The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-21
"ALONE AT LAST"
AT The SHUBERT
New Operetta by Lehar Is
Full of Melody Of the
viennese Type.
BOOK NOT UP TO SCORE
BOOK NOT UP TO SCORE

There were a lot Of cooks concerned
III supplying the froth at the shubert
Tneatre last night-the musical froth
known on the programme as Alone at
Lasw There was. frst and foremost.
frans L<har. who composed ire score OF
TINS new operetta. Then there were the
Foreign chefs. DIR. wilmer and Robert
bodanxky OF Vienna. Arthur Podanzky.
conductor Of the Wagner opera. a, the
metropolitan Opera House. IL the
brother or this Joint llbrettist, II one
happens to be interested in such things.
On the musical side there are inter.
polations by Gaetano Merola, who con-
Quoted the orchestra. Then there 10 the
English text by Edgar Smith and 10.
seph Herbert. with additional lyrics BIZ
Matthew Woodward. Certainly Roy At.
well wrote one OF his songs, and there
was music by Silvio Helm to
ITS d lines. Thus the mountains 10.
bored.
Why Is the operetta text usually 80
inferior to the msic? Or is 1t in realit,
30 much less praiseworthy? 1t Is not
necessary to possess the least technical
knowledge to be convinced that one 10
bored. On the other hand, music may
be soothing. even II 1t is made in a way
mat would shock the least profound
musician. II Ia therefore the misfortune
Of the libret.ist that his shortcominRs
are perceptible to the unframed spec.
tator.
story Of Switzerland.
The four writers named have pro.
duced a story In three acts with the
seeing Europe" atmosphere. which 10
always the result OF the presence of
guides and American tourists. a back
ground or Swiss mountains and an in
ternational love affair In which an Aus
train baron disguised as an Alpine guide
pursues an American heiress through
various scenes to various snowclad
heights and finally wins her. The action
literally assembled the JunGfrau. begin
ming In q hotel garden at Interlaken
ana ending In the lounge of the same
establishment. But the second act had
shown the lovers at Murren. then on
the trail. and finally on the
peak In . snowstorm. alone at last.
Joseph Benrimo and Albert Foster were
implicated In the production of the
operetta, which Mas very expertly put
before the public. The dance move
ments were novel and very ingenious.
Honors last Light were abou equally
divided between the composers and the
army OF librettists. II LehAr seemed
TO deserve any credit 1t Is because poor
jokes make a more disagreeable noise
than poor music. II the score Of Alone
At Last Ia a specimen of what the
Austrian composer a accomplish to-
day he In altogether written out. The
waltz song which Miss Namara SANG
in the first act has some suggestion OF
Lehar's old gayety II melody. But the
rest OF II is sadly mechanical and spirit
less. Having no longer the inspiration
TO write light music he closes the sec
ond act with a tic scene which IL
undressing in ts.lf and altogether out
of place.
Little Music In First Act.
There In a scant supply of music in the
hrst act, which was an arid Sahara OF
Keystone comedy and futile attempts at
wit etween the musical numbers with
which 1t opened and closed. In the sec
ond act Mr.. Atwell's amusing couplets
about the relentless microbe that caught
YOU whatever you ait added some gayety
to the scene. 1t might be said. however.
that the supply OF verses to this ditty
was ample. Mr.. Atwell had not been
taken unawares. He was throughout
the evening quite az comic as his oppor-
tunities allowed. The same Ia true Of
Harry COnor, who contrived to be funny
on many occasions as a valetudinarian.
a style or part In which he IL historic
cally l~auehable.
But for the admirable manner in
which the Shuberts had produced .'Alon
at Last there might have been less
chance of success for the work. 20 them
must 60 all the credit OF the undertake
ing. John Charles Thomas's agreeable
barytone. the vivacious acting OF Jose
collins. the singing of Nine. Namara.
whicn Is above the average OF operetta.
and the excellent orchestra impaired to
the work what interest IL possessed for
the audience. Then the scenic pictures
were attractive. But Lehar as a trade
mark will cease to possess value II this
sort OF music In the best that the COM
poser can offer to-day to his admirers.