Show f I IThe jJ The ii iiI Mus c Student Abroad road iJ I Mozart's rt's JI of ol Figaro 10 By Bv Pietro I I I ANY of or the present generation who M MAX MAVY are steeped pl tl In the luxuriant musical mu mu- steal coloring bequeathed to pos pos- by tin dramatic genius of ug Vu u of tho the pine pUl ncr ner come to a first hearing s simple cc unIus of or Mozart with a n co coldness colt cold d- d of or acquaintanCe with ness ess begotten Wagner's Wagners a n rs r's later Inter musical exuberance ret J-cl retus us us' race face the significance of this coldness s and learn thereby how to tot t estimate tc th the tho alues values of or this majestic figure figure gu re- re Mozart I oa I 1 j Lct et u us 18 begin bAin b iry acknowledging that tho the wonderful reform In operatic music music mu mu- sic Ic ma made e b by Gluck were s still new when whon Mozart roz rt first lr t begun began his career caNer Gluck Gluek wn was alive and h his Is masterpiece mantelpiece Iphi- Iphi t stilL unwritten cuIc on en wn was ten Mozart had lint heard Clucks Cluck's epoch epoch- making Orfeo Orfea cd ed 1 Euridice which cast aside the old Italian mode of subordinating I music to singer in which the Italian opera was simply a Yh vehicle leo for tho soloists to ride In Gl Gluck cl ek also cast the he ole old orchestral forms and made his overture and his Incidental a rit veritable bh part of the opera It Itself It- It self telf elf In m mH antI and in treatment Mozart iad ad to choos which school ho would adhere to to the theold old Italian tho the new Austrian Aus 15 trian or th the old German And Anti he did the the great reat thing of or creating u n school which has lias the tho hest best of all throe schools as as to Its foundation principle When hen you ou get the tile Inestimable chance of hearing hear hear- In IHK ing an opera bj by Mozart It you OU are not to compare him with his lesser follower followerS n ncr who will rouse your our emotions with every oyer beat bont of the th th drum and toot of or ortho tho the horn but hut place Mozart on hl his own merit and jud judge judie him hint for Cor what he I Is nd ind ever er will be be the supreme mc opera compo composer r Tho The final proof of or Mozart's greatness Is that wh when n the Jaded j appetite appe appe- tite tHo of ot th the musical has fed Ced for tor half haIr a lifetime on Verdi erdi Bizet Strauss Puccini and Leoncavallo Leonca ho turns lurns with Ith abject jO Joy to the clear melodic mob melo dic purity p of ot Mozart's loft lofty strains and he con can no more tire of or their beauty than he could of the songs song of ot the tinsels Tho The final te test t Is the test of duration and anti posterity Consider the masterpieces of this musician mu mu- both as ns to plots an and music probably the greatest opera which has ever evor been written Is Don Glovanna 13 OUt Ut few tew Americans h have hc c ever eVol heard It unless tho they h have ve Journeyed to Germany German r few w of ot Mozart's operas have ever evor been heard In this country countr the actions he put upon the tho human voice olce especially for tor the high coloratura so soprano soprano so- so plano parts puts th Jm In into the Impossible sible class for ordinary opera olera houses houst s. s New V York waited last winter for Frida to get et well wall so she sho could sing tho role rote of or Queen of or the thA Night r In InThe InThe InThe The Magic Flute which the tho Metropolitan Metropolitan Metro Metro- politan had prepared at tremendous ex eX- Pease pense There Thero are nrc not so 80 many singers In the world that can sing sins that role robe as tOU you vOu have bave fingers tinsels on your our rl right ht hand r Farrar could not approach It H. H while wh Melba Molba embrIch and Hemple nd and our own Emma Lucy Luc Gates are about the only singers ot'S In Europe that would attempt It It And Antl most of these sing sins It In a n transposed koy 1 Mozart wrote winte all these leading coloratura parts p for fo his sister-in-law sister i whose phenomenal voice olce held fancy as her personality caught his personal attraction Le te us be begin ln with The Marriage of or FI Figaro aro Figaro a voluptuous barber and a buffoon is made the subject of ot otman man many European plays plas and stories He ne of or Spanish origin an and antl his frolics have been Immortal Ired by bJ two to great t nu musicians Mozart and Rossini as asell well ell ell as ts by b a few fow of or the near The stOry of Fi Figaro's first court courtship was as put into music b by whose whoso opera op ra was current In Mozart's day Ros- Ros Rossini sini ini a half century gave this Initial rini tOT his hb own fine musical tio tion and It Is Rossini's version enlon known us The Barber of Seville Sev that Is used altogether by moderns That op opera ra isIh is Mi Ih be beginning of Figaro's musical life history Mozart takes up Figaro Count Almaviva a and Dr after aCter the of oC t tilt the count and antl which winds U up tho the Barber of be- be e- e vill ville and carrion carries I on their loves lopI anti and Intrigues utI The Tile libretto of Figaro Is blistering In Its bald vulgarity hut such wore the tite humors of the day of or orlo Mozart lo alt and antl Shakespeare The story centers aroun around the tIle courtship courtship courtship court court- ship of or Fiaro FIalO with the thc maid luRid of ot the Countess named Hus Husn Susanna n a the tho countess I was tile the th Rosina of the first tory thIry Tho The count Is Sa a libertine and trios tries triest t to tel destroy lestroy the maid but maW Susanna but Is foiled b by her hel lover the redoubtable Figaro Figaro's schemes 8 and devices are aie all of or the comic orde orde- There Ther Is a a. counterplot In the amorous am am- orous affection of tho tilo pago ho o Cher- Cher lot tor the