MUSIC, PROGRESS OF, IX 1888. 



581 



plause. " Der Konigspage," by Franz Soucoup 

 (Baden, near Vienna, February 4j, was favor- 

 ably received. u Der Sanger von Palermo," 

 by Alfred Zaruara, Jr., text by Bernhard Buch- 

 binder ( Vienna, Carl-Theater, February 14), 

 with signal success; composer and librettist 

 were repeatedly called before the footlights; 

 the music is distinguished by great wealth of 

 melody and a certain bearing of dignity ; a 

 charming love-duet, a terzet in waltz form, 

 and a Sicilian folk song, were particularly ap- 

 phiuded. "Der Fiirst von Sevilla," by Fritz 

 Baselt, text by Mordtmann (Nuremberg, Stadt- 

 theater, April 8), met with a very favorable 

 reception; the music is full of life and melody. 

 "Pagenstreiche," by Carl Weinberger, text by 

 Hugo Wittmann, after Kotzebue's comedy 

 (Vienna, Theater an der Wien. April 28), was 

 very successful, and bore testimony to the 

 young composer's talent and skill. " Der 

 Feldwebel," in three acts, by J. Bartz. text by 

 H. Rockstroh (Moscow, German Club, April 19), 

 conducted by the composer, who received 

 much applause for his skillful production. 

 u Man-azevi," text and music by Adolf Wilt 

 (Hamburg, Carl-Schultze Theater, Mey 15), 

 met with success. " Der Savoyarde," by Otto- 

 kar Feyth, text by Franz Josef Brackl and 

 Victor Leon (Munich, Gartnerplatz-Theater, 

 June 9), was kindly received. " Madelaine," 

 by Ludwig Englander, text by Carl Hauser 

 (Hamburg, Carl-Schultze Theater, June 26). 

 " Liebesdiplomaten," in three acts, by Carl 

 Dibbern, text by Heinrich Kadelburg and the 

 composer (Carlsbad, Stadttheater, August 1), 

 was received with applause. "Der Frei- 

 beuter " (first given in Paris under the title 

 "Robert Surcouf"), by Planquette, libretto by 

 Chivot and Duru (Vienna. Carl-Theater, Sep- 

 tember 1), had decided success. "Der Schelm 

 von Bergen," by Alfred Oehlschlegel, libretto 

 by Conrad Loewe and Carl Lindau, freely after 

 Julius von der Traun's tale of the same title 

 (Vienna, Theater an der Wien, September 29), 

 met with a kind reception. "Grafin Wild- 

 fang/' by Wilhelm Behre, text by Ludwig Or- 

 demann (Berlin, Friedrich-Wilhelmstadtiscbes 

 Theater, October 5). received only limited ap- 

 plause. " Sataniel," in three acts, by Adolph 

 Ferron (Brunn, Stadttheater, October 26). was 

 successful. " Die Jagd nach dem Gluck," by 

 Suppe, text by Richard Gen6e and Zappert 

 (Vienna, Carl-Theater, October 27), conducted 

 by the composer, with brilliant success, fully 

 deserved by the melodious music and the amus- 

 ing libretto ; the performance was admirable, 

 and composer and actors were repeatedly 

 called before the footlights. " Simplicius," by 

 Johann Strauss (first given in Vienna last 

 year), completely remodeled (Prague, Deutsches 

 Landestheater, November 10), conducted with 

 great success by the composer. " Der Liebes- 

 hof," by Adolf Muller, Jr., text by Hugo Witt- 

 raann and Oscar Blumenthal (Vienna, Theater 

 an der Wien, November 14). obtained a fair 

 success. "Der Zaunkonig," by Bernhard 



Triebel, libretto by Sigurd Ring and Sigward 

 Roche (Frankfort, Stadttheater. November 

 16), was received with much applru>e. Mi- 

 rolan," by M. Fall, libretto by M. Ileldern 

 (Olmiitz, Stadttheater, in November), won a 

 complete success in spite of the deficient per- 

 formance. " Ein Deutschmeister, romantic- 

 comic operetta, by Carl M. Ziehrer, libretto 

 by Genee and Zappert (Vienna. Carl-Theater, 

 November 30), was given with brilliant suc- 

 cess. The truly Viennese dance and march 

 rhythms of the music electrified the public, 

 whose merriment was roused at the same time 

 by the amusing libretto. " Karin," by Her- 

 mann Zumpe, text by Fr. Wilibald Wnlff and 

 Eduard Pocbmann (Hamburg, Carl-Schultze 

 Theater, December 1), conducted by the com- 

 poser, who was rewarded with generous ap- 

 plause; most of the musical numbers had to 

 be repeated, and the interesting subject, based 

 upon historical facts, contributed essentially 

 to the effectiveness of the skillfully elaborated 

 libretto. " Die Bonifaciusnacht." a romantic- 

 comic operetta, by Friedrich von Thul, text by 

 Ludwig Sendlach (Prague, Deutsches Landes- 

 theater, December 8), was very successful. 

 "Der Posaunist von Scherkingen," by Franz 

 Beier, text by Otto Ewald (Cassel, Hoftheater, 

 December 17), a parody of Nessler's "Trompe- 

 ter von Sakkingen," which put the audience 

 in the merriest frame of mind. " Die Royal- 

 isten," by Manas, text by A. Philipp (Magde- 

 burg, Wilhelm-Theater, December 27), was 

 given with fair success. In England we find 

 only " Quits," by John Crook, libretto by 

 Hugues (London, Avenue Theatre); and in 

 Italy we gather from among a score the fol- 

 lowing, which were reported as having won 

 fair success : "Le Nozze sospirate." by Oreste 

 Carlini (Florence, Teatro Alfieri, in January). 

 "Ercole ed Euristeo," by Virgilio Galleani 

 (Milan, Teatro Foscati). " Lorenzino," by 

 Lauzini (Rome, Teatro Metastasio, in June), 

 "La Mandragola," by Achille Graffigna, and 

 "Raffaelo e la Fornarina," by Maggi (both 

 at Turin, Teatro d' Alfieri). In Spain and 

 Portugal appeared a few operettas and zarzae- 

 la, among which may be mentioned, for the 

 sake of the curious title more than for any 

 other reason, " Imperador Alchirn Fti 

 XVIII," by Rio de Carvalho (Lisbon, Teatro 

 do Rato). 



The Ballet No notice has hitherto been 

 taken of a theatrical composition closely con- 

 nected with the operatic stage which, if an- 

 swering the proper artistic conditions, may 

 possess as much merit and claim as great 

 prominence as any drama or opera the scenic 

 representation, through pantomime and dance, 

 of a dramatic or comic action, accompanied by 

 music the ballet. Although its origin may 

 be traced back to the pantomimes of the an- 

 cient Romans, it was developed, in its modern 

 form, in Italy, toward the end of the fifteenth 

 century, when it appears as a theatrical per- 

 formance, enacted by dancing, but accom- 



