New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-01-06
WOLF--FERRAR| TALKS
Has Not Heard His Works Sung
in italian, as Written.
CASA RICCORDI PREVENTED
Latest Work Differs from LIE
Dome Curiose"- American
Wife His Interpreter.

Ermanno Wolf Ferrari, the composer Of
lie Dome Curiose.' who arrived on the
Lusitania yesterday, received the report
ers In the afternoon at the Metropolitan
Opera House Mr.. Wolf-Ferrari said he
was exceedingly anxious to hear the pro-
duction of his opera this afternoon, mas
much as he had never heard any OF his
works in Italian, the language for which
they were written This. he said. was
owing TO the fact that he had German in
stead of an Italian publisher and that Until
recently the Casa Riccordi was supreme in
Italy and nothing could be produced with
out IT'S assent. He explained his position
in this respect through his wife. who Is an
American.
Until recently" said Sgnora Wolf-Ter
rari. my husband was unable to get his
works produced in Italy owing to the
monopoly held by the Records, but lately
that monopoly has been weakened and the
German publishers have entered the held
This weakening is partly due to the fact
that Puccini's The Girl of the Golden
West has been failure in Italy.
MY husband has now for two years
been begged by the Records to allow
them to become his publishers, but he has
refused, as their eXactions he has not con-
sdered fair He has made Sonzongno the
agent for his Niennese publishers as re-
CARDS The Secret of Suzanne but he has
withheld his Jewels of the Madonna his
latest work, wishing TO see it produced
first in Germany and America
Mr. Wolf-Ferrari said his Jewels Of the
Madonna" was a very different type Of
opera from lie Dome CuriOse.'
eft is much more dramatic" h. said,
"and | have interviewer many Neapolitan
airs. I shall be so happy to have my works
sung in Italian, as l have always heard
them in German TRANSACTIONS and | do not
like the German method Of singing.
LAS to modern tendencies in music, 1t is
hard to express an opinion. There is to-
day in Italy a struggle going on between
drama and music in opera, a struggle
which has always existed and always will
In Don Giovanni and in Tristan we
find at different epochs a most perfect
blending so that it seems TO me impos-
sible 10 say that either drama or music
will ever be supreme. Debussy. | feel
places too much emphasis on the dramatic
side, though il he took lihrettos that were
less vague ] think there would come a
change in his music.
IL believe that a man should write sub
jectively, from what is i'm him. and If he
has any originality 1t will then come out.
Originality is, after all, only the result of
long suppressed desires, and it cannot be
forced.
LAS for my method Of work. | work six
months and dream and rest six When
work I work continuously, even in bed,
when / think out my characters and the
music belonging TO them. 1 have written
some chamber music, but it is not what
am really interested in. ] have brought
over a religious cantata which | hope to
have produced In some church.
LAS 10 whether l am an italian or Ger
man. | am both. l live wherever | happen
to be. mostly in hotels, at least recently.
| never want to think where l am going to
get my next meal, provided l get it. When
] first began to write ! put my work away
without trying to get it produced, as the
work itself was to me its own reward