Life — April 3, 1913 — page 5: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A New American Opera GAIN has the call for an American A opera been answered. And bas the answer been an uncertain, far- off quaver, scarcely perceptible in its puniness and with little effect’ beyond inspiring a new and still more definite call. This time the voice which answers the call of the American pcople is the voice of Walter Damrosch and the hands which have fashioned the libretto are the hands of William J. Henderson. And they named the child “ Cyrano.” Except for the fact that the words are taken from a French drama by Edmond Rostand and portray French history of the seventeenth century, and that the music is by a man of erman descent writing in the Italian style, the opera is purely American. Its reception has been similar to that of most other American music to date. Those who secretly like its melodiousness are ashamed to say so an hypoeritically condemn it as ight” and “obvious.” Those who have formed the habit of worshipping fore’ yds only, dismiss it contemptu- ously as “imitative” and “ uninspired.” Between these two forms of American calture-snobbishness every native com- poser is inevitably condemned to fall Under the present systematizing of taste the call for an American opera is futile as it is ridiculous. The truth is simply that we do not know what we want, and stubbornly refuse to admit the virtue of anything characteristically American in music, and we persist in aping the European schools in the hope that eventually every spark of individ- uality may be extinguished in our com- posers, Mr, Damrosch has been forced into re by the very inconsistency of those who pretend to wish him well. He In the Little Things the well dressed man is distinguish ed, Shirt studs and vest buttons may be litle but. they count fora f great dealin evening dress. KREMENTZ BODKIN-CLUTCH STUDS and VEST BUTTONS ‘a needle, without rump- kog gf marring the wifes hit front, and jike an anchor, ‘til purposely re- leased, make putting on the dress shirt a laste, They’ are good to look upon, ing made with all that nicety of perfee- tion obtainable only in the largest factory in the world devoted exclusively to the Production of fine jewelry. Here's a new pattern that will appeal to the ‘most fastidious. Plain mother-<f pearl, sur- latinum of gold and white lade with cuff links to match, nly one of the many beautiful designs that you can find at the leading jewelers. Abcautifully iJustrated booklet on request i TRNAS CELT The watch on the left is the Waltham “Vanguard”, the most widely used railroad watch in the world. In every country you will find trains running, and running promptly on Vanguard time. But we do not consider this the height of Waltham achievement, for the reason that large size watches such as railroad men use are not particularly difficult to manufacture. A more severe test of watch-making occurs in the thinner and smaller models such as the lady's watch pictured above, the movement having the same diameter as a nickel 5-cent At both extremes of size and in between Waltham Watches have the supreme instrumental excellence WALTHAM WATCH COMPANY, Waltham, Mass. Pee en piece. It is our sincere opinion that Waltham offers the first ladies’ watches which can really be considered as serious dependable time- pieces Most ladies’ watches are made to be worn in the bureau drawer; Walthams are designed for actual use and accurate use at that. Ask your jeweler to show you a Waltham Riverside model. It is worth a hundred “toy watches", Riverside Watches are described and illus- trated in a booklet, sent free upon request. Please mention ‘The Riverside Family." | won ae knows that melody and simplicity are the natural expressions of the American spirit, but he knows also that his music will carry no weight with the hypocrites of “cultivated taste,” unless he makes use of some claborate technique of har- mony and orchestration. With such a handicap imposed upon our musicians, it is obvious that no real American opera can be produced at present. We must first. cultivate honesty and admit th limitations of our musical understand- ing. Then, by beginning on a plane of simplicity and sincerity, a distinct na- tive school may gradually be built up. No one would dream of accusing Mr. Damrosch of greatness, cither as a con- ductor or as a composer, yet he is at heart a fairly carnest, straightforward merican, t perform an aver- ¢ task with some credit if he were given half a chance. “Cyrano,” in its Present heterogencous state, cannot pos- sibly make any consistent appeal what- ever, And yet if the name of Puccini or Strauss appeared on the score it would probably be hailed as a master- Piece. S.S. comicbooks.com