The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-06
His Opera, The Leg
end" to Be Sung
at the Metropolitan,
Reward of Waiting
and Working
By CHLOE ARNOLD.

of his house in West Ninety first street
talking. He was rather crlmpled up in
a low rocking chair, his hands clasping
one knee. The open manuscript Of his
opera, "The Legend" was on the piano,
and The breeze tried TO turn over a page
each tune il came in, as if eager TO sing
the songs there.
Mr.. Breil's house bears the same rela-
ton to the elevated railroad that Nine
Bonfanti's does further downtown. 1t Is
in just such silent places as these that
people are able TO cultivate their own
little plots of New York life. And when
they get there they have the quiet 10Y of
one who has come home.
Mr. Breil and Nine. Bonfanti have this
notable resemblance. Whatever their age
is, they can never be old. When you talk
10 Nine Bonfanti, even though you never
saw her dance, Won sense that joyousness
that eternal youth of the artist, which
drew people 10 Niblo's Garden long ago
And when you talk TO Joseph Breil you
see the boy who left home and came 10
New York because he bad to make music
Wins His Place After Twenty Years.
But though they live in like places and
under much the same conditions, Nine
Bonfanti and Mr.. Brei are very different
persons. For Mr. Breil, after twenty
years of waiting, is TO have his one act
opera, '"The Legend" sung at the Metro
politan some time after Christmas, and
Nine. Bonfanti, famous at Is, is in retire,
ment, with none but few old friends to
know where she dwells.
Had this conversation taken place
twenty years ago 1t would probably have
been quite different For then Mr.. Breil
had endured just enough insolenees TO be
interested in seeing what would happen to
him next He knows all about the merits
of Bryant Park for bedess nights, espe-
cially from his experiences in the mid
summer of 1902. But, he said modestly,
IN referring TO this phase of his life.
he didn't wish to appear TO be taking any
honors from DIR. Garfield by showing that
he had had the less idea So far in ad-
vance.
Twenty years ago Mr. Breil might have
had some principles TO give TO the world
for the use of young composers. As 1t
was, all he said about his opera, written
two ycars ago and accepted by the Metro
politan only last summer. was: Il hope
the people will like il. | wrote it for
them"
Joseph Breil was born forty-eight years
sgo in Pittsburg, Pa. He has a pair of
very lively gray eyes which have in them
still the look of boy just starting out
TO explore the world. He is tall. thin and
wiry, and his crisp black hair has in it
many a strand of silver.
He had two sisters, and one of them
still teaches piano playing in Pittshurg.
He shares IN inherited love for art with
Peul Breil, the sculptor, and other rcla-
tives When he WAS II his mother LET
him study the violin. But his father was
not at all pleased with this. The father
was a LAWYER, very successful. from all
accounts. and he regarded the law rs the
one suitable profession for his only son
and made plans accordingly.
Extravasant Love Of Theatre.
Early in life the younger Breil dcvel-
oped an extravagant fondness for the
theatre, and as the rest of the family con-
sidered it a prodigality TO go TO a play
more than four times a year he was
obliged 10 see his favorite artists in secret. q.
He managed it this way: Always he
was given % cents for buying his lunch
con. If a matinee promised 10 be inter
esting, as all matnees did, he didn't eat
The play was meat and drink enough for
that one day. In this way he got ac-
Quainted with the tops of the heads of
every great singer and actress and actor