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The librettist, Emil Taubert, does not adhere any too closely to the original, so I will just describe the most effective numbers. Sir Toby's drinking song in the first act is a thoroughly good German drinking song, with the usual low bass E for the end; and directly afterwards Sir Andrew has a grotesque love-song with no little humour in it.

In the fourth scene there is a very sentimental duet between Viola and Orsino. As the work progresses we get farther and farther away from Shakespeare, and so I leave the only opera founded on this exquisite play. I think a great deal of its weakness is due to the librettist cutting out Feste, the clown. There is no "Come away, Death," "O mistress mine," or "When that I was."

So it is with pleasure that I turn to +Humperdinck's+ delightful music for Reinhardt's production at the Deutsches Theater, Berlin, produced on October 17, 1907. The first scene is in Orsino's court , and gives the whole romantic atmosphere of the rest of the play. Most producers begin with the short scene of Viola's shipwreck, thus cunningly avoiding the whole idea of the plot. Two violins, viola, and viol-da-gamba are discovered playing the music of "O mistress mine" on the stage; and if it is impossible to obtain a viol-da-gamba, the composer allows one to use a violoncello. Also there is a guitar off the stage. The text is closely followed. The setting for the words "If music be the food of love" is very beautiful; and until the Duke's words, "Enough, no more," the incidental music fits in with every shade of expression in that perfect monologue. The next number is the serenade for the clown . He is supposed to accompany himself on the guitar, but the guitar part is cued in for the harp if the singing-actor has not enough skill on the instrument. It is a very charming song, not in the least like the settings of the same words to which we are all so accustomed, but none the worse for that. The catch "Hold thy peace" is a perfect canon at the unison, sung by Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and the clown. All the verses in the kitchen scene are set to music, the versatile clown playing the accompaniments on his ever-ready guitar.

In Act ii., Scene 4, no expensive prima-donna is called upon to sing "Come away, Death." Orsino simply sends for Feste, and tells his orchestra to play the tune while they are all waiting.

When the clown does arrive to sing the song the audience has been played into the exact mood Shakespeare wanted; and the number, lovely as it is, gets a better chance of success than if the orchestra had been playing something quite different , or an entirely new character, a singing woman, had been introduced for this special number. Feste sings "Hey, Robin, jolly Robin" and "I am gone, sir," to specially composed music still accompanied by the guitar, and there are two settings by Humperdinck of the epilogue song, "When that I was." Both are written for Feste; but the first one is accompanied only by the guitar, while the second has an elaborate orchestral accompaniment. You can take your choice; both settings are equally good.

This music, both in form and expression, is, perhaps, the ideal music for a Shakespearian production. Nothing is forced on the hearer. When Shakespeare wanted music he said so, either in his stage directions or in the text. This is exactly what Humperdinck has given us. Never to my knowledge has Shakespeare's text been so reverently treated by any composer or producer. I often think that it is not entirely the fault of the composer of Shakespearian music that so much of it is superfluous; perhaps a little blame may lie with the actor-manager-producer, who must have a march to bring him on and take him off at every entrance or exit.

Perhaps somewhere, hidden away in some old music catalogue, I may find something more of Brahms in relation to Shakespeare. Indeed, I hope so. What a Hamlet overture he could have written!

+Augustus Barratt's+ setting of "Come away, Death," in the same production, is very beautiful. +Frederick Corder's+ version of the same lyric for a trio of female voices and piano is a sad little number; but I wish he would set the words straight, without repetitions.

+Dr Arne's+ setting is beautiful. It has a curious burden to it, in the accompaniment only; but the words are sadly chopped about.

+J. L. Hatton's+ setting of "When that I was" is quite pretty, but he plays the deuce with the words. The exquisitely quaint first line, "When that I was and a little tiny boy" becomes "When I was a tiny boy"; the last verse but one is entirely omitted; and the last verse of all is quite spoilt. There can be no possible excuse for Hatton or anyone else changing "But that's all one; our play is done, and we'll strive to please you every day," into "But that's all one, our song is done, for the rain it raineth every day." This song, for tenor solo and four-part male chorus, won a prize given by the Melodists' Club. I suppose it was a word-distorting contest, and I congratulate the judges on a fine decision.

+Samuel Coleridge Taylor's+ setting of "O mistress mine" is interesting in several ways. It is not in the least like any other musical version of the same words, and, though they are set quite straightforwardly, the general effect is curiously bizarre. The accompaniment is in the style of a guitar serenade, which is, of course, thoroughly in keeping with the stage situation, although the song itself was not composed for any special stage performance.

THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA

Sylvia has a great show in the next number. It is an extraordinary perversion of the Sonnet No. 109, "Oh, never say that I was false of heart," a poem that any decent-minded pirate or burglar would have left alone. Still, Sir Henry rushes in with what is officially described as a bravura song. Certainly only lines 1-4 and 13-14 are set to music, but how the few words are contorted! In the coda Sylvia sings on the word "all," fourteen bars first and then fifteen!

A stranger jumble of words could hardly be conceived; yet this opera was quite successful, and no one seemed to think any the worse of Bishop, who was mainly responsible for its monstrosities.

+Dr Arne's+ version of "Who is Sylvia?" is really a very charming song, very melodious, very vocal, and full of delicate grace-notes. The last verse is set as a trio, but can be sung as a solo without spoiling the composer's intentions; in fact, he says it may be done without additional voices.

+Macfarren's+ part-song is very good--I mean Sir George's, not Walter's. Both have set the words. But the best setting of "Who is Sylvia?" must for ever remain +Schubert's+--one of the perfect songs of the world.

THE WINTER'S TALE

+Engelbert Humperdinck's+ music for the Reinhardt production in Berlin, September 15, 1906, is, as usual with his incidental music, perfectly appropriate--not a superfluous note in it; and also as usual in these productions, Shakespeare's Act i., Scene 1, is Reinhardt's. Before the rise of the curtain an orchestra of wood wind, horns, and harp plays soft and solemn music behind the scenes, and the orchestra continues till a fanfare of trumpets announces the entrance of Leontes, Hermione, and their suite.

At the end of Act iii., Scene 3, Time, a chorus, enters, and solemn music plays during his speech, composed in the manner of the Oracle. In the meantime, an act-change has been made, and without pause the curtain rises on the fourth act; the music dying away as Polixenes and Camillo speak, swelling up on their exit and running into the symphony of Autolycus's song, "When daffodils begin to peer." This is very beautifully set, and the composer adds the verse from the end of the scene, which makes six verses instead of five; but this is quite legitimate, as the last verse is obviously part of the whole lyric, though separated from the rest by some dialogue.

Now comes a long and elaborate march of shepherds and shepherdesses, beginning in march time, four in a bar; then the time changes to two in a bar, and a very wild dance follows. Again the time changes, to mazurka rhythm now, three in a bar, and a very graceful dance in this time follows; finally we return to the fast two-in-a-bar passage, and the whole dance finishes with a coda, during which the music gets faster and faster to the end. The whole number makes a short ballet, with plenty of rhythmic changes. It is most effective, as well as being part of Shakespeare's plot.

In the last scene of the fifth act we have music again. Paulina says, "Music, awake not; strike!" and very mysterious music is played until Hermione moves; then occurs a fine theme for brass and strings, while Hermione descends from the pedestal; after which, with a few pauses, the music continues to the end, when the curtain falls very slowly on Shakespeare's own last words. The melodrama music here is so superlatively good that one hardly notices it, such is its absolute Tightness. The situation, dramatically, is so strong that, though the music also is very individual, it does not for a moment counteract the strength of effect of the closing scene, but just helps it to a complete finish. Rarely has Shakespeare been better served by his acolytes.

SHAKESPEARE'S SONGS

After these preliminary remarks, one may expect anything from our editor; and when one remembers the exquisite pathos of Mr Courtice Pounds' singing of +Augustus Barratt's+ setting at His Majesty's one can smile at the pretentious want of knowledge displayed in Linley's short introduction.

His own setting, which is before me, is sorry stuff. Words and phrases are repeated over and over again. He does not even set the first sentence correctly; he says, "Come away, Death, come away," and continues his "improvement" throughout the song.

The same kind of thing occurs throughout his two volumes; but it is interesting to note that for a long time it was considered a standard work, and Roffe, so late as 1867, speaks of it in his +Handbook of Shakespeare Music+ as "a happily conceived work."

Very naturally, since these dates many other settings of songs from Shakespeare's plays have been made. Still, these four, two certainly not Shakespeare's and two quite doubtful Shakespeares, keep ahead in the list of music composed for or concerning the plays. I have referred to the "List," and think it only fair to give an account of it. It was published for "The New Shakespeare Society," and compiled by J. Greenhill, the Rev. W. A. Harrison, and F. J. Furnivall; but unfortunately it was published in 1884, and has not been brought up to date. Here one may find that composers were not content with juggling and altering Shakespeare's perfect lyrics, but chose chunks of blank verse and snippets of sonnets to set, for no earthly purpose that I can see. Some of the composers' selections are quite incomprehensible. Why +R. J. Stevens+ should have chosen Prospero's magnificent lines, beginning "The cloud-capt towers, the gorgeous palaces," and made them into a glee for S.A.T.T.B.B., passes my wit to understand.

