Show = LILLIAS QUEtRY sr wonder why it is said Lillian Russell that in this country we cannot can-not learn to consider a light opera I libretto as a work of art A libretto lis supposed by some to be a kind of thing which any intelligent person with sufficient time at his disposal can put together As a matter of historical histori-cal fact the finest operasboth < light and serious have generally been written writ-ten on the best boob When DAponte awoke Mozarts inspiration afresh wih the libretto of Don Giovanni he had 4 the sympathy and encouragement ran r-an emperor And what a libretto it is There are many plays which have less merit less distinction and less originality origin-ality We read too of the delight with which Jules Barbler and Michael Carre the librettists of Faust consecrated themselves to their task of producing a book out of the German legend We must go to Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halevy for anather example of firs rate librettism Their adaptation of Prosper Merimees Carmen is marvel lonely clever The original is > merely anecdotic In the libretto we have practically a drama written on the theme and the lyrics especially the one beginning Lamour et un enfant rebelle are gems of versification I |