Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-18
AMERICAN OPERA
WILL Be PRODUCED
metropolitan to Answer Crit
les Who Say Foreign Works
Are Favored.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. January 1S--An
answer couched in Angio-Saxon words
sung TO an American tune has been
prepared by The metropolitan Opera
rapany for critics who assert it has
|n a prediction for imported
answer THE Kings Hench.
-" is an opera in three acts, with
score by Deems TAYLOR and librettc
by Edna st. Vincent Millay. it's pre-
niere is scheduled for February II.
Taylor was born in Manhattan and
= Miss Millay in Rockland Me The
opera, although not about America,
they feel. is as American as The
Merchant of Venice" was English.
Pre-NOrman England
Nary a word not of Anglo Saxon
parentage-unless quibbling philolo-
gists reveal etymologic bar-sinsters-
is 10 be found in the book, Vouchsafes
the Lbrettist. excepting here and there
a. mongrel scandinavian Vocable or
cultural used to highten lingual illu-
sion of period the time being pre-
Norman England
The music is regarded by the com
poser as inherently American. NO
one" he said. but an American could
have written, il whether ii be good.
bad or Indifferent"
Because in the middle of the tenth
century the Normans had not in
Naded England to leave their impress
on English speech and manners, the
singing Will be done more with the
mouth and less with the hands than
rs usual in the operas imported from
LatlniZed countries.
The principals selected for the pre-
miere will be virtually Anglo-Saxons.
Lawrence Tibbits, American Edward
Johnson, Canadian. and Florence
Easton, an Englshwoman. will sing
The three chief roles. They will he
supported by George Meader, Marion
Teiva, Joseph Macpherson, Dorothy
Flicker, William Gustafson, all Amer
leans, and others.
Twelfth American Piece.
THE Kings Henchman"- will be the
twelfth American piece produced at
The Metropolitan under Gatti- Casaz-
"a dictatorship.
Only one of these is an the repertory
at present-John Alden Carpenters
Skyscrapers, one-act ballet
When the cry of favoritism for for
eign-born operas continued, the Met
ropoiitan summoned Joseph Deems
IdyIOT, lnen music critic OF the New
York World, and commissioned him
TO write an American opera
For me writing the libretto was
simple" TAYLOR said IAN ! did was
drop "A note to Miss MIllay. telling her
what predicament the Metropolitan
had put me in She responded with a
scenario. After that was approved
she sent me the first act. Writing the
score is just as simple. All you have
10 do to write music is to remember
tune that's never been written"
Opera Finished In Year
Miss Millay CMrs. Eugen Jan Bots
sevan) became i'll while working on
the book and there was some delay,
but the opera was completed in about
year. Her work is described as
metric. prose, with here and there
plank and rhymed verse.
The story Of the opera is the appIi-
cation of legend TO certain historical
characters, without undue regard for
historic veracity. The legend is that
a maid faring forth at midnight of
halloween with Il torch Will see her
future spouse. The king has sent his
henChman to take look at the
daughter of the Thane of Devon. to
ascertain if she be beautiful enough
TO be his queen. AS the thames
daughter goes through the forest to
test the superstition her light reveals
the henchman.