New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-05
Chinese Lyric Drama Is
Found Lacking III
Music of the Orient.
OPERA ADAPTED FROM
CAT AND THE CHERUB'
onie Walkuere" Was Given at
the Special Afternoon
Performance.
r, II. +. kREHBIEL.

deed. been announced in the pros
pec.gs. b.. the proclamation Of ITS
sor,rr vrs NOT loud enough 70 cause
s,r-me-t ol even 10 arouse curiosity.
Something might have been done in
Moth directions by less discreet man
,rcmer' tor the opera had had Lon
Ion production in which artists sd
nired n New York had taken part and
the play on which u is based was an
American production, had been seen in
New York. and had even won that dis
trc.ior. cuylsbie from an advertising
MONT OF view. o. having been the sub
feet srd cause OF litigation. The play
vas e. r. ICrnsld's The Cat and the
Cheruh.' vh Ich was one o. the features
81 the theatrical season Of 1S97-ls9S.
rhen 5, was produced az the Olympic
Theatre Thence il found its way in
;be sane season 10 London. and there
an Italian NbIettiSt. Camille Zsnoni,
and 81 Italian musician, Franco Leoni,
tanned +. into an opera, which, with
Miss Doralda. Mr.. Scott and Mr.. Dial
mores !. The cast. was performed few
times ;a June. 1905, al the Royal Opera,
IN Coyent Garden.
Our records 60 no further. II may
have been performed elsewhere, but
apparently .t went the way Of hun
dred Italian operas produced mean
while. Leori had had a previous hear
ing IN London in an opera called lib
and Lit..e Christina" which had failed
20 carry his name and fame across the
Atlantic. Perhaps the same fate would
nave bcfaicE "L'Orscolo" had there
rot been evidences for years that the
Metropolitan management has long been
looking for one-sct thriller or
So Lrv vv.fn II h1oh "a the
way for Caruso in "Pagliacci.' The
futile effort with Victor Herbert's
Madeleine in which MIR. Gatti paid a
forry compliment 20 American compos-
trs and The patrons of the Me,ropol
ran viii readily come 10 mind. Also
the attempt 10 dignity that attempt by
the statement that il was booked for
performance in Paris Those prom
i,es have gone the way Of the shows
Of ycStcrycBr. So, VIC fancy, viii 20
the new opera. though 1t has more 10
commend il, dramatically and musi-
eslly.
Mr. Fc--ald's play had more 20 com
mend 10 20 New York audience than
- London one, because it had an
atmosphere with which New Workers
are more or less familiar. Its quick
action. moreover, IT'S suggestions OF
exotic ceremonies and, especially its
picturesque denouement, seemed 70 in
yite mus cal Investiture Of the kind in
uoduCsd by the composers Of the lat
iaT-Gay Italian school. But Signor
Leon. failed utterly 70 grasp the op-
por,un.'y which the play would have
presented 20 his model. Signor Puccini,
had he deemed il worth while TO make
an opera either out Of THE Cat and .
the Cherub." or Us rival of eighteen
years ago, The First Born He even
failed 20 take the hint which was. no
doubt, conveyed By the London per-
iorwarcez Of Mr.. Fernsld's play.
S.gnor Puccini failed lamentsbly in
MS effort 10 suggest anything Amer 4
lean iu his Girl Of the Golden West"
but when he went for local color TO
Japan with which 10 deck out "Madsma
Butterfly he did marvellous things,
IN spite or the Uninteresting, square
toed material with which he had 10
work. And the play by Long & Belssco,
y We remember rightly, gave him no
hnt whereas an obvious path was
opened 10 Sienor Leoni by THE Cat
and the Chorub' and "The First Born"
FOR the former Edgar Stillman Kelley
5nd \. Clifford Page mad provided
Characteristic music; for the latter,
William Furst and Lee Johnson.
The overture 10 Mr.. Fernsld's play
was an effective transcription for or
chestra Of Mr.. Kelley's song. THE Lady
Picking Mulberrics" The tune Of this
song was also used as melodramatic
music applying the term correctly IN
"The First Born, IT was till that
time, eighteen years ago, the most ad-
mIrable illustration OF what pretty
fruit might be had for the picking in
the Chinese orchard. Mr.. Kelley did not
Convey" the melody, but only its char
scteristics. One feature of its rhythm
vas open to question tin fact. II was
more Celtic than Mougolian), but other
wise 10 was constructed in the Chinese
manner, and the spirit OF the popular
music Of the Great Pure Kingdom eN-
hailed from its every measure. II was
probably the success Of his little song
which made Mr.. Kelley attempt TO
write music of much larger scope TO
illustrate the story Of Aladdin but
though he had succeeded while WORKING
ENORMOUSLY in the small form OF
song. his fancy left him in the lurch IN
the large, and he did foolish things
when he tried 10 depict with many a
grurt and Croan and laborious heave
Inc scene in which the genn OF the
lamp transported Aladdin's palace TO
Africa,
Aside from the overture we fancy
Nh Kelley contributed nothing to the
m.s.e Of "Thc Cat and the Cheruo.
Ono scene had music from the SdWbl'h
the threc-strinCed banjo Of the Cnl-
rc,c but here there was no imitation,
're instrument. the unseen player ana
the tune being individually Chinese
Aor. with the traCical close OF the
pIs. there came some long drawn cav
rruc.s bass tones, more calculated 10
n,sury than to cdify the hearers; bnt
the cFcr, was merely bit OF natural
im. pure and simple, being q copy OF
the voice Of a distant fog "h,ch
means through the streets OF SSh
Francisco when the WIND is Is'ols0ie
10 such phenomena. ., 80.
This device could not wen escape
the attention Of the composer VINO
conceived the notion OF making a.
opera out Of the play, and so we nes'o
Il again last night IN "LorscoIo
where. however, Il was scconlpah'eGg
by howl from an unseen SINGER auu
vas. probably intended 10 convey INV
idea that the heroine had gone Hsu'
In preparing music ior ne rs ~.
Born Mr.. Furst and MT. Johhsoi' -
more serious view Of their task IMAM
their collespues had done. The music
which they provided included an over
ture. a between-acts piece, song LOT
one Of the characters, incidental music
70 accompany some Of the scenes OF vac
play and also music reminiscent OF lhat
which. we fancy, Mr.. Johnson had nesru
in San Francisco joss house MS
overture was a piece originally called,