The Complete Opera Book Part 70

"I am your prisoner," says _Don Jose_ to an officer. "I killed her."

Then, throwing himself over the body, he cries:

"Carmen!--Carmen! I love you!--Speak to me!--I adore you!"

At its production at the Opera Comique, "Carmen" was a failure. In view of the world-wide popularity the work was to achieve, that failure has become historic. It had, however, one lamentable result.

Bizet, utterly depressed and discouraged, died exactly three months after the production, and before he could have had so much as an inkling of the success "Carmen" was to obtain. It was not until four months after his death that the opera, produced in Vienna, celebrated its first triumph. Then came Brussels, London, New York. At last, in 1883, "Carmen" was brought back to Paris for what Pierre Berton calls "the brilliant reparation." But Bizet, mortally wounded in his pride as an artist, had died disconsolate. The "reparation" was to the public, not to him.

Whoever will take the trouble to read extracts from the reviews in the Paris press of the first performance of "Carmen" will find that the score of this opera, so full of well-rounded, individual, and distinctive melodies--ensemble, concerted, and solo--was considered too Wagnerian. More than one trace of this curious att.i.tude toward an opera, in which the melodies, or tunes, if you choose so to call them, crowd upon each other almost as closely as in "Il Trovatore," and certainly are as numerous as in "Ada," still can be found in the article on "Carmen" in the _Dictionnaire des Operas_, one of the most unsatisfactory essays in that work. Nor, speaking with the authority of Berton, who saw the second performance, was the failure due to defects in the cast. He speaks of Galli-Marie (_Carmen_), Chapuis (_Micaela_), Lherie (_Don Jose_), and Bouhy (_Escamillo_), as "equal to their tasks ... an admirable quartet."

America has had its _Carmen_ periods. Minnie Hauck established an individuality in the role, which remained potent until the appearance in this country of Calve. When Grau wanted to fill the house, all he had to do was to announce Calve as _Carmen_. She so dominated the character with her beauty, charm, _diablerie_, and vocal art that, after she left the Metropolitan Opera House, it became impossible to revive the opera there with success, until Farrar made her appearance in it, November 19, 1914, with Alda as _Micaela_, Caruso as _Don Jose_, and Amato as _Escamillo_.

A season or two before Oscar Hammerstein gave "Carmen" at the Manhattan Opera House, a French company, which was on its last legs when it struck New York, appeared in a performance of "Carmen" at the Casino, and the next day went into bankruptcy. The _Carmen_ was Bressler-Gianoli. Her interpretation brought out the coa.r.s.e fibre in the character, and was so much the opposite of Calve's, that it was interesting by contrast. It seemed that had the company been able to survive, "Carmen" could have been featured in its repertoire, by reason of Bressler-Gianoli's grasp of the character as Merimee had drawn it in his novel, where _Carmen_ is of a much coa.r.s.er personality than in the opera. The day after the performance I went to see Heinrich Conried, then director of the Metropolitan Opera House, and told him of the impression she had made, but he did not engage her.

The _Carmen_ of Bressler-Gianoli (with Dalmores, Trentini, Ancona, and Gilibert) was one of the princ.i.p.al successes of the Manhattan Opera House. It was first given December 14, 1906, and scored the record for the season with nineteen performances, "Ada" coming next with twelve, and "Rigoletto" with eleven.

Mary Garden's _Carmen_ is distinctive and highly individualized on the acting side. It lacks however the lusciousness of voice, the vocal lure, that a singer must lavish upon the role to make it a complete success.

One of the curiosities of opera in America was the appearance at the Metropolitan Opera House, November 25, 1885, of Lilli Lehmann as _Carmen_.

A word is due Bizet's authors for the admirable libretto they have made from Merimee's novel. The character of _Carmen_ is, of course, the creation of the novelist. But in his book the _Toreador_ is not introduced until almost the very end, and is but one of a succession of lovers whom _Carmen_ has had since she ensnared _Don Jose_. In the opera the _Toreador_ is made a princ.i.p.al character, and figures prominently from the second act on. _Micaela_, so essential for contrast in the opera, both as regards plot and music, is a creation of the librettists. But their master-stroke is the placing of the scene of the murder just outside the arena where the bullfight is in progress, and in having _Carmen_ killed by _Don Jose_ at the moment _Escamillo_ is acclaimed victor by the crowd within. In the book he slays her on a lonely road outside the city of Cordova the day after the bullfight.

