Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-04-12

cobs, Questh sluelh, NJ tnc Dc-
ginning Of the first act, and a striking
resemblance is apparent. But the real
precursor of la Donna e. Mobile"
the lovely melody Sc IL Sol del
lAnima," also sung by the Duke. The
time is the same, the key the same. the
rhythmical movement identical, and the
second and fourth measures Of the lat
tex song are almost note for note with
the opening measures of the more
famous tune. There are also inciden
tai phrases in the baritone aria "Deh
non Parlare.'
.0F COURSE this is pointed out
" merely as a coincidence. for there
is not the slightest reason to believe that
the composer had any idea Of melodic
development of this kind in his mind.
Verdi's fund of melody was too great to
make such a procedure necessary and
his method of work entirely different
from this. However, while at work on
the opera the working out of the earlier
melodies may have subconsciously pro.
duced the most famous of them all, for
its germ is undoubtedly there.
Any one who has played or heard the
string quartet that Verdi once composed
will instantly understand that develop
ment of. themes was not conspicuous
part of the musical equipment of the
great operate composer. EffectivelNas he
wrote for the string instruments in the
operate orchestra. the quartet has none
of these qualities and, strange to say, it
is utterly lacking in the melodic inven-
ton, which is the chief characteristic
of his vocal writing. One would nat
urally expect Verdi to compose string
quartet after the pattern of Schubert,
that is full of exquisite melody and none
too precise in form or counterpoint.
Verdi composed the quartet largely ms
an experiment. He realized its weak
| nesses as chamber composition. and
it was published against his judgment,
and only after he had repeatedly re-
| fused to allow it to be given to the pub
lie. Here was another instance of that
accuracy of musical judgment which he
seems to have possessed in higher de :
gree than any other great composer. The
same keen insight which led him to
| keep LA Donna e. Mobile" away from
| the rehearsals. also told him that the
quartet was by no means n masterpiece.
to put it mildly. And in both instances
this judgment was fully vindcated.
Verdi was as much out of his element
| in the composition of string quartet
as Brahms would have been in the com :
position of an opera.
THERE are very few great composers
L who did not have decided limitations
in composition. The one who had
probably the greatest scope was Mo
zart. In every form of composition
from the song to the symphony and
opera, he has produced more than ono
real masterpiece.
BeethOven's limitation was in voca
| composition, where he used the voice
exactly as he would have used an in
strument. and this is apparent not only
on the vocal parts Of the Ninth Sym.
phony and the great ID minor Mass
! but even in his best songs. such a.
An Die Hoffnung" and "Adelaide. ."
Mozart. on the other hand. wrote per
fectly for the voice as well as for instru
ments. Wagner composed no absolut,
music and Brahms no operas, but it /.
probably just as we'll they did not
Each was too great in his own field t,
try untrOd. and in these particular
cases. uncongenial paths. Mozart
therefore. appears to be the one com
poser of the first rank who tried will
great success every form of compost
ton.