The New York herald., 1920-01-18
It's the Love Theme That Makes an Opera
Go, Says David Belasco, Discussing "Zaza"
Provides Another Story for Lyric
Drama In His Play The
Son-Daughter..
By PAUL MORRIS.

Golden West" and who Is likely to write
tho Ubretto for Puccinfs next opera Al
ready the paaian composer Is considering
the possibility of using Tho Son-Daugh-
ter by Mr.. Beiasco and George Scarbor'
oueh now playing at the Belasco. He has
received the story in Italy and his New
York representative has obtained the op
cratic rights. The book is on the way and
Mt. Puccini Is already rolling up his
sleeves to get to work on the music
II am all enthusiasm to receive the boob
- The Son-Daughter.' he wrote TO Mr..
Belaseo In letter received last week.
with collaboration from you such as ]
had In Madame Butterfly and In The
Girl Of the Golden West win set to work
With AL interest"
What are the elements which constitute
good grand opera hhrettof Mr.. Belascc
was asked last Friday in hts office after
Daughter"
Three things are necessary he an.
svered: first, a love theme; second, a
duty theme and finally an appeal tc
patriotism The love theme Is the mos
important Romeo and Juliet is the
greatest Of all operatic stories To my
way Of thinking a good libretto should be
, placed upon similar theme The Son.
/. Daughter is sort OF Chinese Romeo and
: Juliet That is why have become tn
terested in having it made into a grand
opera
Option on All His Plays.
'1fr. Puccini has had an option on all
OF my productions since Butterfly, but
In the last few seasons l have been spe-
cializing on comedies and on problem
plays and thrillers. The Son-Daughter'
IS the first OF my things with the right
Love interest for operate purposes. MT.
Puccini wants things with the right love
interest for operatic purposes. Mr.. Puc-
exni wants things with tenderness and
heart throbs. yet with enough tragedy to
give 1t strength. @-'----
when Mr.. Scarborough and I wrote
The Son-Daughter' we had in mind an
operatic version. The play was written
with Mr.. Puccini In view. So when, after
the first performance, Miss Geraldine Far
rar became interested and induced Mr..
Giulio Gatti-Casazza and Mr.. Puccnis
personal representative in this country,
Mr.. George Maxwell, to attend perform
ance / was more than interested. In fact,
before the premiere the story had been
sent to Mr.. Puccini. He always has
wanted to write a Chinese opera, but he
told me that he would have preferred to
put Madame Butterfly in a Chinese garb
instead Of Japanese kimono.
''Of course, Mr.. Puccini will not have
an opportunity TO see the production of
The Son-Daughter' In London he saw
Madame Butterfly and in this country
The Girl of the Golden West. He does
not understand English. He told me that
ma deH IN tnE has .NLyo Co. n
brettos entirely from watching the panto-
mime. He said that In my productions
he could get the whole story from the
pantomime without knowing the words.
with the 'Son-Daughter' he will have
TO form. his opinions from different
angle. Mr.. Maxwell has seen the play
several times. He will get all Of the ac-
ton in his mind. and in April he Fill go
to italy to consult with Mr. Puccini re-
garding the opera. He has told me that
he will be able to act it all out for the
composer. Dozens of photographs also
will be sent so that Mr.. Puccina can get
an. idea Of the way the thing has been
staged here
Made the Play Successful.
The production of Leoncavallo's opera
''Zaza" at the Metropolitan Opera House
last Friday night brings to mind the fact
that it was Mr. Belasco who made the
play 'Zaza" successful. 1t had been
failure in Paris. And Mr.. Belasco has
been helping some of the singers at the
Metropolitan in making their roles accord
with the traditions of the drama.
How was IL that you were able to make
'Zaza' succeed in spite of the collapse in
Paris?" l asked.
"Well, IL is hard to define psychological
things. l made the public feel sympathy
for Zaza. She was courtesan. woman
OF the music halls with a bad record. In
Paris they set her up beside virtuous
WIFE Women with fine sensibiities re-
belled at the comparison. The wife got
all OF the sympathy. because she was at
tractive, young. all that a man could
desire
But made the wife unattractive. /
made the audience feel that the man could
not be altogether blamed for seeking
amusement in the music halls. II his wife
were perfect. she would get all OF the
tears. The success of Zaza depended upon
her pulling the heart strings of her hear
ers. BY making the wife less desirable
made love affair with Zaza seem almost
excusable. That is how made the public
like Zaza
"And you will notice that Miss Farrar
gets the interest Of the opera audiences in
stead Of the wife who interested the Paris
public. Zaza is OF course. q wild creature
who has gone from man to man without
much discrimination. When she decides
to get a new lover and makes up her mind
that II will be Dufresne. who is an ad-
mirer OF another cafe singer. there Is not
much refinement 10 her method of attract
ing him. Her acts are not those Of q
woman OF culture. But who finds offence
IN the way Miss Farrar does Il? All OF the
singers in the theatre who display their
bodies in musical comedy or in the cabo-
-ets should come TO see Miss Farrar and
find out how to do IL.
Retains Audiences sympathy.
"She is crude without losing the sym
pathy of her hearers. And in the third
act, where she meets the 'ittle daughter of
her lover. all of her crudeness vanishes.
She makes every one feel that had she
been born in a different environment she
would have been different person. There
is only tenderness and fine sentiment No
one could help sympathizing with her
That is the secret of Zaza's success. She
must be both coarse and refined"
Mr. Belasco is the only man Of the
speaking stage In America who has had
any great Influence upon opera in Europe,
for Madame Butterfly" Is one OF the
most popular OF all grand operas on both
sides Of the Atlantic. and The Girl OF the
Golden west" which his not been sung
here In recent years. is still favorite In
italy. SO his ideas on the trend of grand
opera should be enlightening.