Evening star., 1933-07-08

Dear Sir: You struck tender spot
in your mention OF Fra Diavolo' the
other day. 1t is my favorite light
opera. Why isn't it played any more
I have repeatedly requested to have 1t
played over the radio or by orchestra,
but apparently no one has ever heard
of 1t or it is thought there is no public
appeal In it. VesSelas Band in the old
days at Atlantic City's pier frequently
gave it complete. with all the incidental
orchestral music as well as all the airs
1t was always well received. OF course,
the perfect presentation is that of the
stage. Next to that Is the radio pres
entation, vocally and inStrumentally.
This opera has everything
beyond imitation, an interesting story
and hllmor and pathos in perfect COM
bination, entering into the structure
of the music as well as the libretto.
There are other operas In the same
class-'Bohemian Girl Chimes of Nor
mandy 'Girof1e Girofla' and half
dozen others that I could reveal to the
further curious
WHY'S it when there are SO many
good things to offer, of a kind to make
a large public appeal and of evident
intrinsic value, that we are flooded
with inanities. Of no merit from any
conceivable standpoint? Very truly
yours, w. I. W.
This is a pertinent inquiry.
Progress is progress. or isn't it?
Every age has a right to think that
it is going ahead; sometimes its COM
ponent members merely fool them
selves, that is all
Old operas are old.
The creative brains of any one period
are not satisfied with them. no matter
how good they have been. or still are
They do their own level best to
achieve success and If that level is
sometimes a great deal lower to many
observers than artistic successes of the
past; that criticism will in no way pre-
vent the energy of the present from ex-
pressing itrelf
Men produce, whether for good or
bad, and the best of it, from their
standpoint. is that they have the stage
Theatrical presentation naturally gets
into the hands of men typical of their
age. The typical mind of this era
is far different from the typical mind
OF the composer and producer of the
days of Fra Diavolo'
1t is this product of an age which
naturally tends to look down on some
thing old. preferring something new"
In the full flush OF an active business
such as the stage in all its branches
including the cinema. constitutes. meL
are not going TO be content to sit down
and admire what already has been
done.
They never have been and they never
will be. The years which saw the
appearance of Fra Diavo,o" saw some
thing brand-new in artistic circles.
If it happened that its artistic quail
ties are higher than those of some
latter-day productions. as one tries
calmly to judge them over the years,
the result might be explained in a vari-
ETY. of ways.
Producers of all sorts unite in the
saying that they give the public what
it wants" 1t is the old stock excuse.
and unfortunately seems to have much
justification.
E1ery one interested in the ques-
ton here brought up has his own ideas
about it. perhaps there is no solution
of 1t, since in essence it is the con-
flict of one age with another
Every one who believes as our cor
respondent believes has a pretty good
idea. or maybe a series of them, as to
what is the matter and who is re-
sponsible for it,
He must admit. we believe. that thA
trouble is far beyond the power Cf
any one person to correct. Therefore
it would appear that it is just another
one of the many problems about which