The sun., 1919-04-20
Boss of the Metropolitan, at the Close
of Another Successful Season, Tells
of Fruitless Search Lasting
&e Eleven Years

away, 1t must burn them up. 1t is a
work sui generis, and IL not to be
analysed or discussed, but to be felt.
There are not, I am told, a great
number OF dramatic situations. but as
few as there may be they are capable
OF many combinations. There are, ]
believe, fewer operate situations.
therefore the poet writing for the
lyric stage must make up in tech
nique for their paucity. An Illustration
OF the truth OF this statement as APP
piled to both drama and music is to
be found in the story Of Don Juan
How many dramatists have composed
on it-Lope, Tirso, Moliere. Goldoni.
And in music Donizetti. Mozart and
many others. It is stu inexhaust-
ible.
Power of Simplicity.
"A good dramatic story, Vrdie
piece de theatre, is an absolute essen
tial to opera, and l repeat this trite
saying without remorse because I do
not find libretto writer's OF America,
nor very many OF Europe, who appre-
ciate how true the trite is. Were
n composer I should demand before !
set down a note a simple libretto that
dealt with primal passions and might
move an audience because Of its sim
piicity. To sec II as play might
presumably make them laugh, but en-
broidered with real music 1t should
. move them despite their utmost so
phisticat.on.
For In music simplicity is not al
ways credited with it's true power; 1t
Is often misunderstood, sometimes de-
rided The simplicity OF the operate
stage Is not OF the kind that reduces
all expression to the same level and
rejects ornament and grace; rather 1t
Is the simplicity OF a nature which
| draws its inspiration from the depths
OF the heart and excludes all merely
virtuosol!ke display.
You ask me next II tho language in
which an opera libretto is written Is
factor in its success. The reason you
ask this is because so much music
composed to words I'm English is
powerless to attract. You forget that
the music itself may be equally to
blame for failure. Words and music
should be a harmonious, welded pair;
unfortunately they often quarrel. This
is quite as true of italian and French
as OF English. but there are not so
many instances. I attribute the fail
ure Of English when it has failed TO
take it's equal rights as an independent
active part in a musical rep
resentation not to the language but to
! the writer who Is ignorant of its posi-
bilities. He writes his English book
without taking the trouble to study
opera convention.
What do I mean by that criticism?
! Let me refer to your English poets
They have been writing for thousand
years; they began without rhymes. but
with a rhythm which distinguished
their idiom from prose. When rhyme
came from italy, there congregated
in your wonderful tongue a great
/ group OF poetic words. These are
words which by their sound rather
than meaning indicate poetry. They
are for the most part beautiful sounds.
! The operate Vocabulary.
"ln opera a vocabulary has consre-
gated likewise. II is true in Italy; II
is true in France; ii is twice true in
Germany for there much more work
| had to be done. So IL is true in Amer
| lea \ vocal ularS. will arise of singing
words If the composers will but search
these words out and put them to their
proper uses. What is a more musical
sound than the words cellar door ?
Pronounce it without letting the mind