New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-26

opportunity to learn the quality of his
music.
His andrea Ch6nier" was produced
by Colonel Mapleson at the Academy
of Music as long ago as November 10.
1895. II might have made a deeper
impression had the public been more
susceptible TO the style Of its music
and had its production not been one Of
the diving throes of the last vain enter
prise which Mapleson conducted against
the fashionable powers which had IN
trenched themselves al the Metropol-
tan Opera House.
With IL the redoubtable English i'm
presario went down 10 his destruction.
II was one of the many strange incl
dents OF Mr.. Hammerstein's career at
the Manhattan Opera House that II
should have been brought forward by
him twelve years later for one repre-
sentation only when he took up the
rivalry with the Broadway institution
that Colonel Mapleson had been com
PEELED TO abandon; but Mr.. Hammer
stems production had chiefly personal
sentiment back Of II.
The wife Of his conductor. Cleofonte
Campanini, who is sister Of Nine.
TetraZzini. had achieved some Of her
finest successes in the opera IN Italy.
She had retired on the laurels which
she had won in it when she married
Signor Campanini, and Mr.. Hammer
stein magnanimously yielded TO the
suggestion Of some Of the conductors
friends. or the conductor himself, and
brought the opera forward to give brill
fancy to what was des igned TO be a
tribute to Signor Campanini on the last
night but one Of the season of 1907-OS.
The tribute 20 the conductor was a
handsome one. but under the circum-
stances it was of little value 10 the
opera. which was heard Of no more,
though meanwhile two other efforts
had been made 70 gain a place for Sig
nor Giordano in the local repertory.
On December 5. 1906. Mr.. Conried
thought that the peculiar charms Of
Nine Cavalier, combined with the pop
ularity Of Signor Caruso, might give a
habitation at the Metropolitan TO Glor-
danO's setting of a book made out Of
Sardou's Fedora" II endured for four
performances in the season 1906-'OI
and three in the next, in which Con-
ried's career came 10 an end; and then
dropped into oblivion.
In reviving andrea Chenier" Ham
merstein may have had visions of fut-
ure triumphs for its composer. for
few weeks before his single perform
ance of it he had brought forward
Giordano's siberia" which gave some
promise Of life, though it died with
the season that gave II birth.
Thus MADAME Sans-Gene" is the
fourth of the composers efforts TO get
into the affections Of New Iork's
operagoers. Will it prove more sue
cessful than its predecessors?
To answer the question would be an
attempt at prophecy. The critical mind
is disposed 10 look with kindness upon
new works in proportion as they fall
back in the corridors OF memory. The
attempt 20 put music 70 Sardou's
Fedora" seemed 10 this reviewer ut
terly futile Only those moments were
musical in the accepted sense IN which
the action Of the drama ceased, as in
the case Of the intermeZzo. or when
I the old principles of operate construc-
/ ton walked into life again, as in the
F confession Of the hero-lover. Here
moreover, there came into the score an
element of novelty, for the confession
was extorted from Lorris while a vir-
tuoso was entertaining drawing room
full Of people with set pianoforte
solo. As for the rest of the opera, il
/ seemed sadly deficient in melody beau
tiful either for its own sake or as an
expression of passion.
andrea Chenier" had a good play
back Of il. though the verities of his
tory were not permitted by the libret
fist, Signor Illica, TO hamper him in tho
construction of his book The hero OF
the opera was the patriotic poet who
f fell under the guillotine in 1894 at the
age of thirty-two. The place which
Sainte- Beuve gives him in French let
tiers is that of the greatest writer OF
classic verse after Racine and Boileau
The operate story is all fiction, much
more so than that Of Madame Sans
Gene" As a matter OF fact, the verlta
hle Chenier was thrown into prison OF
the accusation OF having sheltered
politjcal criminal. and was beheaded
toqether with twenty-three others, OF
a charge of conspiracy while IN prison
In the opera he does not die for pc liti
cal reasons, though they are alleged as
q pretext. but because he has crosse
+ the love-path of leader OF the revolu
tonists.
When andrea Chcnier" was present
cd al the Academy of Music the people
of New York were not yet accustomed
10 such music as makes up the BULK o.
the score. "Cavalleris rustlcana' theN
knew. and "Pagliacci," and they, hac
had taste of LA Nayarraisc, Du'
they were not quite used TO the no
blood which flowed in the opera from
the same arteries that supply th'
mclodic current in the first act OF inc
+ new work.
When the opera was repeated twelve
wears later, popular taste had beer
more deeply influenced by the verIuSt'
Of Young Italy. and the opera SOUNDED
better: so much better, indeed, that u
seemed UNNECESSARILY greater than "Fe
dora" or even Siberia" which latter
work had something in common with u
I in its political spirit.
When Signor Giordsno composed Isl
, IBERIA" he followed the example OF Mas
cagni and Puccini Of he did not set It
/ for them) of seeking local color anc
melodic material in the folksongs OF
I the countries in which the scenes OF
/ mis- opera we're laid. Pucclni went "a
Japan for musical ideas and devices