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

"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.

Act II. The drawing-room of the ChÂteau de CompiÈgne. The Empire has been established. Lefebvre is a Marshal and has been created Duke of Danzig. Catherine is his duchess. She scandalizes the court with her frequent breaches of etiquette.

Farrar

Photo by White

Farrar as Catherine in “Mme. Sans-GÊne”

When the act opens DesprÉaux, the dancing master, Gelsomino, the valet, and Leroy, the ladies' tailor, are engaged in passing criticisms upon her. She enters, is as unconventional as ever, and amusingly awkward, when she tries on the court train, or is being taught by DesprÉaux how to deport herself, when she receives the Emperor's sisters, whom she is expecting. Lefebvre comes in like a thunder cloud. Napoleon, he tells her, has heard how she has scandalized the court by her conduct and has intimated that he wishes him to divorce her. There is a charming scene—perhaps the most melodious in the opera—between the couple who love each other sincerely. Neipperg, who now is Austrian Ambassador, comes upon the scene to bid his old friends good-bye. Napoleon suspects that there is an intrigue between him and the Empress, and has had him recalled. FouchÉ, Minister of Police, announces Napoleon's sisters—Queen Carolina and Princess Elisa. Catherine's court train bothers her. She is unrestrained in her language. The royal ladies and their suite at first laugh contemptuously, then as Catherine, in her resentment, recalls to Carolina that King Murat, her husband, once was a waiter in a tavern, the scene becomes one of growing mutual recrimination, until, to the measures of "The Marseillaise," Catherine begins to recount her services to Napoleon's army as CantiniÈre. Enraged, the royal ladies and their suite leave. De Brigode, the court chamberlain, summons Catherine to the presence of the Emperor. Not at all disconcerted, she salutes in military fashion the men who have remained behind, and follows De Brigode.

Act III. Cabinet of the Emperor. There is a brief scene between Napoleon and his sisters, to whom he announces that there is to be a hunt at dawn, at which he desires their presence. They withdraw; Catherine is announced.

Napoleon brusquely attacks her for her behaviour. She recalls his own humble origin, tells of her services to the army, and of the wound in the arm she received on the battlefield, maintains that his sisters in insulting her also insulted his army, and, as a climax draws out a bit of yellow paper—a laundry bill he still owes her, for he was the impecunious young lieutenant mentioned in the first act. With much chicness she even tells him that, when she delivered his laundry, she tried to attract his attention, but he was always too absorbed in study to take notice of her, and make love to her.

The Emperor is charmed. He kisses the scar left by the wound on her arm. Catherine, bowing, exclaims, "The Emperor owes me nothing more!"

Catherine is about to go, Napoleon ordering for her the escort of an officer, when Neipperg is apprehended, as he is approaching the Empress's door. Infuriated, Napoleon tears the string of medals from the Ambassador's breast and appears about to strike him in the face with it. Neipperg draws his sword. Officers rush in. Napoleon orders that he be shot ere dawn, and that FouchÉ and Lefebvre have charge of the execution.

Act IV. The scene is the same, but it is far into the night. The candles are burning low, the fire is dying out, Catherine and Lefebvre have a brief scene in which they deplore that they are powerless to prevent Neipperg's execution. Catherine cannot even inform the Empress and possibly obtain her intervention, for her door, at Napoleon's command, is guarded by Roustan.

But Napoleon, when he comes in, is sufficiently impressed by Catherine's faith in the Empress's loyalty to put it to the test. At his direction, she knocks at the Empress's door, and pretending to be her Matron of Honour, Mme. de BÜlow, says, "Majesty, Neipperg is here." The Empress passes out a letter. "Give this to him—and my farewell." Napoleon takes the letter, breaks the seal. The letter is to the Empress's father, the Emperor of Austria, whom she asks to entertain Neipperg in Vienna as his assiduity troubles her and the Emperor. Napoleon orders FouchÉ to restore Neipperg's sword and let him depart.

"As for your divorce," he says to Lefebvre, with a savage look, "My wish is this"—playfully he tweaks Catherine by the ear. "Hold her for ever true. Give thanks to heaven for giving her to you."

Hunting-horns and the chorus of hunters are heard outside.

ANDRÉ CHÉNIER

"AndrÉ ChÉnier" was produced at La Scala, Milan, March 23, 1896. It was given in London, in English, April 26, 1903. Long before that, November 13, 1896, New York heard it at the Academy of Music, under Mapleson. It had a single performance, under the management of Oscar Hammerstein, at the Manhattan Opera House in 1908, and eight years later was given by, and endured through the season of, the Boston-National Opera Company, both in Boston and on tour.

Historical as a character though AndrÉ ChÉnier be, Giordano's librettist, Luigi Illica, has turned his life into fiction. ChÉnier was a poet, dreamer, and patriot. Born at Constantinople, he went to Paris for his education. Later he became a participant in and victim of the French Revolution.

Characters

Guests at ball, servants, pages, peasants, soldiers of the Republic, masqueraders, judges, jurymen, prisoners, mob, etc.

Time—Just prior to and during the French Revolution.

Place—Paris.