New-York tribune., 1920-12-26

any accompaniment to them. 1t was the
Duchess Of Guecnsbury, Gays loyal and
stanch friend Of many years, who in
sisted on having the voices accompanied
by instrumental music.
Dr. Pepusch has been given the
credit Of fitting the sixty-nine ballads
Of "The Beggar's Opera" to the old
English tunes, although it would seem
more credible that this was done by
Gay himself, as he was SO thoroughly
familiar with them and loved them,
while DR.. Pepusch Is known to have
been scholarly German musician.
with little patience FOR lighter music
Of the day and with a most imperfect
knowledge Of the English language.
He did, however, orchestral. the score,
and arranged the overture for two
violins. two oboes, tenor and
cello" and with this we ought to hc
content and enjoy the quaint old bal
lads without any more prying into who
did and who didn't.
Intended as satire upon the dis
honesty and proAigacy Of the ministers
end eourtiers Of George II, Gays
choosing Newgate as his misc-en-scene
was daring piece Of wit Congreve.
on being shown an early draft Of the
piece, said 1t would "either take
greatly or be damned confoundedly."
Newgate was recognized institution
Of London life. During the suppress
sion Of Jacobinisnl, which was still
fresh in peoples minds, it had been
filed TO overf1owing, while the weekly
professions to Tyburn were Of exciting
interest TO the populacc. The prison
.rs had an astonishing freedom within
the walls and life inside was about
they had to "pay through the nose"
for everything. The rapacity Of the
officials, from the turnkeys up to the
Cover rnor. was the only barrier to be
surmounted, and the holder Of long
purse could hold as nigh revel and
entertain as many friends as he was
willing to put up Cor. Gays Newgate
was true to the life and the realism
was appreciated by the first-nighters
i OIL tnc pcIiVu VOnh ltcidHu says:
"The opera is caricature of Newgate
life and manners bat if the force OF
carea.ure be the measure Of its truth,
then no closer copy has ever been pu.
into drama form
Gay first offered his play to Colley
Cibber for Drury Lane, but he wou d
nave naught to do with it. This proved
a lucky thing for Gay, who then offered
1t to John Rich. Rich promptly accepted
it and produced it on January 80, 1928,
at his Lincoln's Inn Fields Theater
with cast that might we'll have been
termed "all star" had they indulged in
such things in those days. Lavinia
Fenton had been a member of Rich's
company for some time and no one else
was considered for the part of Polly
Peachum. Whether Polly made La
vinia or Lavinia made Polly was long
a snooted question. but is of slight in
,erest now, SINCE the two have become
synonymous, despite the fact that many
other more or .ess ovely ladies es-
sayed the part. Rich had intended
Quin to play Captain Macheath, but
one rehearsal convinced that burly
actor that he was miscast and he threw
up the part, which was thereupon given
to his friend, Wa ter, who made as
great success of the captain as La
viniH did Of Polly.
Naturally the play aroused storm
of adverse criticism, but then. as now,
such protests served only to augment
business, audiences were ever CAP RI
cious, and the opinions of the town
were led by the literary friends of Cav
Addison, Pope, Steele and others OF
toat we known toteric---s so that ii had
an unprecedented run Of sixty-three
nirhtS