New-York tribune., 1920-01-25

IOfrOduce L Ha<ilcV
Opera Saturday at
The Metropolitan
"Clcopatra's Night" which will have
ITS premiere at the Metropolitan Opera
House Saturday afternoon. January 81
VIII be the tcnth work by an American
composer TO be produced by Manager
G1ul'o Gatti-Casazza. The other works
"crc Nonvcrsc's "Pipo Of Desire 9
Parkcr's "Moua." Damrosch's "Cyrano. =
Hcrbert's Madeleine. DC kovcn's
THE Canterbury Pilgrims" Cadman :
"Shancwis." Gilbcri's Dance i'm Place
Congo Brcl's "The Lcgcnd" and
Hugos "Thc Temple Dancer"
Henry K Hadlcy is so we'll known to
the American public that Il biographies
sketch seems superNuous Already
he has four symphonies TO his credit,
several overturcs, Il ballet, symphonic
fantasia. poetic rhapsody, many
smaller works and songs and four
operas. "Safie." "Azora." "Thc Atone
mcnt Of Pan and "Bianca," the latter
produced at the Park Thcatcr last sea-
son
"cleopatras Night" Ny. Hadlcy's
latest work-his Opus 90 was accept
cd by Mr.. Gatt-Casazza last winter.
Says the composer:
while student in Vienna 7
chanced upon Thcophilc Gauticr's fas-
cinatine short story. 'Unc Mutt do
Cleopatra and was much impressed by
his descriptions
But it was only after went to
Egypt and saw tho Landscape and vivid
cooring that I determined to write
something with this wonderfully roman
tic and mysterious country as its back
ground. Then ! recalled this story and
the possibilities which it offered. no,
only as an imaginative flight, but as a
practical piece for tho theater.
The Orient has always had a pecu-
liar charm for me- visited ali the
Cairo, determined to take down some
material, but found it all so crude and
primitive and atrociously out Of tune
that ! fed into the country to seek in
splratlon from nature. For several
weeks lived in the outskirts of a little
village on the Suez Canal called Is
malta, on the border Of a tiny lake.
camping with another dreamer. who was
preparing work on cthnology Here
planned an Oriental suite for orchcs-
ira on original themes. but the spell
Of Cleopatra was over ne. procured
another copy Of Gautiers stors i'm
Cairo and again revelled in his extrava-
CANT word pictures. Returning to
Paris. made my frs. sketches of the
matte material. and now, after the lapse
OF several years. have rcmolded
these themes 10 Mrs. Alice Leal Pol
locks libretto.
During the summer Of 1918 wrote
incessantly until had finished the
sketches. The score is more or less
freely conceived and naturally written
IN the modern idiom | have attempted
IN my orchestral coloring to portray
the strange mad love of the slave
Melamoun for his queen. This is par
t'cularly emphasized by q short phrase
IN the clarinet. a combination Of two
curious scales which recur throughout
the WORK.
The first act takes place in Cleo
patras summer palace. showing the
famous baths AT sunset. The second
act occurs on the terraces of the pal
ace Immediately before sunrise Nor
man Bel Geddes des signed the settings.
The cast IN detail viii be as follows:
Cleopatra, Frances Aida; Mciamoun.
Orville Harrod Mardion, Jeanne Cor
dom Iras, Marie Tiffany; Mare Antony
Vincenzo Rcschiglan; the Eunuch
Milo Picco; Chei Officer, Louis
d'Angelo; conductor, Gennaro Papi
"Cleopatra's Night will be followed
by "Pagliacci," sung by Nine. Easton
and Messrs. Caruso, Scott. laurent
and Paltrinicr.
lie Cog dor" viii be given at a
special matinee on Tuesday afternoon.
with the usual cast, including Mines.
Garrison. Sundelius and CALI. Mcssrs.
Didur, Diaz and Bolm. Special prices
viii prevail.
Other operas Of the week viii be:
La Forza del Destino," o-morrow even
ing, with Mines Ponselle and Mcssrs.
Caruso, de Luca. Mardones and ChAl-
mers; "Faust.' Wednesday evening. with
Mines. tarrar. Ellis and Berat and
Mcssrs. Martinelli, Rothier, Couzinou
and d d'Angclo. The Blue Bird" Thurs
day evening. with the original cast
Oberon,' Friday evening, with Nine.
Ponsele and Messrs. MartineIli, Qua
and Dlaz
puccini's "Il Tabarro," "suor An
gelica" and "Gianni Schicchi" will be
.flVen AZ popular prices on Saturday
evening. with Mines Farrar. Muzio,
Sundclius, Tiffany and McsS,s. Crimi,
Amato, dc Luca. Didur and dc Scgurola