New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-29
NEW YORK HEARS IT'S
FIRST SPANISH OPERA
Cast Contains Anna Fitliu. Clio
vanni Martinelli and An
tonic De Luca.
by GRENNILLE VERNON.

H"ANof Alt DN FtlnhnuO rem
quet. II WAS originally accepted for
presentation at the Grand Opera in
Paris, but the war Intervening, Senior
Granados carried his work TO Signor
G8tti-Casazza. who at once took II. Hlv-
ing already given proof OF his cclecti-
clsm by presenting two works Of the
Russian school, SiCnor Gatti in most
commendable spirit decided TO carry
his researches into other lands. This,
with desire 60 vary the repcrtory O..
onc-aet operas, was what brought the
Metropolitan director TO choose the
work Of Senior Granados.
The piano sketches OF which the
opera is development are well known
to us. Ernest Schclling and the COM
poser himself have played them 10 us.
and we have recognized them as music
nj peculiar beauty. color and rhythmic
power. Exactly how the paintings Of
Goya should come to be the basis
for these sketches and later for the
opera caused not little confusion,
until we were told that the Original
piano music was inspired by the G0ya
paintings in the Prado. In his compo-
Stions for the piano Senior Granados
strove TO paint pictures OF the time OF
Goya, pictures suggested by the imagl-
nation of the extraordinary painter
whose life reads not as romance but
as fairy tale. And from this piano
music suggested by the paintings OF
Goya the opera has been built
Story OF the Opera
The story Of Senior Periquei is cX-
ceedingly simple. Rosario is a lady OF
high rank, character suggested by the
Duchess dAba, whom Goya painted
I'll
toreador. Rosario has had an affair. but
now she loves again in her own class
one Fernando. captain OF the Royal
Guard. Al the Hermitage Of San An
tonic dc la Florida. near Madrid. Fer
nanGo awaits rendezvous with Ro-
Sario. IL Is May festival. and the
maJos and majas. men and women of
the people who in May solicit contrlbu-
tons to pay for the little wayside
shrines. are moving 10 and fro. Pa
qulFo is also there. and when Rosario
arrives he greets her and asks her TO a
dance, to a dance such as the one where
he first met her. But Rosario desires
10 forget the past, and when Fernando
arrives she flies 70 his arms Fernando
has heard all. and he. too, asks 70
: sario 10 the dance. This invitation she
accepts &c the intense "acY.i.!ca:;c- e
the toreador.
The rest OF the action is most sim
pie. Al the dance Fernando and
, PIQuiro quarrel and agree TO fight a
duel. In the last scene there is love
duet between Rosario and Fernando.
and then Fernando goes out TO fight his
rival. lie is MORALLY wounded and is
brought back by Rosario and dies in
her arms. while she sings sort Of
liebestod.
The opportunity this story affords for
the display of the shifting color Of
Spanish crowds. their songs and dances.
their fetes and their games, is evident
ard it is in this that the composer has
been most successful.
IL is probable. indeed, that il was in
this that the composers heart was
placed it was not placed in the pro-
duction of d music drama. When Senior
Periquet informs us that he wrote the
words after the music, and that the
plot served only as sketch for the
composer. we see at once how impos-
sible IL was for the work to be firm
in outline and distinct in characteriza-
tion. In short. in "Goyescas" the com
poser is everything. the poet little else
than a running commentary on the
music. The opera is largely tone
poem on the sentiments. loves and
manners of the epoch of Goya, an
epoch strangely interesting because OF
its democracy; where toreadors, Ouch
esses, gizls Of the people and grandees
meet on equal footing; quarrel, fight,
love and die az II rank did not exist.
The Music.
The music which Senior Granados en-
ploys to paint this picture is, then, the
development of his piano sketches. in
the first tableau. in the fascinating lit
tic intermezzo between the first and sec
ond above all, in the dances and cho-
ruses of the dance hall scene, Senior
GranadOs is most successful. Perhaps
there are times when we feel that the
orchestration Is little cloudy and that
there is a slight lack of clarity which
did not occur in his original piano mu-
sic, yet. on the whole, this portion OF
the music is original. satisfying and
filled with color.
Like Carpenter, and Moussorgsky.
and Borodin, Senior Granados is a demo-
crat. He sings not Of two or three char
ecters or one love affair but OF the Gu
mulative feelings of the masses and
this does not make for clarity Of spirit
or incisiveneSs of outline. But II does
make for power and broad sense OF
humanity, and in his choruses and
dances we do feel that Spain Is before
us the Spain of Philip ii, but the
Spai1 Of the toreador, and perhaps OF
the philosophic anarchist. And this
is probably what Senior Grans saos
Wished So So LET Si.b us he state sss b Sers
successful. even if there are those of
us who hoped that he might have gone
further. md produced a music-drama
in the sense that Carmen" is music
orama even though. as Senior Grana-
dos insists, Carmen" may not be the
Spain Of the real Spaniard.
So. if we are TO judge "Goyescas a.
an opora or a music drama we canno:
give il equal praise. Little denrlte
Characterization is there either In story
or in music, the composer in his APP
parent belief in the democratic ideal
having reduced the music allotted 10
the individuals 20 a strange similarity
Of melodic expression. The result -
that the infinite gradations, shadlngs
and distinctions OF human character
arc fused into one great democratic and
amorphous mass. 10 the composer IS
10 the librettist, duchess or girl OF the
people are one.
where above all others tradition has
been law seem 10 have meant nothing
either to Senior Granados, or Senior
Periguet. As Rosario and Paquero
have met on the same plane IN low
dance hall. so has their spiritual kin
shin become the same. and the music
allotted 20 their separate characters Is
likewise harmonized.
A. he scorns diversity OF character.
,o too. does Senior Granados scorn eI-
ternal dramatic effect. How much. for