LES PeCHEURS DE PERLES

THE PEARL FISHERS

Besides "Carmen," Bizet was the composer of "Les Pecheurs de Perles"

(The Pearl Fishers) and "Djamileh."

"Les Pecheurs de Perles," the words by Carre and Cormon, is in three acts. It was produced at the Theatre Lyrique, Paris, September 29, 1863. London saw it under the t.i.tle of "Leila," April 22, 1887, at Covent Garden; as "Pescatori di Perle," May 18, 1899. The New York production was at the Metropolitan Opera House, January 11, 1896, with Calve; and November 13, 1916, with Caruso. The scene is Ceylon, the period barbaric.

The first act shows a company of pearl fishers on the coast. They choose _Zurga_ as chief. He and his friend _Nadir_, in the duet, "Au fond du temple saint" (In the depths of the temple), recall their former rivalry for the hand of the beautiful priestess, _Leila_, and how they swore never to see her again.

Now approaches a veiled priestess who comes annually to pray for the success of the pearl fishers. She prays to Brahma. _Nadir_ recognizes _Leila_. His love for her at once revives. She goes into the temple.

He sings "Je crois entendre encore" (I hear as in a dream). When she returns and again invokes the aid of Brahma, she manages to convey to _Nadir_ the knowledge that she has recognized and still loves him.

In the second act, in a ruined temple, the high priest, _Nourabad_, warns her, on pain of death, to be faithful to her religious vows.

_Leila_ tells him he need have no fear. She never breaks a promise.

The necklace she wears was given her by a fugitive, whose hiding place she refused to reveal, although the daggers of his pursuers were pointed at her heart. She had promised not to betray him. Her solo, "Comme autrefois," etc. (A fugitive one day), is followed by the retirement of the priest, and the entrance of _Nadir_. There is an impa.s.sioned love duet, the effect of which is heightened by a raging storm without: "Ton coeur n'a pas compris" (You have not understood). _Nourabad_, returning unexpectedly, overhears the lovers, and summons the people. _Zurga_, as chief and judge, desires to be merciful for the sake of his friend. But _Nourabad_ tears the veil from _Leila_. It is the woman _Nadir_ has sworn never to see--the woman _Zurga_ also loves. Enraged, he pa.s.ses sentence of death upon them.

In the third act, the camp of _Zurga_, _Leila_ expresses her willingness to die, but pleads for _Nadir_, "Pour moi je ne crains rien" (I have no fear). _Zurga_ is implacable, until he recognizes the necklace she wears as one he had given many years before to the girl who refused when he was a fugitive to deliver him up to his enemies.

The scene changes to the place of execution, where has been erected a funeral pyre. Just as the guilty lovers are to be led to their death, a distant glow is seen. _Zurga_ cries out that the camp is on fire.

The people rush away to fight the flames. _Zurga_ tells _Leila_ and _Nadir_ that he set fire to the camp. He then unfastens their chains and bids them flee. Terzet: "o lumiere sainte" (O sacred light).

From a hiding place _Nourabad_ has witnessed the scene. When the people return, he denounces _Zurga's_ act in setting fire to the camp and permitting _Leila_ and _Nadir_ to escape. _Zurga_ is compelled to mount the pyre. A deep glow indicates that the forest is ablaze. The people prostrate themselves to Brahma, whose wrath they fear.

_Leila_ is for soprano, _Nadir_ tenor, _Zurga_ baritone, _Nourabad_ ba.s.s.

In the performance with Calve only two acts were given. The rest of the program consisted of "La Navarraise," by Ma.s.senet.

DJAMILEH

"Djamileh," produced at the Opera Comique, is in one act, words by Louis Gallet, based on Alfred de Musset's poem, "Namouna." The scene is Cairo, the time mediaeval.

_Djamileh_, a beautiful slave, is in love with her master, _Prince Haroun_, a Turkish n.o.bleman, who is tired of her and is about to sell her. She persuades his secretary, _Splendiano_, who is in love with her, to aid her in regaining her master's affections. She will marry _Splendiano_ if she fails.

Accordingly, with the secretary's aid, when the slave dealer arrives, she is, in disguise, among the slaves offered to _Haroun_. She dances.

