The sun., 1918-11-24

nized attempts to create effects OF
quarter tones by the simple process OF
| playing the natural and the sharp Cor
| fiat9 OF the same note at the same time
was at least as old as 'Elektra."
When Prokofieff was not making
| harmonic disturbances and tried to sing
a little lullaby I'm one OF the old scales
| 1t became clear that he had no ideas
for such business. Eagerly awaited
amid the crashing OF dlscords and the
wild fights of distorted double thirds
and fevered siXths, his cantilena, when
it came, made one think OF runners
| picture OF the explorer rushing fran
| tically forward to the fountain of
/ Eldorado. which he just discovered,
plunging his face into the shimmering
wave, and, disenchanted. lifting it to
| cry:
Nothing but water. and damned bad
water at that"
Leo ornstcin's Method.
Ornstein has said: II have my dia-
tonic and lyric moments, and on occa-
! sion / employ the diatonic scale for
| the simple reason that my own radical
medium does not suit the purpose of
what want TO say"
| Let all the .would-be singers OF the
new scales put that in their shepherds
| pipes. Let them remember that we
have our own professor OF the methods
OF eternally suspended resolution OF
! chords, and that he declares with no
| false modesty that he can put UP a
| tune when he pleases.
As for Mr.. Prokofieff, all that thi.
purblind commentator could discern in
one hearing OF his music was trcmen-
| dous force and triphammer rhythms
Of military value. His chord system
was not new and his venturesome ex-
cursions into the realm OF old fash
ioned melody were most indiscTeet
! When newspaper recorders make er-
rors in operate history they know that
\. Z. G. will set them right. Why he
does not write book of operate REM
iniscences is a mystery. He may be
,disinclined to do so, but there should
be legal power to compel him. His
| collection OF programmes and clippings
Is the most extensive and valuable in
the country. So when THE SUH's re-
] corder made a slip lately and men
toned Col. Mapleson's great cast for
the first performance OF aida" he
knew that he would hear from A. E. c.,
| because 1t was good old Max S:rakosch
| who directed operate affairs in this
town in 1878. Mr.. Grub writes:
Singers of the '.Os.
! 1.-THE Torriani Cary Campanini =
Maurel performances OF Aida in 1873,
lately referred to in THE SUN, were
under the management of Strakosch,
not Mapleson. The latter did not bring
his company-or what was left of 1t
after the death of Tietjens and the Sc
cession OF Trebeli and others--to
America until the season OF 1S7S-79.
1t was at that time that he produced
Baifos posthumous opera The Tails
man.
"Torianis FIRST name was Ostava,
not Octavia. She was a Swede (Torn-
quisD. Upon her return to Europe
she became member OF the original
Carl Rosa company and appeared with
Santley and Les Dcux Journess,
Tampa &c I heard her often.
THE last Academy performance of
La Fora del DestinoJ occurred on
April 4. 1881. but there have been
others in the theatres OF the East
Side"
Mr.. Grub is of course right as to
Torrianis given name, but the Gus
tom OF that period was to Italianlze
the names Of opera singers, and she
always appeared in newspaper ac-
counts as Octavia.
There is another man in our town
who ought to be forced to write his
recollectlons Of local opera, and that
man is Victor Maurel. He could tell
the secrets OF his prison house now.
What lot is hidden behind those In
scrutable eyes!