Evening star., 1950-06-11

| syllable. For these most i'm
portant detail passages the
music is often not of sufficient
interest to mark them in q spe-
cial manner unless one under
stood how completely it fits into
the meaning Of the words. the
delineation Of the character and
the overall picture. The Ameri-
can premiere in 1906 at the Co
lumbia Theater In washington
was in English. When intro
duced at the Metropolitan Opera
the following year, 1t was sung In
Italian.
Charming Details Overshadowed.
The first act is filled with these
charming details although the
appeal Of the scene between Pink
erton and Sharpless. the entrance
of Butterfly, and the final love
duet, overshadow them. There
are the simple phrases where she
shows her small possessions to her
future husband. drawing from her
wide sleeves a fan. handkerchiefs,
a jar of rouge, her fathers death
dagger and finally the images OF
her forefathers. When she tells
Pinkerton that she has gone to
the mission and accepted his reli-
gion, renouncing her age-old rev.
erences, the words are as beautiful
as the music. Then. later. when
she tries to describe her happiness,
her plea for his love, because to
her little things matter and she.
as all her race, are simple, quiet
people easily hurt and when she
likens herself to the goddess of
the moon who descends the bridge
Of heaven, the poetry Of the text
is more deeply rewardng than the
Again in the second and last
acts. any number of interludes, as
when she tells Sharpless her hus-
band promised to return when
robins build their nests, her faith
that divorce, as practiced in
Japan, could not take place Gin
my country" the letter scene, and
her description of what her life
would be were she to be forced to
become a Geisha once more, are
all the more poignant because of
the wording. Her farewell to her
son, as her creating of the return
of Pinkerton in the aria, "Un bel
d." are more easily grasped
through the spacing and promi-
nence given them. Yet numerous
small things have built up the
trusting, loving, noble character
of Butterfly in a way seldom found
in grand opera.
Seldom Given in English.
The American public is de-
prived of the full enjoyment of
an opera such as this, because it
is seldom, if ever, given in Eng
lish. The skill of writer's of opera
is as profound in the handling
Of what seems like insignificant
moments as in the great
climaxes for which the public
waits. How scenes are dovetailed
into each other and dramatic
highlights developed depend as
much on the words as on the
music. Yet the Importance of
these sometimes fails to penetrate
the veil that a foreign language
creates. .
Carmen" the San Carloan's
second offering, is less subtle and
by this time, the story is well
known and easy to follow. Verdi's
"Traviata," with which this week
closes has its moments also
where following the text would
add greatly to the appreciation
of the music but it's plot, as we'll,
is familiar as drama and opera.
An interesting item. of conse-
quence in this sesquicentennial
year, is that "Traviata" was the
first opera to be given at the White
House. In February. 1858, the
celebrated Italian soprano, Mari
eta Piccolomini, brought her
company for a performance of
one of her most famous roles, for
President James Buchanan and
his guests. Undoubtedly, it also
was given in Italian.