Act I, in the Friendship Club, and later in Ottavio's home; Act II, in

_Lelio's_ home; Act III, a street in Venice near the Grand Canal, and later in the club.

In the music the club's motto, "Bandie xe le Done" (No Women Admitted) is repeated often enough to pass for a motif. The most melodious vocal passage is the duet for _Rosaura_ and _Florindo_ in Act II, "Il cor nel contento" (My heart, how it leaps in rejoicing). In the first scene of Act III a beautiful effect is produced by the composer's use of the Venetian barcarolle, "La Biondina in Gondoletta," which often, in the earlier days of Rossini's Opera, "Il Barbiere di Siviglia," was introduced by prima donnas in the lesson scene.

In the Metropolitan production Farrar was _Rosaura_, Jadlowker _Florindo_, and Scotti _Lelio_. Toscanini conducted. The rôles of _Colombina_ and _Arlecchino_ (Harlequin) are survivals of old Italian comedy, which Goldoni still retained in some of his plays.

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"Il Segreto di Susanna" (The Secret of Suzanne), the scene a drawing-room in Piedmont, time 1840, is in one act. _Countess Suzanne_ (_Soprano_) smokes cigarettes. The aroma left by the smoke leads _Count Gil_ (_Baritone_) to suspect his wife of entertaining a lover. He discovers her secret--and all is well. The third character, a servant, _Sante_, is an acting part.--A musical trifle, at the Hofoper, Munich, November 4, 1909; Metropolitan Opera House, New York, by the Chicago Opera Company, March 14, 1911, with Carolina White and Sammarco; Constanzi Theatre, Rome, November 27, 1911. The "book" is by Enrico Golisciani, from the French.

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"L'Amore Medico," Metropolitan Opera House, March 25, 1914, is another typical bit of Wolf-Ferrari musical bric-a-brac--slight, charming, and quite unable to hold its own in the hurly-burly of modern _verismo_. A girl is lovesick. Her father, who does not want her ever to leave him, thinks her ailment physical, and vainly summons four noted physicians. Then the clever maid brings in the girl's lover disguised as a doctor. He diagnoses the case as love-hallucination, and suggests as a remedy a mock marriage, with himself as bridegroom. The father consents, and an actual marriage takes place.

The scene of "L'Amore Medico" (Doctor Cupid), words by Golisciani after Molière's "L'Amour Médecin," is a villa near Paris, about 1665 (Louis XIV). The characters are _Arnolfo_, a rich, elderly landowner (_Bass_); _Lucinda_, his daughter (_Soprano_); _Clitandro_, a young cavalier, (_Tenor_); _Drs. Tomes_ (_Bass_); _Desfonandres_ (_Bass_); _Macroton_ (_Baritone_); _Bahis_ (_Tenor_); _Lisetta_, _Lucinda's_ maid (_Soprano_); _Notary_ (_Bass_). There also are servants, peasants and peasant girls, musicians, dancing girls, etc. The work is in two acts, the scene of the first the villa garden; of the second a handsome interior of the villa. The original production, in German, was at the Dresden Royal Opera House, December 4, 1913.

Umberto Giordano

Umberto Giordano was born at Foggia, August 26, 1867. Paolo Serrão was his teacher in music at the Naples Conservatory. With a one-act opera, "Marina," he competed for the Sonzogno prize, which Mascagni won with "Cavalleria Rusticana." "Marina," however, secured for him a commission for the three-act opera, "Mala Vita," Rome, 1892. Then followed the operas which have been noticed above.

MADAME SANS-GÊNE

Opera in four acts by Umberto Giordano, words by Renato Simoni after the play by Victorien Sardou and E. Moreau. Produced, for the first time on any stage, Metropolitan Opera House, New York January 25, 1915, with Farrar as _Catherine_, and Amato as _Napoleon_.

