Evening star., 1927-07-17
The King Henchman''
Presented Here This Fall

1.-THE Kings Henchman," the widely
discussed native American opera by
Deems Taylor and Edna st. Vincent
Millay, which scored a sensational sue
cess at the Metropolitan last February,
will be heard in Washington early in
| November, according to an announce
ment just made by Mrs. Wilson
| Greene, under whose local manage
ment the opera will be presented here.
OF almost equal interest to Wash
| ington is the fact that Jacques Sa-
moussoud. who produced Butterfly"
at the Auditorium last January and
who before that held the post of mu-
sical conductor with the Washington
| Opera Co, will not only conduct the
| Washington performance of THE
Kings Henchman" in November. but
will also appear as it's producer.
| "The Kings Henchman," under the
direction Of Mr.. Samoussoud, will open
a countrywide tour of the United
States with it's performance here next
| Fall. The only cities excluded from
the tour are New York, Brooklyn and
Philadelphia, where the Metropolitan
| Opera Co. is expected to present the
Taylor-Millay opera.
Tentative plans call for the forma-
ton of company Of approximately
| 100 persons, with double cast of
principals, headed by Frances Peralta
| and Marie Sundelius as sopranos and
with Noes Zlatkin alternating with
Mr.. SamouSsoud as conductor. Ralph
Erro,e, formerly of the Metropolitan,
Is mentioned as one of the tenors and
| Richard Hale one of the baritones.
There will be chorus of so and an
orchestra Of the same number, while
| in id 70 Io
elaborate and beautiful.
The presentation in Washington
early in November Of 1.-The King s
Henchman," less than a year after its
dramatic triumph at the Metropolitan
last February, is made possible
through set of remarkable circum-
stances. Prior to the production of
THE Kings Henchman" at the Met
ropolitan, Mr.. Samoussoud asked
Deems Taylor, the composer, for an
opportunity to look over the opera in
manuscript.
Samoussoud. it is said, was so i'm.
pressed by the beauty and novelty of
the work that he Immediately ap.
preached Mr.. Taylor with an offer for
the production rights in all cities out
side the zone Of Metropolitan opera
activities. Taylor and Samoussoud
being close friends, the former agreed
to the proposal and arrangements
were drawn up and signed, and Sa.
moussoud Immediately began the
preparation of plans to take the opera
on tour in the Fall. of 1927.
Then came the premiere at the Met
ropolitan, and the next morning Amer.
lea awoke to discover the critics OF
New York heralding in the highest
praises an opera which had eclirsed
| h. 60 AF os.,;bA
dot" first given last Fall. Seats for
the opening performance of 1.-The
Kings Henchman" had brought as
high as 500 for the single evening
and not only New York but all musi
cal America was agog with she new
sensation.
Deems Taylor, the composer, who Is
now working on another opera that
the Metropolitan will produce during
the season Of 1928-29, will be remem.
bered as the man who took the post
of music critic on the New York
World after the death Of the illustri
GUS James G. Huneker. He is M.
tive New Yorker, in his early forties
who first attracted musical attention
by winning the National Federation
of Music Clubs prize in 1913 with his
symphonic poem, 1.-THE Siren Song
titus" Top. y, was performed by the
Schola Cantorum in 1916. year after
the production of his cantata, 1.-THE
Highwayman," was produced at The
Peterboro On. H) festival.
Subsequently he composed a sons
cycle, "The City Of. joy; suite
Through the Looking Glass;" for
string quintet, flute, oboe, clarinet.
bassoon. horn, and piano, which was
first played by the New York Cham.
ber Music Society and which, arranged
for symphony orchestra, was intro