The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-13

q f'The Love of Three Kings" by Italo Montemezzi. "Snowflakes" ballet
 rom Tschaikowsky sparkling and joy )us "Nut Cracker" suite will follow by the Pavlowa dancers.
 Of especial interest to the music lovers of the city and envirous is "The Love of Three Kings" which is quite a new opera. This opera was pro- duced in New York in 1913 and scored an immediate success. The seat sale for all performances during the stay If the Boston Grand Opera company sin Birmingham has been very heavy.
 THE LOVE OF THREE KINGS"
 "I5Amore Dei Ire Re" C'The Love of Three Kings'D is the third work Of rtalo Montemezzi for the operatic stage. MontemezZi is a young native x ofEVerona, Italy, and is considered one If the most substantial hopes of a na- ton that has given so much to the world of musical entertainment When he produced this work which was based on the tragic poem by Sem Bennelli, he scored an instant success at Milan, and his fame went immediately around the world. Luisa Vi11ani, who sang the principal role at the premiere at La Scala, Milan, is to be heard in the part here. In 1913 the opera was put on at the Metropolitan, New York, and although it was not preceded by the usual blast of trumpets when a nov city is produced. it quickly scored the success of the season. It made the youth, MontemeZZi, a great interna- tional favorite on the strength of one opera in the same way that "Cavalleria Rusticana' brought Mascagni forward at a bound
 ROMANTIC AND SOMBRE TALE
 The story relates a romantic and sombre tale of medieval times in Italy, and borrows it's essentials from the tragic tale of Francesca da Rimini. so Frequently placed upon the stage in opera and drama. The dominating character is blind and aged baron who has been ruling the territory since he conquered it 40 years before the cur tain rises. He was of barbarian race, and to cement friendly relationships between conqueror and conquered, he has welded his son, Manfredo, to a princess of the conquered tribe. She loves Avito, who is one of her own race. Manfredo loves his wife devotedly and there are several beautiful love scenes between the pair when it is known that he must go away to the wars. But he knows that he will leave her in the care of the watchful old Archibaldo and apparently has no fears. The old man, however, has his suspicious. Flora waves to her departing husband from the castle tower but when her lover comes to her she drops the veil and forgets. She tries to be faithful in thought as well as deed but Avito pleads for one parting embrace, and at the thought of losing him she sur renders herself.
 The last curtain falls upon this tragic scene quite in the manner of ancient drama. But it is told that while the story is ancient that the music is new. It is not at all in the manner of the rev Frenchmen who toss orchestral and vocal passages over the footlights with seemingly no particular reason, excepting to be different" Doubtless Montemezzi had felt the Wagnerian in- fluence but he has not subscribed en- tirely to it because he does not weave his operatic fabric of motifs, except ing in the broken chords that denote the halting footsteps of the blind man. Rut it told also that there is much of the modern Russian in his music. In their manners he is an inventor of mu- steal tones and combinations of tone that convey the meaning of his text. Of th~ - Montemezzi the praise