Also, why +Sir Henry Bishop+ chose Sonnet 109, "Oh, never say that I was false of heart" , or Sonnet 29, "When in disgrace with fortune" , with several verbal alterations. All this tends to show that the composer could not have had the smallest conception of the sonnet form, to cut and chop it about as he has done. Personally, I think that no sonnet ought to be set to music, but I know that quite good musical authorities differ from me, and I am content to say that either the whole sonnet or none of it must be set. It is impossible to cut a word or a sentence out of a sonnet without spoiling its form and balance; and, if these essentials are gone, how can it make a perfect song?

INDEX

Adam, Adolphe, 87. Alexander, Sir George, 9, 105. Allitsen, Frances, 6. Alma-Tadema, 16. Ardevies, Jules, 76. Armbruster, Carl, 25. Arne, Dr, xiii, 7, 8, 11, 92, 94, 134-136, 141, 157, 159, 160, 164. Asche, Oscar, 22, 130. Atterbury, Luffman, 73. Attwood, 65. Auber, 67.

Bach, xi, 86. Balfe, 80, 81, 137. Balling, 5, 55. Bannister, xi. Barbier, 29, 118. Barker, Granville, 95. Barratt, Augustus, 156, 164. Battishill, 94. Bavaria, King of, 56, 70. Bazzini, 51, 52. Beecham, Sir Thomas, 100. Beethoven, xi, 14, 15, 58, 123. Bellini, 119, 120. Benayet, 98, 99. Benda, 128. Benson, Sir Frank, 5, 22, 54, 55, 88, 130, 141. Bentley, 22. Berio, Marquis de, 107. Berlioz, 3, 25, 36, 50-52, 56, 98, 100, 119, 122-126, 129, 142-144. Berlioz, Louis, 98. Bernhoff, 100. Berton, 138. Bethmann, 68. Bishop, Sir Henry, xiii, 1, 5, 7, 8, 10-12, 13, 63, 65, 92-96, 130, 153-155, 158-160, 166. Blau, 104. Bloch, 59, 61. Blow, 39. Boieldieu, 87. Boito, 29, 32, 50, 56, 83, 84, 108, 111. Bourchier, 78. Braham, 80, 130. Brahms, 155, 156. Brayton, Lily, 130. Brian, Havergal, 3. Bridge, 38. Broughton, The Misses, 43. Browning, Robert, 27, 86, 154. Bruch, Max, 17, 161. B?low, von, 47. Burney, Dr, 28, 29. Butt, Clara, 6.

Callcott, D., 154. Calvert, 77. Campbell, Mrs Patrick, 78. Canepa, 117. Capelli, 7. Carlyle, 126. Carr?, Albert, 60. Carr?, Michel, 18, 29, 118. Chaplin, 51. Chelard, 56, 57. Cherubini, 125, 137. Chilcot, T., 5, 71. Chorley, 68. Choudens, Paul, 18. Cibber, Colley, 29, 31. Cimino, G. T., 74. Clark, Hamilton, 22. Cl?ment, 1, 14, 32, 47. Coleridge Taylor, 114, 157. Collier, J., 6. Collin, Baron von, xi, 14, 58. Cooke, Dr, 88, 94, 130, 131. Coppa, 120. Corder, Frederick, 145, 146, 156. Corelli, Archangelo, 28. Corfe, 65. Costa, 120. Crescentini, 120. Crotch, 13. Cumberland, 3. Cummings, W. H., 54.

Dalayrac, 121. Dante, 108. Davenant, 29, 54, 134, 142. Davison, 68. Davy, 135, 136. Debussy, 100. Deff?s, L., 17, 75, 76. Dent, 99. D?schamps, 124. Dickens, C., 141. D'Ivry, Marquis, 121. Dixon, C., 72. Doppler, 20. Dryden, 134, 136, 142. Duggan, 146. Dumas, A., 27. Duvernoy, A., 138. Dvor?k, 107.

