The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-03
REAL COMPOSER
AND NEW OPERA
"EAmOre del Tire Re" Has
First Performance in
This Country.
WORK rs SUCCESSFUL
Tragic Poem in Three Acts
at Metropolitan Arouses
Enthusiasm.
FINE LITERARY QUALITY
TibrcttO Much Above the Aver
age and the Music is
Almost Ideal.


A Young Girl............ sophie Braslau
An Old Woman Maria Duchene
Youth. .Piotro Audisio
'TAmore del Ire Re-" tragic poem in
three acts by Sem Beneli. music by
ltalo MontemeEzi, was performed for the
iiirt time Ia this country at the Metro
poltan Opera House last evening. The
work was produced at La Scala Theatre,
Milan. last winter and had real sue
cess. 1t has been performed in various
Italian opera houses and everywhere has
aroused the enthusiasm of the country
men of the poet and the composer. That
IL will be received in this city with
general approval ought to be the result.
for the opera is one of high and un-
usual merits.
Sem Benelli, the author. is one of the
young generation OF Italian writers. and
is regarded in his own land as master.
Those who are better fitted to discuss his
poem In its original form than il the
present writer unite in declaring that the
Italian verse possesses fine literary
quality. Much of this persists even in
the unsatisfying garb of an English
translation.
Beneili Is a dramatic poet and "L'Amore
del Tire Re" was written originally as a
play. The lbretto of the opera Is a
carefully prepared condensation of the
original text. His still greater tragedy.
La Cena dele Beffe," is accepted in
Italy as a masterpiece. 1t was once per-
formed in Paris. Sarah Bernherdt acting
principal role. but In its French guise
Il was not successful.
Montemezzi is "a young man born near
Florence. He composed two operas be-
fore this both failures. Not daunted.
however he developed this new score
from incidental music made for Benefits
tragedy. and his third adventure showed
that while he had not yet perchance dis
closed the full possibilities OF his talent
he has acquired Il large knowledge OF
technc OF the theatre.
These facts are set forth to show tina,
serious forces were operating in the Gre
alton OF this new lyric drama. The II.
brettO is many degrees above the leve
upon which conventional opera books
move. Benefits tragedy Is one Of i'm.
mense power. Of innate human vitality
throbbing with emotions and showing fun.
mental passions flaming In all their de-
structive activity.
As food for music II is almost ideal ir
that its development Is psychologist, not
pictorial. The tragedy lies in what th'
personages feel rather than in what they
do. Yet the scenic inyestture and tbs
external movement Of the play are char
acter,stic. The drama has always tina
indescribable quality called atmosphere.
two edged sword.
story on Old Lines.
II Is the old story Of the human tr
angle, but it Is not viewed from the mos
worn point. II Is treated with directnes'
but with unfaiiing expertness and will
sustained virility. The scene IL laid in
castle in medieval Italy forty years afte
barbarian invasion. The author hal
been too wise to cucumber himself Will
mass of historical detail. His storl
stands alone.
The heroine Is young princess VIII,
has been taken from her own people ant
her lover to become the bride of the in
yader's son. Thus should peace be mad
more secure and amity brought Ia dwell
with victors and vanqu'shed. But tn
old love will not die and the young brid
gives herself to her lover In the absence
Of her husband
In the tragedy Of the ancients fat
hung upon the footsteps of the erring
IN this modern work the appalling agen
Of fate Is the father of the husband.
blind old king. whose deadly ears inform
him Of movements hidden from his va
cant eyes. In the first act he discover
the presence of the lover In the house ant
learns from the tremor OF the bride
hands that she lies to him. In the secon
act ne falls upon the guilty pair wrappe
in close embrace and this time the girl
lies avail her not Then boldly she con
fesses all and he. wrought to madness
strangles her.
In the third act the woman lies upo
her bier in the chapel OF the castle an
father and son have placed poison on he
Inns that the lover. certain to steal las
kiss. shall perish. This indeed comes I
pass, but the husband, realizing that hi
love still lives to agonize him. also kisse
the fatal lips and falls dying in he arm
,hf,h au n
the mortal struggle Of the lover.
This is indeed n tragedy, and one who's
gloom is in the telling rather than in tn
acting; for on the stage 1t publishes II
self as a heroic revelation OF primal emo
TONS The tremendous second act Nigh
we'll, indeed be the saving grace of
play less admirable than this In the othe
two The drama Is in the hands OF III
four principal personages A servant I
the castle, one OF the conquered peopl'
aids in the deception of the old king an
the husband. but his Significance is Sigh
The chorus is utilized In the last act I
make mourning around the bier and o
the stage to sing the solemn requiem {
tho church
Music IL Important.
. Montemezzi's music Is of Importance
many respects. but perhaps In none MOI
than In ts complete freedom from me In
fiusrce of Puccni. The young compose
should not hastily be set down rs a 70
lower OF any other master He is rattle
to DO regarded ~ eclectic selecting frol
the huge mass OF materials left by n
predecessors patterns, methods and sur
gestions which seemed to him TO be mo-
thoroughly in keeping with the spirit
the story and most likely TO provide hi
with freedom of style leading him IA
toward true individuality OF utterance.
First Of all he writes always melodiol
music, and most of the time he cllngs
simple tonalities. Occasionally behind
melody diatonic in its outlines he puts
background of changeful harmonies. II
employs cross rhythms with easy master
but more potent spells are worked wit
insiktent repetltions Of characteristic III
ue0A su,h - that initiating the haltin