The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-02-07
Gaelic Societies of New York City Making
Extensive Plans to Bring Out
Irish Opera
"Murgheis" Irish Opera by O'Brien Butler
Praised Singing in Irish by
Thomas Egan

If the Gaelic Society of New York
City has its we'll intentioned way,
grand opera in English will become an
insignificant item among the burning
questions of the day. That indefatig-
able organization persists in reminding
the sons of Erin. wherever they may
be, that they have native tongue and
that 1t sounds just as musical as any
other, provided the proper persons
speak or sing it.
Not content with emphasizing this
fact at every meeting in its club rooms,
the Gaelic Society held forth at 4Eolian
Hall for the night of January "a, and
Thomas Egan, the Irish tenor, demon
strated that some of the tenderest and
most beautiful music has been written
by Irishmen and around Irish subjects.
Mr.. Egan sang some of his songs in
Gaelic, and If the society finally wins
its point. it will consider that it has
achieved it's first signal victory in maxi
ing the language popular.
Grand opera in Irish is bit of a
far cry, but grand opera in Ireland is
All established fact, and for a long time
it has been sung there in English. But
there is actually one grand opera writ
ten in the Irish language which has
been pronounced by leading musicians
to be among the best efforts Of modern
composers, and that is "Murgheis," !"
written by O'Brien Butler, and pub
lished by firm of German music pub.
fishers. At one time, nothing amused
vaudeville audiences more than the
suggestion by some sketch team" that
the Irish and the Germans would never
affiliate, but the above combination Is
suggestive of an entente cordialc that
is interesting, to say the least.
"Murgheis" has had successful
hearing at the Theatre Royal, in Dub
lin, and another grand opera in the
Irish text. by O'Dwyer, a native COM
poser, is under way.
OF course there are few people who
do not know of Sullivan's operas of
the lighter kind, or Balfe's bohemian
Girl" but the general public may be
less familiar with the names Of Stan
ford, Benedict and Wallace, all Irish
composers, who have written charming
light opera.
Victor Herbert, perhaps the fore
most composer of English grand opera
of the present day. is native Irish
man, and two noted Irish tenors, John
Mccormack and Thomas Egan, have
figured most prominently in European
grand opera in recent years, the form
er in London and the latter on the
Continent.
Grand opera has never been promi-
nently associated with the idea of Ire
land, and when most people think of
her music they recall few ballads and
old folk songs, but as a matter of fact,
Ireland has heard and shown her ar
dent appreciation of most of the great
est operas and singers for many gen.
erations.
In the days when Covent Garden
Opera House in London ranked even
higher than 1t does today among the
great opera houses of the world, it was
the regular custom to supplement the
season there by visit to Ireland. The
Theatre Royal of Dublin was then the
scene Of brilliant meetings between
music and society, and the splcndor
of the ladies' gowns and jewels and the
beauty of their faces would compare
favorably with any present-day audi
ence in the Metropolitan. In these
days, when the Irish Parliament no
longer convenes in Dublin there is
less social life, but Dublin hopes for
a return of her old regal days when
home rule becomes an established fact
Since the Covent Garden Opera Com.
pany ceased it's visits to Ireland other
companies have taken its place. the
Carl Rosa company and the Moody
Manners company. During the last few
seasons, like an echo of the old Covent
Garden days, the Royal Italian. Opera
Company of Drury Lane, London, has
made an annual visit to Ireland, and
upon the last occasion, the leading
tenor was Thomas Egan.
An Irishman at the head of an Ital
ian opera company does not seem like
a revolution, but think of granG
opera company organized and run by
an Irishman with the name of O'Mara
chiefly for the purpose Of producing
Wagnerian operas in ireland.
hycN