The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-21
Aborn's English Grand Opera Com
 Dany

The Aborn English Grand Opera coni- pany, which comes to the Jefferson thea ire for two performances next Friday, is hlling an unique place in musical fields, being about the only organization of im- portance now on tour presenting grand opera in the English language Prior to last season the Aborns had been pre- senting this art form in a few cities oniy. limiting their attentions to long runs dur ing the past ten years in New York, Bos- ton, Philadelphia, Chicago and few other cities. When the Aborn company made it's first general tour last season
 it found a hearty greeting everywhere. and is consequently equipped this year on a more elaborate scale as to cast, chorus and orchestra as well as in seer cry. costumes and effects.
 The offering for the special Friday mat inee will be Giuseppe Verdis dramatic and beautiful "I Trovatore" the most pop ular of all that wonderful composers fa- nous works as well as one of the greatest favorites of the entire grand opera list. This tuneful work, produced first half century ago, was success from the start and it's vogue grew with each subsequent season, until it became the most unfai- ing attraction of it's kind, and today it is presented more often in the famous musi- cal temples all over the world than any other opera. old or new. At the Metro politan in New York it is given many times each season, often on Saturday y nights, on account of it's great general ap- peal. and it is considered one of Caruso' s best operas it's score containing the best possible display for that great tenor 8 remarkable talents. ''Il Trovatore' has all of the elements of general popularity
 in both it's score and ibretto; great wealth of melodies of the most striking and fluent kind, effective and dramatic passages and other musical beauties tha, can be easily recognized by the ordinary music lovers. and a story replete with in- terest. romance. action, heart interesr and character.
 The presentation on Friday night will be Giacomo Puccini's beautiful master piece, Madam Butterfly not only one of the most famous works of all the mod ern composers, but probably the most successful and popular opera produced within the past decade. When this com position was brought out first a few years ago. 1t immediately captured the en- tire musical world, for it has the double appeal of scholarly workmanship in its score, which wins the approval of the most critical listeners, together with ex- quisite melodies, melodic beauties which can be enjoyed and appreciated by the average person with little or no musical education. Added 10 all this the story is one of the most romantic ever incorporat- ed into a grand opera libretto. founded on the play of the same name. which was one of Belasco's greatest successes. The drama, by David Belasco and John Luther Long, was founded on one of Long s charming short stories of Japan, and the libretto for the opera was constructed to follow the same plot, scenes and dramatic sequences as they had already given in the play.
 In the Aborn touring company, the double cast system is followed affording two singers of each description, who dI- vide with each other the eight perform ances of each week, each artist appearing at every second performance.