New-York tribune., 1921-01-23
Famous Songs From S'The
Beggar's Opera" Nov in Town
Some Facts About the Local Revival of Gays Cele-
brated Comedy With Songs and Critical
Discussion of the Work

fed it ever since it was invented, over
three hundred years ago.
Satirical Element Slight
The satire on opera in Gays piece is
extremely slight. In the introduction
the pseudo-suthor, i. e., the ceggar,
tells the Player that he has introduced
"the SMILES that are in all your cele
brated operas: the Swallow. the Moth,
the Bee, the Ship, the Flower, etc.;
also ~ prison scene which the ladies
always reckon charmingly pathetic"
He says also that he has observed such
mice impartiality to our two ladies that
it is impossible for either of them to
take offense," and he hopes to be for-
given for not making his opera
throughout unnatural, like those in
vogue" having made no use Of recita
tive and having neither prologue nor
epilogue. This is very watery satire
indeed Opera librettos have no
monopoly OF the SMILES mentioned, nor
of prison scenes. No doubt the asser-
tion Of impartiality was construed as
an aliusion to the quarrel between
Cuzzoni and Faustina, when the town
and even households were split into
factions, Sir Robert Walpole, who is
supposed to have come under the lash
of Gays political and social satire,
fighting under Faustina's banner and
Lady Walpole under Cuzzoni's, whose
champions were led By the Countess of
Pembroke; wherefore an epigramma-
tist of the time wrote:
"Old poets sing that beasts did dance
Whenever Orpheus play'd;
SO to Faustins's charming voice
| Wise Pembroke's asses bray'd!"
The excellent Mr.. Addison found
many more subjects TO exercise his wit
upon in the operas themselves and the
attitude Of fashionable society toward
them; and anv one Of his paragraphs
has keener barb than all Of Gays
illusions. Moreover. Gay would have
weakened his satire il he had directed
it against so harmless fad and af ccta-
tion as the musical penchant o. the
aristocracy. He wanted to thrust his
lance into moro vulnerable spots and
had no difficulty in finding them. AS
for the Italian opera, it had outlived
Addson's gibes, and even Pu-cell, with
nacular, had been unable to unseat It.
No. AS fling at the art form which
is but little less vulnerable now than
it was two hundred years ago Gays
comedy is quite negligible, bu, as we
listened to 1t a few nights ago we
thought it q caustic commentary on
the degenerate musical taste Of to-day
With so keen an appreciation Of real
musical beauty, Of melodic lovclincss
and propriety in its use for dramatic
expression an Gay obvioasly possessed
what would he not have said in casti-
CATION Of the music Of to-day and the
popular attitude toward It! Would
that he were alive now. when grace
and loveliness have departed from the
dance and the inspiration Of rhythmic
melody has given place to the uncouti
blurtings Of tortured tromboncs ane
saxophones and the barbaric din o.
drums. Such an one as he might
shame US back into aesthetic deccnc5
or something Hike It.
. The Lesson Of the Revival
As it. Is, the chief lesson that ths
revival Of "The Beggar's Opera
teaches us 10 that the popular taste II
, song Is dcplorably behind that OF tw'
hundred years ago. Any enc melod'
introduced 10 give musical expression
10 T. song In 1.-The Beggar's Opera" Ii
: worth all tho music produced In vaude
Vile or dance room since tho waltz
polka and cotillon went down under IN
, fsrst assault made by the one-steI
which, VIC believe, WIS the beginDin
, Of the present dcgeners tn dance style
! The tunes src far from equal in merit
. | but they are sli sound and sweet y
their musical essence. Not all, bu