Faccio, 29, 32. Faur?, G., 78, 79. Ferrand, H., 98, 99. Fibich, Zdenko, 112, 113, 138. FitzGerald, 57. Fleg, 59. Fletcher, 43, 45, 46, 71, 72, 96, 154, 156, 165. Forbes-Robertson, 25, 127. Ford, T., 154. Frank, Ernst, 132. Frederick the Great, 27. Fuller-Maitland, 5. Furnivall, F. J., 46, 47, 165, 166.

Immerman, 137. Irving, Sir Henry, 15, 16, 22, 37, 43, 55. Irving, H. B., 22.

Jackson, 72. Johnson, Noel, 130. Johnson, Robert, xi, xii, 134, 136. Jonci?res, Victorin de, 27. Jonson, Ben, 136. Judith, Mme., 28.

Kean, Mrs C., 42. Kemble, Fanny, 57. Kemble, J. P., 57, 135. Kemp, Dr, 10. Kipling, 89. Kirchner, 9, 70. Kreutzer, K., 51. Kreutzer, R., 2. Krug, Arnold, 112.

MacDowell, E. A., 37. Macfarren, 20, 45, 160. Mackenzie, Sir A. C., 15, 16, 31, 152. Maeterlinck, 108. Maggioni, 80. Mansfield, Richard, 115, 116. Marescalchi, 128. Marlowe, 12, 154, 165. Marshall, Julian, 148. Martin Harvey, Sir John, 26, 27. Mascagni, 19. Massenet, 31. Maurel, Victor, 84, 109. Mendelssohn, 43, 63, 65, 75, 88, 89, 96, 97, 124, 137. Mercadante, 40. Meredith, George, 112. Metzler, 45. Meurice, Paul, 27. Meyerbeer, 27, 63, 115. Missa, 18, 19. Moke, Miss, 142. Monnel, 121. Moody, 21. Morgan, M., 40. Morley, 124. Mosenthal, 81. Mozart, 86.

O'Neill, 26, 27.

Paganini, 124. Parry, 80. Pelham, 39. Pepys, 38. Percy, Bishop, 106, 165. Perrier, 28. Peters, 63. Piave, 56. Pierson, H. H., 63, 126, 127. Pinsuti, C., 74. Plan?on, Pol, 102, 118. Playford, 71. Pleyel, Mme., 143. Plimmer, W. G., 112. Podesta, C., 104. Porta, 128. Portland, Earl of, 28. Pounds, Courtice, 164. Prout, E., 48. Prussia, King of, 89. Puget, P., 104. Purcell, Dan, 55, 77. Purcell, H., xi, 12, 54, 55, 71, 77, 90, 134, 135, 136, 148, 149, 164.

Raff, 63, 107, 126. Rameau, 130. Ravenscroft, 154. Reinhardt, 77, 151, 161. Richter, 37, 152. Ricordi, 85. Riemann, 1, 18, 32, 47, 110. Roffe, 165. Romani, 119. Ronald, Landon, 40. Rosa, Carl, 99, 133. Rosse, Frederick, 78. Rossini, 45, 106, 107, 108. Rousseau, 159. R?ze, Raymond, 47, 48. Rubens, Paul, 156. Rubini, 80. Rumling, Von, 128.

Tamagno, 109. Tamburini, 80. Taubert, Emil, 150. Taubert, Wilhelm, 58, 141, 142, 150. Taylor, Coleridge, 114, 157. Terry, Ellen, 37, 44, 55. Thomas, Ambroise, 29, 30, 31. Tindal, W., 73. Tree, Sir Herbert, 22, 23, 47, 88, 114, 156. Troutbeck, the Rev. J., 36. Tschaikowsky, 23, 25, 35, 125, 126, 144.

Vaccaj, N., 120, 121. Verdi, 2, 40, 50, 51, 55, 56, 80, 83-86, 106, 108, 111, 112, 115. Veracini, F. M., 7. Viardot, Mme., 27, 57. Vogler, Abt, 27, 154.

Wagner, 2, 28, 30, 56, 57, 60, 62, 65, 67-70, 81, 84, 86, 108, 112, 125. Wagner, Cosima, 55. Webb, Gilbert, 41. Weber, 27, 88, 89. Weingartner, F., 52. Weiss, 5. Weldon, John, 71. Wilde, Oscar, 100. Wilson, Dr John, 71. Winter, Peter von, 154. Wolff, 51. Wood, Sir Henry, 2.

Young, Isabella, 92.

Zeno, Apostolo, 28. Ziani, 7. Zingarelli, 120.

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY NEILL AND CO., LTD., EDINBURGH.

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