New-York tribune., 1912-03-24
MUSIC
AMERICAN OPERA REPEATED
An Enthusiastic Reception of
Mona" Its Beauties and
Some of It's Defects.

provocative of discussion than on the occa-
sion Of the original performance. The mere
record OF the incident must be set down In
terms highly complimentary to the creation
OF Messrs Hooker and Parker. fine
audience was in attendance; but that is
always the case of a Saturday afternoon.
The audience, however. showed unmistaka-
bly, by the manner in which IT followed
the performance that its attention was
wholly engrossed. its sympathy enlisted
and its admiration challenged. There were
dozens Of recalls for the performers after
the first and second acts. and when the
composer appeared time after time at the
first closing of the curtain and both com
poser and poet repeatedly at the second 1t
was plain that the opera has made strong
appeal 10 the public That appeal, despite
the flaws. which had TO be mentioned In
the first review and which need not. nor
can be. extenuated now, is wholly legiu-
mate; for Mona" is a lyric drama, full Of
beautiful strength a credit to its authors,
and has justified the patriotic action of
Signor Gatti-Casazza and the directors of
the Opera House in inviting its creation and
giving IT so effective a presentation. In
has been said in this place about the un-
ripeness and deficiencies Of the work. Its
defects were obvious again yesterday; but
it's merits stood out In higher relief. and
the last emotion left i'm the mind of the
critical listener was one of wonderment
that men who could create so well should
not have seen how little more was re-
Ouired to give their creation an excellence
which would have made II a permanent
addition 10 the Metropolitan repertory and
established status for English opera
which would compel universal recognition.
As II Is. whether Mona" lives or dies II
had delivered us from any possible invasion
Of dogeerel verse and operetta music OF
the Broadway type at the Metropolitan.
and this alone Is a proud achievement.
IT is gratifying that the work which
came out Of the competition victorious is
one which is stimulating and honorable to
the intellectual and aesthetic faculties of
our people. II Is true that opera lovers do
not flock TO the metropolitan 10 study
either social or political history. our
amiably cynical friend in Boston who
writes editorial comments FOR The New
Music Review" has Just delivered himself
Of 2 qulverful Of shafts on that point, OBJ
serving sarcastcallv (apropos OF the fact
that Bostonans are scdulously being
taught 10 regard opera as a mighty educa-
tloual force I'm announcement OF research
in history. biography, architecture. sociol-
osy. comparative religions, archaeology.
cthuology, etc, etc. that when Aida" is
performed classes ought TO discuss previ-
ba % To-
in the temple the historical costume OF the
dancers and their social status. whether
little blackamoors relieved the boredom Of
an Egyptian princess" and such Ike
things II s not likely that Mona" will
cause so much agitation OF the brain cells,
but II is yet something that It brings so
vivldlv before even the careless mind
picture Of Britain IN IT'S conflict with Rome
at "A period which IL full OF picturesque
ness: that II calls up thoughts OF Boadirea
and her Faliant though vain struggle TO
save her people from outrage. OF Druidc
fanaticism and OF ancient customs. Tts at
mosphere IS consistently archaic, though
Il Is surcharged with modern thought and
psychology which many will be tempted
TO consider fanciful II not fantastic We
y
probation OF the role OF Mona could be
improved upon histrlonically or musically.
She is a magnificent figure, splendid In
pose. I'm gesture and In voice. II she falls
to win the sympathy OF the audience in
the same measure that she compels its ad-
miration IL IL because the poet, while con-
fessedly trying to proclaim the womanly
mission OF woman, permits the feminine
instinct In Mona only n few brief ex-
pressions, and interrupts each one so rude
~ that 1t is impossible TO think OF her
otherwise than as the Judith which she
proclaims herself TO be I'm the first act
when she replies 10 Mails praise OF her
beauty
Beautiful VIII my beauty break the chain?
II ! might MAKE thereof charm TO snare
The leader Of our enemles-and then
While he leaned down and loved me strike
one stroke
Into his wolf-heart, and leave Britain
/ dream this; who shall make it more than
dream?
A judith? Nay. a worse than she. for
Judith killed the enemy OF her people to
save them. while Mona assassinates her
lover in a dastardly manner, after her cause
is lost. for mere revenge. There can be
no other motive except the fatalism of
which she f. the victim, and the manner
in which che gives Gwynne the death blow
robs her OF the last vestige OF sympathy
such as is called forth by the tragic hero
Inc even I'm the most awful Of Attic TRACE
dies.
Only once, before she realizes the failure
of her imagined mission. does she yield to
Dny,tIa Ynat ga In, tl. I,.,r.
OF the second act, when the woman In her
like Tennyson's mistaken but gentlcr
princess, answered to the voice OF love and
All
Her falser sch ldpt from her like a robe
And left her woman, loveler In her mood
Than in her mould that other when she
came
From barren deeps to conquer all with love
But even here it requires but word TO
loose the fanatical demon within her
These things like much else tell of the
OF the authors; but their au-
dacity sometimes leads TO surprising
achievements. II is pity that Mr.. Hooker
has seen tit to call Nal "changeling" for
the word has only two possible meanings
in ancient British folklore. a changelIng Is
"A weak and starvelIng elf, generally of great
age. who has been substituted by the fairies
for a human babe before christening In
mind changeling was also
the human child thus stolen, for Titania
has in her train
A lovely boy, stolen from an Indian King,
She never had so sweet a changeling
so sweet, indeed, was he as to excite
Oheron's jealousy But Nal is merely a
simpleton. a weakminded lad, a soulless
physical husk, as he thinks, who not only
propounds all the sound philosophy of his
people, but sees the aural envelope of all
the people of the play. All his talk about