New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-09-16

vessel is substituted for French verse.
These are facts: incontrovertible. endur-
ing. because they rest upon the genius
of national art They are not 10 be set
aside 10y appeal TO any popular forum.
What remains Of the question Of Ian
suage is the effectiveness and eXpediency
Of the compromise Of singing foreign Cp-
cras IN tho voinacular. for AS yet We are
not confronted with the prospect OF Eng
( lsh opera in English. That and the old
one. which h not an aesthetic question at
all. except ne athetics arc involved In the
matter Of translation whether or not Eng
lish can be sung SO as TO be Ineligible.
Except when the methods Of the COM
poser. intervene and the difficulties are
enhanced by the translator English con
bc aruculafcd I'm song as well as any
other language. II can be. Any one Cf
"A dozen operetta soubrcttes IN New York
proves that every night; but AS rule II
l. not IN serious opera Why2 Partly
because Of the stilled and awkward
phrase of operate speech, partly because
Of the Alterations of the singers; partly
because or the singers lack OF inte'h-
gence partly because OF their want OF
training. chargeablc IN a measure 10 their
want Of opportunity.
The Century Company's experiment viii
help Us 90 form a conclusion as 70 the
value Of this compromise IL viii also
demonstrate whether or not there Is
large enough demand for opera AT lower
prices than those eXacted at the Metro
politan Opera House to justify the exist
encc of two operate institutions. enc
10 hf haS If
as artistic Offering: one democratic In
prices and performance. T'herc are sew
era' phases OF this question. Is opera
50 admired and desired by the multitude
that IL will be supported for its o"n sake?
Does the multitude care so much for the
song that IT will be content with some
thing considerably short Of the best IN
the singer? Is serious opera really
popular form Of entertainment? Can II
live without the help Of fad and fashion,
VIII performances, necessarily mediocre
though never 50 worthy and credltAbie'
be accepted because they do not cost so
much Al performances in which the ga
mour OF great names and fames' niue"
pomp ia the audience room and on the
stage are cOusorted with great perfectioh
I'm the representation?
We shall see. Perhaps some features
which DO not look altogether wise now VIII
be modified as the experiment goes OIL
To those who view the situation ~ the
ught Of long experience it may seem 40
IL the challenge were in some respects
too daring Perhaps the management ""
I learn that Il il expecting very great
! deal indeo.l 10 expect an opera TO at
/ tract a remuuerstive audience for seven
: successive nights and one afternoon, even
/ i'm New York The attractive power
which the Metropolitan opera eXerts over
all the strangers within New York's gates
will not De duplicated by the Century
/ Cpera. whose transient clientele VIII nave
/ TO come from the sincere music. or. better
opera. lovers who visit the city. Ana
] they Nave much else to divert Their AZ
| tention. VIII operagOers who kno" no"
great the artistic eXactons OF operas 50
4 widely diverse as "Rigoletto' and IT'S
tan und Isolde" are be content with the
representations which they are hkeIy !"
receive at the Century Theatre? Ihese
and many other things are to 10 IN
folded 10 us. The purpose ~ praise
worthy: the effort sincere. There VIII
be nothing but rejoicing II the expert
! ment succeeds. H. L. n