rebellion in order that he may keep
Mona and not be suspected as a spy.
However his desire for peace brings
him under suspicion. and he is dis
owned by the Britains and cast off
through the country, where she is
preaching rebellion and through his
influence as the SON of a Roman he
holds back. the Roman garrisons and
saves her life. For this his father,
the Governor, blames him, but Gwynn
persuades him that he will yet be able
to keep the tribes from war. The
Governor then places all the respon-
sibility Of peace upon him, promising
to spare the Britains if they remain
harmless, but threatening to crush
them if they rebel Gwynn finds Mona
on the eve of the first battle, and so
rouses her love for him that she is
willing to forego even her destiny for.
him. Then he tells her of his plans
for peace and of his parentage.
Without hearing him out, the wo-
man calls for help. and denounces him
as a Roman, though when the Brit
aims arrive she lies to save his life.
He is made a prisoner and the Brit
aims led by Mona, rush out against
the Roman town. They are repulSed,
and Arth is killed and Gloom is
wounded to death while saving Mona
against her will.
In the turmoil Gwynn escapes from
his eaptors and comes upon Mona
again. He now tells her more of his
parentage and Of his British mother,
but she believes him a liar. as she
formerly believed him traitor, and
kills him with her own hand. And
then come the Roman Governor and
his soldiers, and Mona. learns that
Gwynn. whom she has loved and kill
ed, spoke the truth, and might have
given her the power to encompass her
endeavors had she yielded for loves
sake.
Prof. Parker, the composer, has been
professor of music at Yale since 1894.
He has composed numerous oratorios
and cantatas and much In sacred and
secular music. His "Hora Novissima"
land, festival in 1899, the first Ameri-
can composition to be given at an
English musical festival