New-York tribune., 1912-04-21

American opera. Mona" was the result
and the Parker Hooker work emerged be-
fore the public during the last season
After its performance some wiseacres
shook their heads. whereupon an answer
6,r.ct and immediate, came last week from
he same board Of directors. This was the
statement that the coming season would
%. the production Of another opera IN
Engilsh-"Cyrano de Bergerac'-m music by
Walter Darnrosch, IbrettO by William j.
Henderson.
There are few men IN the American
r.v,paper world better known than VIII
lam Henderson. Long ago he was star
reporter on The Tribune. As a writer on
yachting and nautical matters he has a
widespread reputation. and since 1857 he has
h..n music critic. first Of "The Times" and
later OF "The Sun" His mordaTt pen IS
both admired and feared by all IN the
musical and operatic world, and when the
announcement was made that II was ne
who had written the libretto TO Mr.. Dam
rosch's opera Il was pretty universally
acknowledged that II would be difficult IN
deed TO find better man. Mr.. Hender-
sons literary style and musical knowledge
are unquestioned, but he possesses some
thing more, something peculiarly necessary
10 the opera librettist, something that such
lbrettists have too often lacked-a practl-
cal knowledge Of the theatre. Mr.. Hender-
son was born and lived in the atmosphere
Of the playhouse and comes Of long line
Of theatrical forbears. Let him tell his
story as he told It 10 a Tribune reporter
who found him in his apartment in the
Hotel Gerard the day after the announce
nent Of the acceptance Of his opera His
eesinning was Enthusiastically modest.
Il don't want the impression TO go
abroad that this is I'm any way my opera,
said Mr.. Henderson. 1T IS Mr. Dam
roSch's it was his idea, and my libretto
Is his. wrote it simply because he asked
me. OF course. this does not mean that /
am not intensely interested in It's success,
but only that that success will be due to
Mr. Damrosch. 1t was about eleven years
ago that Mr. Damrosch came TO me and
asked me II ] would write him libretto
ior grand opera. ! replied that l would
not. whereupon he told me that he had an
excellent idea for one and suggested Ros-
lands 'Cyrano de Bergerac.' ] had always
greatly admired the French poets work
ana at once believed that l saw possbili-
ues In his 'Cyrano' for operate treatment.
euch was the birth OF my libretto.
PosTPoNEMENT OF PRODUCTION.
After had completed it Mr. Damrosch
se' TO work on the music. which he finished
within year But affairs in those days
we're not as favorable for American opera
as tney x uynrk aDnaTpntlV
soon belonged to the realm Of things for
tol ] myself had almost forgotten it,,
mough had heard that Mr. Damrosch had
practically rewritten the music Then,
Qute 10 my astonishmeut, ! heard rumOrs
u'st The Metropolitan thought Of producing
~ fumors which l did not at first believe.
finally 1t was decided TO give it, and
"i'' Amato is to sing the title part j
earnestly hope for It's success, both for Mr..
Ddhioschs sake and for the encourage
'"CN VIII give young American com
sOSeIs' encouragement which they need.
-"e board Of directors Of the Metropolitan
Sna It's artistic director, Mr.. Gatti- Casazza,
s,Ser'e the gratitude Of the American peo-
pe ior their efforts to encourage a native
oDeratic art
believe that such an art can be fos-
c only by the production Of works by
auYe composers, and not by the translat-
q. e Vi foreign librettos into English When
as recently objected to Mr.. Gatti- -Casazza
e'o mat In Berlin all operas were sung
- "ernan, he replied that they were only
s 80 because the Berlin opera was not
-. enough TO keep artists Of different
'ahtles. and that II 1t was rich
p'Dsh 1t would be only too glad to give
,,' 'S IN the tongue for which they were
'','eh' Mr.. Gatti-Casazza was right, and
c - Only the Metropolitan and Covent
~iueh which are able to give operas
N this fashion. once heard Faust In
g. s1.sh' .s and II was. perfectly ridiculous,
~'Se Who heard Oscar Hammersteins S