Norwich bulletin., 1912-11-20

EaSt T9FIIoros
 Burton Emerson Leavitt, A. widely known as the composer of several sue
 cessful light operas. died at his homG
 in this city Tuesday at Il o'clock, his illness having dated from last Janu- ary. Since that time all medical and surgical attention failed to permanent ly check the malady that afflicted him, though last summer, at a Worcester hospital, he underwent an operation that it was hoped would be the means of effecting a cure.
 MT. LeaVitt was born in Scotland, Conn.,, the son of Mason w. and Jen- nie (Martin) Leavitt. In the common schools of that town he obtained the | foundation for his education, which
 was extended in Windham high school | at Willimantic, and at Yale university, where he was graduated in 1893, with l the degree of A.B.. returning the fol- | lowing year for postgraduate work, re- | ceiving in 1894 the degree of bachelor | of music.
 l Soon after this time, MT. Leavitt, with his parents, came to this town to make his home and began to give almost exclusive devotion to hls musi- cal work.
 | tion of six operas. the first of which
 was brought out and presented for the first time at Willimantic, when he was but sixteen years of age. Following in order came Charter Oak; The Idyll
 of the Mill; Bell Rock; Ponce de Leon and Tea Tefhi. This last work, grand
 opera, the most pretentious of any
 thing MT. Leavitt had ever attempted was copyrighted only three weeks ago
 and has never been produced. NasoL w. Leavitt, the young composers ia
 ther, said Tuesday afternoon that Tes | Tefhi was easily his sons master piece, the music showing that charm
 and brilliancy that had come with th' | development of the composers talent . All the operas were founded on his torical or semi historical themes anC the five that have been produced il
 a great many places throughout NeV
 England and in many sections of NeY
 York state met with fine reception and immediate successes Of so ibera a nature as to make them not only ar 5 tistic but financial triumphs. In man, | I places and for number of years tn I rehearsals and preparation and stag ing of the operas, most frequently un 5 der the auspices of churches or organ izations in the towns and cities wher | l they were given. were under the per [ l sonal direction of MT. LeaVitt and hi
 l father. the latter also sharing in tn < production of the operas, the senio ' MT. Leavitt having written much C . the libretto in all of the five first pro z duced, while the composer gave flu [ attention to the lyrical features U | though suggesting the lines alon Il which his father was to work. The Frogs of Wlndham, of cours | 3rf1 Hai,1 tba tia y of the famous Windham frog fgh ' Charter Oak was inspired from inter '' esting pages in Connecticut histor. The scenes of the Idyll of the Mill al laid here in Putnam, the story of a q old miller who went to the war an V of the usurer who, while the millt was away, tried to Shylock the ol
 soldier out of his picturesque proI erty.
 Il Ponce de Leon, one of the most elat II crate of the dead composers opera U was founded on the story of the fs d nous search for the fountain of pel n petual youth. Tea Tefhi, the title u e name of an Irish princess. is based ( II incidents in English history, bearir n n ] on the relations of England with Ir, s land. When this work will be prt - duced Is now very uncertain, b 's when the time does come It will pronounced the most perfect of M
 Leavitts musical achievements
 Aside from his musical endeavol ,t MT. Leavitt was also a writer of bri re liancy, and though very few peor D. here knew of the fact, he has 1r about three years back been the edit Iv of quarterly magazine devoted ,n Anglo-Israel themes, Our Race, pu D. 1ished at New Haven.
 l. In politics, MT. Leavitt was an a 1s dent socialist, honored by his par 1- 1 with the nomination; a few years az
 for representative in congress, al D. during the last two state campaig ss with the nomination for representa- a in the legislature from this town. ] hs was an able, forceful and reasoni he | advocate of his party's theories ,e government.
 MT. Leayitt had never marie
 making his home with his parents. nd whom he was devoted. He was ty member of Putnam lodge of Elks a e. a model member of that great orga or ization-the brotherhood of man.