New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-15

to kill him, but at the last is content
to spurn him with her foot.
At this moment a cannon shot is
heard. A man-of-war is entering the
harbor. Quick, the glasses STEADY
my hand, Suzuki, that | may read the
name" 1t is the Abraham Lincoln,
Pinkerton's ship! Now the cherry
tree must give up its every blossom.
every vine its violets and jessamines
20 garnish the room for his welcomed
The garden Is stripped bare, vases are
filed, the floor is strewn with petals.
Perfumes exhale from the duet of the
women and the song OF the orchestra.
Here local color loses its right; the
music is all Occidental again. Butter
IN is dressed again in her wedding
gown of white and her pale cheeks are
touched up with carmine. The paper
partitions are drawn against the night.
Butterfly punctures the shoJi with
three holes-one high up for herself
to look through, standing; one lower
for the maid to look through; one near
the floor for the baby. And so Butter
fin stands in an all-night vigil. The
lanterns flicker out. Maid and babe
sink down in sleep. The gray dawn
creeps over the waters of the harbor.
Human voices, transformed into instru-
ments, hum a barcarolle. we heard 1t
when .Sharpless tried to read the let
ter.) A Japanese tune rises like a sail
ors' chanty from the band. Sailors chant
their "Heigh ho!" Day is come. Su;uki
awakes and begs her mistress to seek
rest. Butterfly takes the baby to bed,
singing lullaby. Sharpless and
Pinkerton come and learn Of the vigil
from Suzuki, who sees the form of
lady in the garden and hears that 1t
is the American wife Of PinkertO1.
PinkertOn pours out his remorse
melodiously. He will be haunted for
ever by the picture of his once happy
home and Cio-Cio-Sdn's reproachful
eyes. He leaves money for Butterfly
in the consul's hands and runs away
like a coward. Kate, the American
wife, and Suzuki meet in the garden.
The maid is asked to tell her mistress
the meaning of the visit, but before
she can do so Butterfly sees them.
Her questions bring out half the truth;
her intuition tells her the rest. Kate
an awful blot she is on the dramatic
ricture) begs forgiveness and asks for
the baby boy that her husband may
rear him. Butterfly says he shall
have him in half an hour if he will
come to fetch him. She goes to the
shrine Of Buddha and takes from 1t
veil and dagger, reading the words
engraved on its blade: ITO die with
honor when one can no longer live with
honor" II is the weapon which the
Mikado had sent to her father. She
points the weapon at her throat, but at
the moment Suzuki pushes the baby
into the room. Butterfly addresses 1t
passionately; then, telling 1t to play,
seats it upon a stool, puts. an American
flag into it's hands, bandage around
it's eyes. Again she takes dagger and
ven and goes behind a screen. The
dagger is heard to fall. Butterfly tot
ters out from behind the screen with
veil wound round dher neck. She
staggers TO the child and falls, dying,
at its feet Pinkerton rushes in with
a cry of horror and falls on his knees,
while Sharpless gently takes up the
child. -
A second article, a comment on the
denouentent Of Longs book and Be
lasco's pldy and a description Of the
music Of the opera, 1ciH appear nert
ueek.
'At this premiere Campsnini was the con-
ductor and the cast was as follows: Butterfly
storchio Suzuki, Giaconia Pinkerton. Zens-
teno: Sharplcss, De Luca; Goro, Pini-Corsi
Bonss, venturini; Ydkuside, Wulmann. At
the first performance in London. on July 10. /
1905, at Covent Garden, the cast was Butter
terfy, Destinn Suzuki, Lejeune; Pinkerton, |
Caruso; Shdrpless, Scott; Goro. Dufriehe
Ronss, Cotreuil: fGkuside, Rossi. Conductor /
Campanini. After the revision IL was pro-
duced at Brescis on May 2s, 1904. with lena
telo. Of the original cast, Kruseeniski as But |
t,rfy and Besti as Sharpiess. The first
American performances were In the English
version. made by Mrs. X. II. Elkin. by the
Savage Opera Company. which came 20 the
Garden Theatre. New York. after a trial sea
son in Washington on November II, 1905. |
Il had a run OF nearly three months before Il
reached the Metropolitan Opera House. on
February II. 1907. Mr.. Walter Rothwell con-
Quoted the English performance. in which |
there wsrs several changes Of casA. the erigi- |