_Haroun_ is entranced, and immediately buys her. When she discloses her ident.i.ty, and pleads that her ruse was prompted by her love for him, he receives her back into his affections.

_Djamileh_ is for mezzo-soprano, the men's roles for tenor. Besides the dance, there are a duet for the men, "Que l'esclave soit brune ou blonde" (Let the slave be dark or fair); a trio, "Je voyais au loin la mer s'etendre" (The distant sea have I beheld extending); and the chorus, "Quelle est cette belle" (Who is the charmer).

Italian Opera Since Verdi

Chief among Italian opera composers of the present day are Puccini, Mascagni, and Leoncavallo. Others are Giordano, Wolf-Ferrari, Zandonai, Montemezzi, and Leoni.

Modern Italian opera differs from Italian opera, old style, largely through the devotion of the moderns to effects of realism--the Italian _verismo_, of which we hear so much. These effects of realism are produced largely by an orchestral accompaniment that constantly adapts itself descriptively to what is said and done on the stage. At not infrequent intervals, however, when a strongly emotional situation demands sustained expression, the restless play of orchestral depiction and the brief exchange of vocal phrases merge into eloquent melody for voice with significant instrumental accompaniment. Thus beautiful vocal melody, fluently sung, remains, in spite of all tendency toward the much vaunted effect of _verismo_, the heart and soul, as ever, of Italian opera.

Much difference, however, exists between the character of the melody in the modern and the old Italian opera. Speaking, of course, in general terms, the old style Italian operatic melody is sharply defined in outline and rhythm, whereas the melody of modern Italian opera, resting upon a more complicated accompaniment, is subject in a much greater degree to rhythmic and harmonic changes. Since, however, that is little more than saying that the later style of Italian opera is more modern than the older, I will add, what seems to me the most characteristic difference in their idioms. Italian melody, old style, derives much of its character from the dotted note, with the necessarily marked acceleration of the next note, as, for example, in "Ah! non giunge" ("La Sonnambula"), an air which is typical of the melodious measures of Italian opera of the first sixty or seventy years of the last century; and that, too, whether the emotion to be expressed is ecstasy, as in "Ah! non giunge," above; grief, as in _Edgardo's_ last aria in "Lucia di Lammermoor,"--"Tu che a Dio spiegasti l'ali" (Thou has [Transcriber's Note: should be 'hast']

spread thy wings to Heaven), the spirit of festive greeting as in the chorus from the previous act of the same opera, or pa.s.sionate love as in _Elvira's_ and _Ernani's_ duet; "Ah morir potessi adesso."

It does not occur as frequently in Rossini as in Bellini and Donizetti, while Verdi, as he approaches his ripest period, discards it with growing frequency. I am also aware that the dotted note is found in abundance in the music of all civilized countries.

Nevertheless it is from its prominence in the melodic phrase, the impetus imparted by it, and the sharp reiterated rhythmic beat which it usually calls for, that Italian melody of the last century, up to about 1870, derives much of its energy, swing, and pa.s.sion. It is, in fact, idiomatic.

Wholly different is the idiom of modern Italian music. It consists of the sudden stressing of the melody at a vital point by means of the triolet--the triplet, as we call it. An excellent example is the love motif for _Nedda_ in "I Pagliacci," by Leoncavallo.

[Music]

If the dotted note is peculiarly adapted to the careless rapture with which the earlier Italian composers lavished melody after melody upon their scores, the triolet suits the more laboured efforts of the modern Italian muse.

Another effect typical of modern Italian opera is the use of the foreign note--that is, the sudden employment of a note strange to the key of the composition. This probably is done for the sake of giving piquancy to a melody that otherwise might be considered commonplace.

_Turiddu's_ drinking song in "Cavalleria Rusticana" is a good example.

[Music]

In orderly harmonic progression the first tone in the ba.s.s of the second bar would be F-sharp, instead of F-natural, which is a note foreign to the key. This example is quoted in Ferdinand Pfohl's _Modern Opera_, in which he says of the triolet and its use in the opera of modern Italy, that its peculiarly energetic sweep, powerful suspense, and quickening, fiery heart-beat lend themselves amazingly to the art of _verismo_.

Pietro Mascagni

(1863- )