The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-23
~ ". J.. HENDERSON.

wv
which the present writer
would not venture to determine. Many
praises Of the speech of Spain have
been uttered and memory testiics that
1t has a remarkable music when IL is
sues from the lips of a typical belle of
Santiago de Chile. But in a city in
which operas are given in all kinds of
languages 1t is safe to say that fine
words do not a lyric drama make. 1t
In after all the music from which We
expect a display of power moving and
entrancing:
~Clothing the palpable and familiar
With golden exhalations of the dawn"
We are about to enjoy the first per-
f0rmance of a Spanish opera at the
metropolitan Opera House. II Il called
"Goyescas.'' the book by Fernando
Periquet and the music by Enrique
Cvanados. 1t will lie sung with the
original Spanish text. The opera was
ace epted for production at the Grand
Opera, Paris. but the outbreak of the
wat indefinitely postponed the prom
3ked performance. For this reason the
composer through the instrumentality
Of his friend Ernest Schelling. the
American pianist, who had frequently
played The S~paniard's piano works.
vas brought into communication with
MIR. Gatti-Casazza and In time a con-
tract for the production Of ~t;oyescas
In snis city was made. The oper, will
therefore he performed next F'rida
evening for the first time on any stage.
ooya was the great Spanish painter
Of the beginning OF tn. las, century
and the final years OF the preceding
onA. Mr.. Huneker saws that he I'M
canQated the renaissance of old Spain
and It's art" Also he Was an EXPERT
buIlighter, a Don Juan Of much his
tory and a painter OF diabolic yirtuoso
akjll. Mr.. Huneker has written very
briitantly-as he always does-about
C.oya in his 'Promenades of an Inn
prassionist." But we may profitably
turn from the American critics en-
trancing pages to the characteristic
story Of the librettist. as So, forth I'm a
recent interview in the local Spanish
newspaper, Norcdddcs, Mr.. Periouet
said:
"Granados had seen Goya's paintings
snd sketches at the Prado Museum,
and they inspired i'm him the music to
the pitifuI Prlclc and to the Ma jas of
the famous Caprichos and to the jeal-
Gus. cloaked Mojos.
Zone day We talked OF taking those
ravishing melodies to the stage. We
lacked a plot. This was my task. in
the fulflment Of which / put all my
soul. I did not wish to present the
painter himself. because in large works
all historical are artistic
ally dangerous.
Resides, To every Spaniard who is
q poet and possesses culture. Goya
means not only a name but an epoch
also. .Goya, as an epoch. means SEN
timentally loves and passions. and So
clally n range melting of all classes,
something like n presace of democ-
. racy that placed toreros and duch-
esses. princes and tonadilleras side by
side.
1.-The question resolved itself there
fore into presenting this social mix
ture as an nvironme TO love affairs,
tprSic as they always are wheneyer
! 1eaIuc,,ss and riyalries writhe rleam-
inRly in and our u; tL..m. But as |
! also hold that the plot OF an opera
should be ms simple as To he even
libretto the SIMPLEST story that I have
ever written. The work of Granados
and myself il full Of the low Of Spon-