Erik Bruchez
Wed, 22 Jan 2003 21:55:52 -0800
Thanks for this entertaining information! I find the comparison between the play and the novel interesting because the same can be said for Mascagni's "I Rantzau". In the novel, "Les deux freres", the two brothers never reconcile in spite of their children getting married. In the play, "Les Rantzau", and in the opera, they do. It is probably easier to render these types of happy endings on stage than long illnesses and persistent hatred! Since my last posting about "The Eternal City" I put an additional picture online, a poster of the "Death of Bruno". The setting is exactly the same as one of the photographs: http://www.mascagni.org/pictures/eternal At this point the orchestral score is suposedly lost. It was already I think in the 20's or 30's when Mascagni was approached for a revival and the music could not be found. Mascagni performed the music several times during his american tournee in 1902-1903, including in San Francisco. If somebody finds this music again, many people will be happy! -Erik John Mucci wrote: > On my site are two more photos from Hall Caine's play "The Eternal City". > They are unfortunately from the poorly reproduced photos in the novel, and > not as good as the ones on the site already, but thought the group might > like to see them. > > They are too big to send out. > > The first is captioned "What you said shall be sacred" : > www.jmucci.com/img/Eternal1.JPG > the second is captioned: "With a frightened cry, she was folded to his > breast." > www.jmucci.com/img/Eternal2.JPG > > I have read the novel and it is really a terrific potboiler. I am not a fan > of such literature, but this is truly extraordinary. The story concerns a > woman who is being 'kept' by the Prime Minister of Italy (whose wife is > insane and dying in his castle). The woman, whose name is Roma, is insulted > by the local handsome anarchist, David Rossi, for being a kept lady, and she > vows to have revenge on him, of course with the minister's approval. > > However she falls in love with Rossi, and for those of you who don't plan on > reading the book, I am not spoiling anything by telling you that they find > out that they both were raised by the same father, (even though they are not > related, and thus can marry), and we later find out that Rossi's real dad is > none other than the Pope (Pius the X! of all popes). While Rossi is running > all over Europe being hounded by spies and gathering a following of > anarchists, Roma's letters to him explaining what's going on never catch up > to him. She is forced (by the minister and the Pope!) to denounce Rossi up, > as she knows his true identity. She does so, and Rossi believes she is > unfaithful (remember she vowed to destroy him early on - before she fell in > love with him). > > The minister is shot and killed by accident, and Roma goes to prison for it > while Rossi escapes, and is saved from utter dissolution by - you guessed > it, Rossi's father, the Pope. They live happily ever after in the play, but > she dies of consumption in the book. > > I mean - is this a Mascagni opera or what?? > > > Caine made quite an industry out of this story. He wrote it originally as a > play that took place in Russia, then wrote a 600 page novel that was full of > politics and religion propaganda, and it became a smash success. So much so > that he wrote another play based on it, and that was so successful with > Mascagni's music, that he wrote another novel based on the play! The second > novel is 400 pages long (the one I read), and has only the love story as the > focus. > > Boy, and we thought Tom Clancy had it big. > > You can still get copies of either version of the book at > www.bookfinder.com; I don't think either play was published. > > Does the music for this survive? Not only would I love to hear it, I think > such a great story would make a great revival. What intensity! > > Yrs respectfully. > > > > John Mucci > 9 DeForest Rd > Wilton, CT 06897 > 203-722-6751(c) > 203-761-0083 (h) > > www.jmucci.com -- Unsubscribe by sending unsubscribe in the body to [EMAIL PROTECTED]