The New York herald., 1921-05-15
MASCAGNI SCORES
OPERATIC TRIUMPH
IN LITTLE MARAT
Enhancing Music Adorns
Plot With an 18th Cen
tury Background.
PLANS AMERICAN TOUR
Composer Called Before Cur
tain Thirty Times on the
Opening Night.
PLANS AMERICAN TOUR

Special cable to THE NEW YORK HERALD
Copyright, 1921. by TIE New YORK HERALD.
ROME, May 14.--In his new opera,
scored his greatest success since the
early days Of "Cavalleria Rusticana."
On the opening night this week, de-
spite the fact that prices ranged from
SIS to $50 q seat, even standing room
was taken days before, while 1t Is
probable that Rome has not seen sucn
a gathering of aristocracy since the
beginning OF the century.
Mascagni himself was called before
the curtain no less than thirty times.
and seemed to enjoy the new triumph
Just as much as when year ago he
offered to write battle hymn for the
Italian Communists.
u, S. Tour Planned.
According to the managers. 100000
lire was spent on the production which
will be taken to the United States next
wear. 1t was feared that the Fascist
might interfere with the opening night
as a protest against the composers
Communistic inclinations, but with true
Italian reverence for art they issued
proclamation at the last minute declar-
ing that art and politics should not ne
confounded and therefore Mascagni the
artist was not to be disturbed but should
be allowed to develop Italy's prestige at
home as we'll as abroad
Mascagni has taken the end or the
eighteenth century at Nantes as the
background for his new theme, which is
distinctly revolutionary. In order to save
his mother. the Princess dc Ffeury' VINO
has been condemned to death by a tyrant
known as "Orso the Bear" young
prince feigns to be revolutionary. In
the meantime Mdriella, the tyrants
niece. who is being chased by mob OF
hungry young revolutionaries because
she is carrying to her uncle the rich food
usually reserved for aristocrats, rs
saved by the Prince, who throws the
dishes into the river. BY forcing tne
uncle to eat common food the Prince I'M
medately becomes popular and is known
as LIE Petit Murat"
MarielIn Is Accused.
orso returning from a murderous ex-
pedition appoints the Prince to guaru
his mothers prison. In the second act
the Prince by strategy obtains possess
son OF the order for the execution OF
the Princess. Orso on learning or the
loss promptly accuses MGrielld OF hav-
ing stolen it. The latter Is surprised
wien the young Prince does not come
To her protection. but soft music gets
the chance when the Prince tells Mdrs-
ella Of his love and waits Tor an op-
portunity to overpower Orso.
This opportunity arrives In the third
act while the tyrant Is sleeping. FIND
ing himself bested Orso signs the order
for the release Of the Princess. nut
treacherously shoots the Prince while
Marielln is fleeing to release her lovers
mother But naughty Orso meets poeuc
Justice in the form of a carpenter VINO
has becn repairing roofs and who In a
mad sovie.istic rage uses costly bronze
candela brum to beat out Orso's brains
A few minutes later the Princess Is
reIeased and sails down the Loire River
in a boat with MGriella, the Prince ana
the regenerated carpenter
While the plot is flimsy and undig-
nified the music really is enhancing.
IL opens with a slow choral movement
embodying an expression or utmost
melancholy from which develops a sad
chant by the prisoners and leading up
To a great chorus of revolutionaries IN
tho first act The chorus is made UP
of two well balanced but opposing parts
developing to q great furor at the end.
Rhythmic and Martial.
But Ma scagni has not allowed the
dramatic idea to overrule his own plans.
He starts the chorus in minor key.
gradually warming and developing II
through a series of characteristic modu-
Iations in the purest Mascagnian style.
The music accompanying the oath inn
posed by the young Prince on the crowd
As both rhythmic and martial.
The second act, however, is more In
teresting muscally than the first. Here
both the tist-Forzano-and the
composer have combined to develop a
secondary character. namely. that of a
soldier, at the expense of the leading
narts. His song sung to the accompani-
nent of an orchestral theme of beauti-
fully rhythmic form Is both noble and
nleasinr, The final duet between the
Prince and Md,ieild is superb speci-
men of lyric art quite In keeping with
Mascagnis promises. Coming after a
duet by MdrieiiG and the carpenter,
which Is also pleasing, this episode In
sured the success of the whole pro-
duction. while rondo by the Red
,oldiers In the third act Is distinctly
Mascagnian.
Critics have decided that Mascagnl
has given UP his methods used In Cav
aIleria Rusticana," 'T'Amico Fritz and
'Iris" and Is showing n prediction to
set 10 music single number of words,
using orchestration TO accentuate tho