New-York tribune., 1921-03-20
A Century and a Half Of
Opera and Operetta in America
Research Discloses Imposing List Of Such Dimen.
sions That Lack of Space Forbids
Discussion of Revelations
By H. <. Krehbiel

auestion would be particularly valuable
il determining the degree of musical
culture prevalent in the country. In
such a matter qualitative analysis
vould be more significant than guam
ttativc. 1t is not the amount of music
made which speaks of peoples taste
and appreciation, but the quality of the
music which has been found to give
Measure. And if We were in 8 position
10 appraise all the music which has
been composed in America from the
davs Of the earliest colonists down to
.o-day we should look for criterion of
eplture in the mass Of instrumental
music rather than in that which has
been written for the theater. But
operas appeal to popular curiosity more
than symphonies, and operettas more
than pianoforte pieces and serious
songs.
In examining the new American vol
ume which the Macmillan Company has
added to Groves Dictionary of Music
snd Musicians, concerning which we
had considerable to say in this journal
last Sunday, We were struck by the
many titles of operas and operettas
found in its pages. Our curiosity was
aroused Intrigued is the word which
writer's who are trying to improve the
English language use rowadays), and
We found ourselves almost unwillingly
setting down list of titles and COM
posers. The task grew, and when it was
completed we were disappointed. Our
own records, made in earlier historical
studies, disclosed hundreds of titles and
names which the editors of the volume
had overlooked and we began second
list, to make which we drew on the re-
suits found in the awe-inspiring compi-
ltion which Mr.. John Towers, of Nor
gsntown, Va, gave to the public little
more than a decade ago. 1t was Mr.
Towers belief when he visited us and
exhibited his terrific manuscript docu-
ment, with it's thousands of titles, that
no opera had been performed on this
earth since the art-form was invented
Of which he did not know the title. OF
. course, this was not true. 1t could not
| be true. Such task could not be ac-
| ccmplished by score of men in score
Of years, for the simple reason that the
records open to investigation are not
complete.
Information Contained in. Groves
Dictionary
AS little was it possible for the
editors OF the suppleme entary volume to
Groves Dictionary to set down the
names of ali the men who had COM
posed operas and operettas in Amer
isa. They did not try to do that.
They do print the titles of over 200
musical stage works and, indeed, print
great many that are insignificant
from any point of view except that
Il which tells of the common ambition
Of small army of composers. The
Information given about the works is
also incomplete for obvious reasons.
Living men had to be repealed to for
lists Of their compositions. In send
ing in such lists the composers in
GUIDED their operas and operettas, of
course, whether they had been per-
Termed or not, whether they had been
4 published or not
Moreover, though the labors of delv-
3 ING historians like Mr.. O. G. Sonneck
provided them with much valuable infor-
nation about the musical activities
PRIOR to the year 1900, they furnished
nste material for the story of music
the United States during three
quarters Of the nineteenth century.
mere Mr.. Towers's Dictionary of OPP
elas becomes helpful to the inyesti-
sssor For the last decade, which has
Deen more fruitful than any of its
pleaecessors in century and half,
'as records are ample enough and
*'sn MIR. Towers's help and our own
memoranda we have had no difficulty
Y adding S11 titles to those which may
" found By searching through the
pases OF the new American musical
s'esionary. The list which we first
essW out, augmented by our later rec
'sos, Is now printed here.
A Lengthy List
Is 50 large that it leaves us no
apaee 70 discuss some of it's interesting
isseiations. OF necessity it, too, is
1ssue. Whenever 1T has been possible
9snsion is made Of the place and year
~ public performance. But we know
{ n'se as the simply curious reader
7" many of these hundreds of works
- y real serious import, how many
~ comedies with music, how many
,sssea' how many have been published
ss' never performed in public, how
as nave been performed but never
FSs'ssned, how many repose as manu-
'p's In the desks of their authors.
spnemeral character of the works
sasiiy be discovered by compar-
sae list with that repertory cur
- ~ the theaters Of the city to-day.
sh' be found that over 95 per cent
saem have gone into the limbo of
spssen things. The vast majority of
,. ~ hved perhaps for a day; only
Il. ior more than season. When
~. ~, are given they may furnish
!, J. y the activities Of period, and
III a's respect 1t is interesting to note