ss which adds further fur CUr ther tiler complication to 10 the m plot It Is the custom of most writers to lightly skim over 01 this abominable plot material treating It all with the gaiety of innocent nonsense But one dues does not wonder wondel that Mendelssohn u who ho was VaK an absolutely musician scorned to put his genius to tho the writ writing nJ of r music to such ties tics One Ono recalls with gratitude o that the tho women of or New York nave have set their hands hl to a a. protest against the wretched and too often gory gorr plots that are taken talton by the great musicians even OVI OVIo o of modern lays days for Cor or their operas Wo We note that that th the tue Los Angeles eles women have refused to consider such material in their prize contest for or opera writers But nut Mozart ha lad had to do as ho he might night not as he lie would lie Ito was enough of or an opportunist to tomake tomake tomake make the most of or what hat was easily available Mozart himself elt was not so strict as Mendelssohn ohn In his social Ideals deals and hence the tue moral weakness he ie displayed in choosing or allowing those librettos 11 bret tos The music of oC this lovel lovely opera w WI uld seem cold and formal to many moderns mod mod- erns eras But Bill one of oC Berlins Berlin's best mezzo mezzo- nos and one who has hns been beon longest long long- est emit n In that Royal lloyal opera house house Frau Frau Erna Denra told Denra-told told the Music Student that she had sung flung the part P of or tho the Countess times and that It was Wt I n f me tile only Jun I. I iU JL Vi A LUCU U ux VA singing That Is Mozart's final test test test- I his ils music grows upward and onward In n your soul as you OU stud study and sing or play ilay It Most oth other r mens men's operas fInally fInal fInal- l ly y get et on your our nerves nones Th The Jolliest of or overtures opens this opera It Is nil motion and no emotion Tho The da day of the overture o which should shadow forth the whole opera had not riot et come In In Cluck Gluck was still working I at t this reform But Dut Mozart made mado tho tile trifles rifles of song sonA used usell b by the tho principal characters emblematic of at tile the character of the personage the they express In the tue opera Itself While the lie amorous and feverish fe music put into the character of ot I the he page Cherubino Is 18 eloquence itself On One great critic Otto has hns thus thu described this thia peculiar music music- I The vibration of ot sentiment never reer mounting ng to actual passion the tue mingled nun min anguish and delight ht of longing which can cnn never be satisfied are re expressed ox- ox pressed with a power of beauty ral mis- ing ng them out of th the domain of mere sensuality Very Ven remarkable Is 18 the pf the means b by which thi this extraordinary effect Is attained A violin accompaniment passage c not unusual un- un usual sual In itself keeps keep up tho the restless the harmonies harmonics make no o striking pro progressions re strong rim rim- phal l hasla and ami accents are arc sparingly l used usel and nd yet ct tho the soft flow Clow of or tho music Is made mado suggestive of or the tho consuming glow tow of or passion The Instrumentation Is here hero hereof I of ot a a. very ven p cullar effect and quite I InOel novel nO coloring tho the stringed muted and antI cl occur ments are re r for tor the first time an and very cry prominently prominent prominent- with In fn combination I ly by both alone and the horns and ba bassos ss that the I have ha given this extract methods used by b be master in the use his ideas of hl hi his instruments to express might be made olar 1 and vivid Ivl The rhe finale of or the first act has a 0 wOnderful air for Cor the tho hero FI Figaro aro It Is IR told of oC created the Mozart that Denucci BenUCci who part In iii Vienna lund had a a. remarkable remark sonorous voice of or tho the type of our late lato hen When thu dress drees ress re rehearsal rehearsal rehearsal re- re was given Mozart in iii a 30 crimson crimson crim crim- son pelisse until l cocked hunt hat was sas on tie Stage directing tho rehearsals als I Figaro o and tempestuous tem gave o n e the tue son song with such fire Ire AnI power that Kolly KellY who was as standing near nar heard Mozart Nn Hay sa over arid and over as nR hi his baton swung Bravo Bravo bravo Benucci and when the final challenge to the page o was vas lungs tho the thrown out with WHit stentorian n effect was electrical orchestra and performers shouted with one breath breath breath- Bravo bravo o mastero bravo viva viva grando Mozart Mor Those In the tho or orchestra or- or chestra pounded on their Instruments and the little musician n Mozart bowed and antI hewed bowed and would never be bedone bedone with acknowledging this IH heartfelt done tribute to tn ii his hit genius That Is Mozart Mozart's B secret he makes of the tIme buffoon a buffoon foon oon th the tho maid a maid amid th the page o is a page anti and his musical devices de for re re- re taming this singular Individuality must be studied to be bo understood tood Tho The finale of the tho second act t Is If the most abet marvelously perfect p finale In all the hl history tor of opera writing There are arc eight different pieces of or music each e expressive of tho the dlf differing ering moods or of the of tho personages and situations opera In each of or these themes occurs changed ed and th the same l me motif only transfused with nith the individuality of oC situation each ah person perRon and aud the tho varying The Tho same musical phrase as 89 It pass passes from mouth to mouth Is converted con bv h Mozart's genius genitis Into thi the UW VI sr m- m lanco hiance of tho the Individuality of or the singers singer's sing sing- ers er's thought |