Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-05-01
AMERICAN MUSICIANS VS.. EURO
PEAN

AMERICAN MUSICIANS VS.. EURO
From the New York Evening Post)
The recent production of Mr.. Walter
"Cyrano de Bargerac" has
led an indignant critic in one OF our
weekles, whose loyalty to things Amer
lean exceeds his discretion, to assert that
this opera would have been over
whelming success If its composer had
only been a foreigner, or II 1t had but
come before the Metropolitan's audience II
with the prestige of n European produce
ton. To this was added a general wall L
that was once frequently heard in the l
land, to the effect that there Is no hope I
for any American composer or musician
who has not got an unpronounceable for
e!gn name. or been a favorite of kings
and queens The stamp of approval Of
Europe, 1t Is asserted, not only is essen I
tial to success, but gives an ephemeral
success to foreign composers who are not
on their merits entitled to It.
To all Of this we would enter a general |
denial. Whatever truth there may have
been in It at one time, there is virtually
none to-day. We now have in New York
as discriminating q musical pubic as Is
to be found anywhere. 1t could III no
wise be prevailed upon to slight an Am
erican composer of merit, for 1t is ever in
search Of musical novelties and is ac-
tually predisposed to favor home talent
Ample proof of this IS seen in the sue
cess OF Mcdowell. His music made its
way here into the affections of all music
lovers before It found favor in foreign
concert halls; and so did the work of
Parker and Chadwick. Victor Herberts
and Reginald De Koven's original oper-
| ettas-notably the lattcr's robin Hood
and Rob Roy"--achieved a tremendous
| popularity In this country without any
foreign advertising or glamour to help
| them Is It to be believed that Mr.. Her
bert's "Natoma," which, by the way. has
! thus far been produced 80 tines did not
achieve greater success because Of its
not having been heard abroad first? AS
a matter of fact, the American opera
composer gets a hearing a little easier
than a foreigner, as instanced by the
/ performance of the work of young Bos-
ton musician, whose several productions
have wholly failed to interest the public.
AS for "Cyrano," the librettist. Mr.. Hen
derson, has himself written of it that lit
is not at all likely that any one will fall
into the error of believing that Mr. Dam
rosch has added a masterpiece to the
| .,allerv of oneratic creations" Unfor-
| tunatelv the American public demands
masterpieces. from whatever source they
may come
Let us suppose. however that "Cyrano"
, had had the nathos the charm the orig
| inality the dramatic power and force OF
..Madama Butterfly" Here was an opera
first produced as If il were an operetta
by an American opera company which
gave il week after week in a New York
theater and then toured the country with
IT, Does any one believe that this sue
cess was due to its Italian origin? Was
it Puccinis name that achieved the oper-
attic miracle of compelling the Metropolis
tan to take it IN after it had had a theat-
rical success and to give to its interpre-
tation three such wonderful artists as
Scott. F'arrar, and Caruso? No, it was a
masterpiece and It would, therefore, have
had the same career had it been written
by a Damrosch or a Parker or Con
verse Its popularity grows year by year,
il is invariably given before crowded
houses. and it is as much a fixture in
operatic repertory as any modern opera
that can be named. Finally, If things
; American were tabooed, would not its
; American plot have hurt it?
' Coming to the performers, is it not true
that some foreign artists who have Come
} here with great regulations have fallen
absolutely fiat? Is not the Metropolitan
orera housa known as the graveyard of
} ,,,ai,r ranutationsoWa could cite one
.,,t -, tho o,or, and +uo IN tho con-
a,. s,o,a ,bis winter uhosa nrelInninarv
a,,r,-h of ,rurnne,s availed thep, mn at
OH M, rho otber bano artists like Ysaye.
IIraisIer and Madame Culp succeed i'm
,rodiatoIv because of their ruperb art and
,or ma otb.r reason on the other side of
tba Atlantic tbe discriminatory character
-, American musical judgement is clearly
oy,dorcad nv the eaperness OF foreigners
10 NAV and sing in this country. There
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