New-York tribune., 1919-03-23

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assumed too large a share Of blame,
for in his lyrical paraphrase Of Ros-
tand's play there was an admirable
measure Of that combination of quail
ties which is essential to the efficiency
of lyrical drama in any language. His
book disclosed knowledge of the art
of song, of the demands Of the theatre
and Of the needs of a composer. AS a
critic of large experience he might,
perhaps, have guarded against the diff
fuseness which he himself condemned
so frankly, but he could not know what
method the composer would follow in
the setting. AS for Mr.. Damrosch, he
showed common failing of composers,
even composers of large experience--a
failure to realize while writing how
long his work would be in the perform
ance. The operation of reducing a score
once 1t is done is a painful one to a
composer. History tells US OF the pangs
which the revision Of "Fidelio" cost
Beethoven, and there is story that
Rossini quit attending performances of
his "Guillaume Tell" after the director
of the opera had made some very es-
sential excisions in the score. A friend
met him walking the streets one night
and asked in surprise: "Why aren't
you at the opera? They are giving
your Tell"
(Which act?" 1aconically inquired the
composer and walked on.
1t was less a marvel that Rostand's
"Cyrano de Bergerac" should have been
turned into an opera than that it
should have waited so long for the
transformation which every reader or
spectator of the play must have seen
was inevitable from the beginning. In
Europe the play was protected by copy
right, and, no doubt, M. Rostand was
himself the obstacle in the way of the
omnivorous French librettists, who
have no bowels of compassion for the
literary masterpieces of any people, In
this instance M. Rostand was power
less, and though Mr.. Damrosch had an
nounced that he intended to divide his
royalties with him, it is not likely that
the French dramatist contemplated with
equanimity the fact that his Cyrano
was to put on an antic operate dispo-
sition, no matter how ingeniously the
transmogrifcation might be accom-
plished. Least of all was he likely
to be pleased to learn that Cyrano was
to utter his speeches, not only with
the alloy of music added to them, but
sophisticated by tongue so foreign
to their spirit as English. If he had
been displeased with English perform
ances of his work, he, no doubt, felt
doubly outraged at the fact that his
hero's famous nose was to be set to
music. And yet it was inevitable.
AS matter of fact, the work of
Messrs. Henderson and Damrosch was
not the first operatic version of the
drama. In September, 1899, it had brief
career as an opera, which had been fab.
ricated to give vent to the ambition of
Francis Wilson TO get away from
acrobatic musical farce and demon.
strate that he could use his mind as
we'll as his legs on the theatrical
stage. Unhappily the demonstration
involved also the use of Mr.. Wilson's
voice, from the idiosyncrasies of which
the genial and scholarly comedian
could not divorce himself; and so this
first "Cyrano" opera failed miserably
Mr.. Wilson made the scenario for his
= opera himself, Mr.. Stuart Reed put il
into dramtic shape Chat is, he wrote
the dialogue and indicated where the
music should enter). Harry B. Smith
concoted the songs and vicor Herbert
composed the music.
Everybody was quick to recognize
that it was correct instinct which
saw the possibility of an opera il
"Cyrano," but everybody who saw ane
heard the opera was equally quick t
see that it, was mistake to choos.
any other medium than frank ane
broad burlesque for Mr.. Wilson, eve,
If he wanted it SO. Much of the lyrica
celebration of To- panachc seemed pro
vided to order by NJ. Rostand himself
!; who had conceived his play on line.
which cried out for a musical settin,
as loudly as work so profoundly 10
etical and romantic could. 1t is suf
} ficient to call the first act to mind
: with its merry gathering, its play
scene, the ballad of the duello; tn,
second with its hungry poets, the
( rhyming pastry cook and the inditin,
y of the letter to Roxane; the third. will
It's proxy serenade (for which a pro
: totype is found in "Don Gioyann;">
the song of the cadets of Gascony; tn
r fourth, with its camp scene before tn
battle and the battle itself; finally
: Cyrano's unconscious confession of hi
e passion, his fight with the phantom
g of the things in life of which he ha
= been the implacable enemy. Thes
: things were all conceived, born an,
= bred for opera! And then the prett
: invitation to seventeenth centur,
music~thc musette, which is the prel
= ude to Montfeury's effort to recite
' pastoral, the pavane which was to b.
G played out OF tune in case De Guich
should approach the house Of Roxan
r to spoil the lovemaking what delight
9 1ui opportunities these for dainty an,
4 novAS r1sfu .~t~ L -