The sun., 1919-04-13

is not mt Tor decent ears.
This conviction has forced itself
upon the writer's mind despite its
opposition to his artistic principles.
Translations OF operate texts he has
always regarded as unhappy, uncon-
vincing and almost inevitably unsuc-
cessful. But consider what has been
possible in the season now ending.
Martha, oder der Markt zu Rich
mond." opera by Flotow, book by
Friedrich. was first performed in
of ballet called Lady Henrietta" by
Flotow, Bergmueller and Deldevez,
given in 1914. Translated into Italian
it found its way to the Sale venta-
dour. Paris, In 1858. in the form in
which We now know 1t. But it Is
German opera. Because the story is
ostensibly British and the text italian
no one makes any objection to 1t.
There was never a more German
composer than Weber. Even the Ital-
ian Franchetti celebrated that fact in
his "Germania" when he exhibited
Weber as a leader Of popular opinion
and utilized one Of his choruses as a
lyric battle cry Of tho young revolu-
tionaries.
The instant you place the name Of
. German in tuxtaposition with the
word revolutionary" you class him
with king haters and raise up en-
thusiastic defenders of his music. But
in the case Of Weber such defence
must be shattered by the indisputable
historical fact that his music was
Joined with Beethoven's in expressing
the first aspirations of the new TO.
mantle German spirit, to which Less
ing, Schiller and their brethren gave
literary from.
Possibly too much emphasis has
been laid on the birth of operate
Teutonism In Der Freischuetz," but
II cannot be ignored. Mozart was the
true father Of German opera Before
him there was none: after him it was
continuous. It was born when he
wrote Die Zauberfioete," a German
"singspiel," which means a musical
drama with spoken dialogue. The
original text OF the work was German
and in spite OF the fantastical notions
OF Schikaneder, the librettist, so was
the book. No one acquainted with the
characteristics Of national stages
would expect to find such a clumsy,
III conceived and inept attempt at
symbolism anywhere but in a Teutonic
theatre.
But the materials of Schikaneder's
extraordinary production were not ex-
ternally German. The story was a
legend without a country. Weber's
Der Freischuetz,% on the other hand,
dealt with a legend familiar to ali
Germans and like Mozart he preserved
the old "singspiel' form. The recita-
tons heard in our day were written by
Berlioz.
Not only did Weber utilize a Teu-
tonic legend. but he composed his
melodies in the style of the German
folk song. although his developments
OF them rose into the domain Of high
art.
Weber was the deity of wagners
boyhood. An amiable deity he was, for
the ponderous autobiography contains
records OF cheerful condescension
VERY delightful. too, were the picnics
arranged between us and our friends
at some of the beautiful spots around
Dresden, for these excursions were al
ways frightened by a certain artistic
BcUcTdl BOOu L re-
member one such outing we arranged
TO Loschwitz. where we made a kind OF
gypsy camp, in which Carl Maria Won
Weber played his part in the charac-
Ter of cook"
We are not told what wondrous dish
the tone poet prepared, but doubtless
It shared with his musical creations
the effect on the mind Of the impress
sionable child. Many years afterward
he and Marschner went on Jubilee
day" to lay wreaths on Weber's grave
The composer of Hans Heiling" could
find nothing to utter but the dryest Of
platitudes, and it fell TO Wagner tc
speak the fitting words of heartfelt adj
miration.
Weber anticipated Wagnerian re.
forms. He caught up the sceptre Of
Chuck and reigned over the lyric
drama, a royal idealist with dreams Of
reducing music to its proper func-
ton, that OF seconding the poetry" He
saw the necessity Of that uncomforta'
be compromise which Wagner pro
claimed as the union Of the arts tribu
tary to the drama" The art work Of
the future was to be scientifically de-
veloped hybrid whose ancestors after
all could be traced back as FAR as Peri
Music. poetry, painting, acting were
now to be melted into new artistic
gold. That 1t was none the less al
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