CHARACTERS

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE _Baritone_ LEFEBVRE, sergeant of the National Guards, later a Marshal of France and Duke of Danzig _Tenor_ FOUCHÉ, officer of the National Guards, later Minister of Police _Baritone_ COUNT DE NEIPPERG _Tenor_ VINAIGRE, drummer boy _Tenor_ DESPRÉAUX, dancing master _Tenor_ GELSOMINO, page _Baritone_ LEROY, tailor _Baritone_ DE BRIGODE, chamberlain _Baritone_ ROUSTAN, head of the Mamelukes _Baritone_ CATHERINE HUEBSCHER, "Madame Sans-Gêne," laundress; later Duchess of Danzig _Soprano_ TOINETTE } { _Soprano_ JULIA } laundresses { _Soprano_ LA ROSSA } { _Soprano_ QUEEN CAROLINE } sisters of { _Soprano_ PRINCESS ELISA } NAPOLEON { _Soprano_ LADY DE BÜLOW, matron of honour to the Empress _Soprano_

_Maturino_, _Constant_ (valet to _Napoleon_), the voice of the Empress, citizens, shopkeepers, villagers, soldiers, ladies of the court, officials, diplomats, academicians, hunters, pages, and two Mamelukes.

_Time_--August 10, 1792; and September, 1811.

_Place_--Paris.

"Madame Sans-Gêne" is an opera that maintains itself in the repertoire largely because of the play that underlies it. The title rôle is delightful. It has been among the successes of several clever actresses, including Ellen Terry, to whose _Catherine_ Henry Irving was the _Napoleon_. Its creator in the opera was Geraldine Farrar, to whose vivacity in interesting the character, far more than to the musical merit of the work itself, is due the fact that the opera has not dropped out of the repertoire. In point of fact the same composer's "André Chénier" is of greater musical interest, but the leading character does not offer the same scope for acting, which accounts for its having dropped almost entirely out of the repertoire in America.

In "Madame Sans-Gêne," _Catherine_ (in the Italian libretto _Caterina_) is a laundress. The first act opens in her laundry in Paris during the French Revolution. The nickname of Madame Sans-Gêne, usually translated Madame Free-and-Easy, is given her because of her vivacity, originality, straightforwardness in speech, and charm.

Discharge of cannon and other sounds indicate that fighting is going on in the streets. Three women employed by _Catherine_ are at work in the laundry. _Catherine_ comes in from the street. She tells of her adventures with a lot of rough soldiers. She does this amazingly, but her experience has cured her of her curiosity to see what is going on outside. There is a scene between _Catherine_ and _Fouché_, a time-server, waiting to observe how matters go, before he decides whether to cast his fortunes with the Royalists or the people. They gossip about a Corsican officer, who owes _Catherine_ for laundry, but is so poor he has been obliged to pawn his watch for bread. Nevertheless, the good-hearted, lively _Madame Sans-Gêne_ continues to do his laundry work for him, and trusts to the future for the bill.

_Catherine_ is left alone. Rifle shots are heard. _Count Neipperg_, a wounded Austrian officer of the Queen's suite, comes in and asks to be hidden. Although she is of the people, _Catherine_ hides him in her own room. His pursuers enter. It chances they are led by _Catherine's_ betrothed, _Sergeant Lefebvre_. For a while _Catherine_ diverts the squad from its purpose by offering wine. _Lefebvre_ uncorks the bottle, meanwhile giving a lively description of the sacking of the Tuilleries. There is a scene of affection between him and _Catherine_. He notices that his hands are black with powder and, intending to wash them in _Catherine's_ room, becomes violently suspicious on finding the door locked. He wrenches the key from her, unlocks the door, enters the room. _Catherine_, expecting every moment to hear him despatching the wounded man stops up her ears. _Lefebvre_ comes out quietly. He tells her the man in her room is dead. As she is not at all excited, but merely surprised, he knows that he has no cause to suspect that the wounded man is her lover. He will help her to save him. _Catherine_ throws herself into his arms. There are sounds of drums and of marching and shouting in the street. _Lefebvre_ leads out his squad.

Like most modern composers who do not possess the gift for sustained melody, Giordano would make up for it by great skill in the handling of his orchestra and constant depiction of the varying phases of the action. There is considerable opportunity for a display of this talent in the first act of "Madame Sans-Gêne," and the composer has furnished a musical background, in which the colours are laid on in short, quick, and crisp strokes. "The Marseillaise" is introduced as soldiers and mob surge past _Catherine's_ laundry.