Arizona republican., 1913-03-16
Sir Roger at the Opera
(From the Spectator,


 It is my design in this paper to deliver down to posterity faithful account of the Italian opera and of the gradual progress which has upon the English stage for there is no question but great grandchildren will be very curious to know the reason why their forefathers used sit together like an audience foreigners in their own country, and to hear whole plays acted before them in tongue which they did understand
 Arsinoe" was the first opera that gave d taste of Italian music The great this opera met with produced some attempts of form ing pieces upon Italian plans which should give a more natural and reasonable entertainment than what can be met with in the elabortae trifles of that nation. This alarmed the poetasters and fiddlers of the town, who were used to deal in a more ordinary kind of ware; and therefore laid down an established rule, which is received as such to this day.
 That nothing capable of being well set to music that is nonsensc"
 This maxim received than immediately fell translating Italian operas; and as there was no great danger of hurting the sense of these extraordinary pieces authors would often make words of their own which were entirely foreign to the meaning the passages they pretended to translate; their chief being to make the numbers of the English answer to those of the Italian, that both of them might "Camille'
 Barbara si intendo" etc.
 "Barbarous woman. yes, I know your meaning, which expresses the resentments of lover translated into that English lamenta ton:
 'FraiI a lovers hopes,"
 And it pleasant enough to the most refined persons of the British nation dying away' and languishing notes that filled with a spirit of rage and indignation It happened also very frequently where the sense was rightly translated. the necessary transposton of words, which were drawn out of the phrase of tongue into that of another, made the music appear very absurd in tongue that was very natural in the other. I remember Italian verse that thus, word
 And turn'd my rage into pity!" which the English rhymes sake translated.
 And into pity turn'd my rage
 By this means the soft notes that were adapted to pity in the Italian fell upon the word in the English: and the angry sounds that were turned in the original press pity in the translation. It oftentimes hap pened otherwise, that the finest notes in the air fell upon the most insignificant words in the sentence have known the word and" pursued through the whole gamut, have been entertained with many meodous the" and have heard the most beautiful graces, quavers and divisions be slowed then Tor" and from" the eternal honor of our English particles.
 The next step to our refinement the in troducng of Italian actors into opera who sang their parts in their own language. at the time that countrymen performed theirs in native tongue The king hero of the play generally spoke in Italian and his slaves answered him in English The lover frequently made his court and gained the heart of his princess, in language which she did not under stand. one would have thought it very difficult have carried dialogues after this manner without interpreter between the persons that conversed together; but this the of the English stage about three years.
 At length the audience grew tired of under standing half the opera and therefore ease themselves entirely of the fatigue of thinking, have ordered it al present that the whole opera is performed in unknown tongue. We no longer understand the language stage insomuch that l have often been afraid when have Italian performers chatterng in the Vehemence of action, that they have been calling names and abusing among them selves but I hope, since put such a entire confidence in them, they will not talk against before faces. though they may do it with the safety if they behind backs. In the meantime l cannot forbear thinking how naturally d historian who writes three hundred years hence, and who does know the of his wise forefathers will make the following refecOns
 In the beginning of the Eighteenth century the Italian tongue well understood in England that operas acted the public stage that language"