The Washington times., 1919-09-04
By J. MaeR.


The passing of Oscar Hammerstein
brings sincere regret and disappoint-
ment to many lovers Of the opera.
particularly because OF that strange
fatalistic edict-whereby this pioneer
Of the new in opera was constrained
from producing opera for ten years
would have expired next season.
Oscar Hammerstein,and opera! How
beautiful and inspiring was the per-
formance' he sponsored OF Debussy's
-'Pelleas and Melisande" at the Nan
haitian Opera House. And what q
radical he was at daring to give the
"shirt-waist" opera, the Louise" Of
Charpentier, with Mary Garden of
the startling robes playing the plainly
Sapartsoned factory girl.
1t was in $he second season of
grand opera, given under the direc-
tion Of Afr. HaEimerstein at his Man
haitian Opera House in New York,
with Campanini as musical director,
that ''Pelleas" was sung.
Mary Garden In Cast.
The cast had Mary Garden as Me-
lisande, Jean Perier as PeIleas. that
rieh-voiced contralto and artist Ger
ville- Reache as Genevieve, the mother
OF Pelleas. and Hector Dufranne as
Golaud. A music-drama in the most
modern Of French modes. What a
stir it created.
Nor did the audience know just how
to take 1t. Those long, never COM
pleted strains of exquisite music,
those eadences suspended, seeming to
go on and up into an infinity Of love-
illness and expectation, that never let
the heareF for one moment lind pause.
There was q ripple Of excitement. at
times OF almost hysterical laughter
that came from sheer intoxication Of
music.
And the lyric drama, written IN fVe
acts and twelve scenes by Maurice
Maeterlinck. Surely 3 venturesome
undertaking eleven years ago. Then
illness Of the picture. Opalescent
music and pastel drama! And all OF
il unforgettable
At Zenith Of PoWer.
It seems among the tragedies Of
the art world that this impresario, at
the zenith of his powers as producer.
was suddenly stricken dumb. as it
were, by what might have been but
the Overmastering arm OF competi-
tion.
Think what II must have meant. TO
himi Tc have the vision OF so much
that would have enriched the music
world Of this country suddenly still
ed. Had he come back into the opera
World-those ten years had robbed
him OF the best years OF his life as
impregario. No matter what the
he I'D
No matter what the faults. that loss
may never be repaired.
And "Touise." how it went singing
through ones blood. The beautiful
music OF Carpenters opera, again
with q superb cast, was sung by
Mary Garden. Dalmores, Dufranne,
in a wonderful Characterization OF
the father. It was vocally and or
superb. Campanini again
had the conductors baton.
COuFaEeOus Pioneer.
Oscar Hammerstein was a courage
Gus pioneer, an impTessario whose
tribute to the music world of this
country alone has made a lasting inn
preston. And he did not win out.
Its sadness is as drastic as the play
world his singers portrayed.
From the opera world, too, Leon
cavallo has passed. leaving behind
his immortal ''Pagliacci" II is his
one opera that is promised enduring
fame. Yet Ruggiero LeoncavaIlo
was prolific in his composition. he Of
the red-blooded school of Italian
opera clsssed as the Young
Italians," Of whom Mascagni was his
greatest rival.
"zaza" by Leoncavallo is scheduled
for production this season by the
Metropolitan Opera in New York,
with Geraldine Farrar In the title
role. II was given in Milan in 1900,
attaining a greater success than the
operas just preceding it.
He had, as Mascagni had" one
writer puts it, "a perfect genius for