Evening star., 1951-09-02


century. Most of these are short
operettas designed to accord with
the taste of the period. From time
to time, some of them have been
performed in this country. There
is. in this office, a review of Offen-
bach's THE Princess of Trebi-
zonde" written in November. 1888.
The place of its presentation was
Haverly's Theater in Brooklyn.
New York. and the review states
that it echoed and re-echoed
with laughter last night-laughter
of the most hilarious, uncontroll-
able character in which everybody
joined"
Lillian Russell Featured.
Francis Wilson was star of that
performance although the cast Of
the premiere earlier that year
featured Lillian Russell. The cele-
brated actress also appeared in the
American premiere of The Grand
Duchess of Gerolstein" and The
Brigands" together with Fanny
Rice. Several others, as his La
Belle Helene" La Perichole" and
I"Orpheussin the Underworld" are
still favorites in European opera
houses.
American Debut.
However wanting in "propriety"
and taste" Offenbach's earlier
works may have been, or how au-
ldaciouS, their wit and Skillful mu-
Sical treatment charmed Paris
night after night. His fame spread
to other countries, and finally to
America. where he made person.
al appearance in 1877. This was
five years after Johann Strauss II
had come to Boston to conduct
IGilmore'S mammoth band at his
world peace jubilee. About that
time, in England. Gilbert and Sui
livan were producing their "Pi-
rates of Penzance," H. M. S. Pin
Iafore' and Trial by Jury"
When success followed his first
theatrical venture, Offenbach said,
II have long thought Of forming
a society to combat boredom" In
subsequent years he was goaded
, by the unanimous conviction Of
critics that he was incapable Of
composing serious music. He de-
termined to show them that he
could. Also there may have been
the subconsciouS urge aroused by
Rossini's calling him "the Mozart
of the Champs Elysees." Impove-
erished and seriously i'll, he began
the writing of The Tales of Hoff-
man." There was not enough time
left to him to finish it properly.
His friends tried to give him a
preview by carrying him to the
Opera Comique. where a rehears-
al was in progress, SO that he
might hear portion of his work.
The next day he died.
The Metropolitan Revival.
Vienna asked for its production.
A terrible fire broke out in the
theater that night with great loss
of life. This catastrophe seemed
: to bring into the open the un-
, comfortable feelings the weird ad-
4 ventures of Hoffman, secretly
: aroused. The opera was Stunned
by producers for many years, al
though it was given in New York
the year after the composers s
Y death. The Metropolitan revived
}, it in 1912 with the three women
1 character taken by Frieda Hem
S pei. Olive Fremstad and Lucrezia
i Bori. Since then it has been given
e there more than so times. while
y Strauss Die Fledermaus" had
only five performances, in the
S years 1904 and 1906.
: Hollywood could have excellent
4 material for a film in the lives Of
t both Offenbach and Strauss.
e Strauss had but to follow IN
: the footsteps of his ceie-
il brated father and in an en-
vironment ready to rece. g
d him. He knew how to utilize this
, and go still further until he be-
! came one of the most notable fig
y ures of the age. Offenbach had
= to carve his own fortune. The
q seventh of 10 children, he was
!, born in Germany, his real name
; being Levy. His father was a
y musician and saw that his son
:, was trained early so that he could
= join his brother and sister in per-
forming as street musicians.
q Offenbach's strange character
Il manifested itself from the begin
: ming. Although finally admitted
: to the Paris Conservatoire, he
Z. could not stand the routine and
q discipline and soon left to join an
: orchestra. He felt he was des-
IS tined for the theater. Through
y Flotow. he was introduced into
= Partisan society. where his Paga-
n nini-like appearance and his
n musical gifts aroused interest.
i. When no one would consider seri-
e IouSly his operas, he rented a the
ater and began the extraordinary
success that was his almost to the
end of his life. The many de-
tails of that period make story
in themselves. The war of 1870
caused him reverSes in fortune
from which he never recovered.
But it led to the creation of The
Tales" and the immortalization Of
his name. Perhaps revival Of