rself in her native Tyrolese
costume; she sings in dialect, and goes through all her charming native
songs and "Jodls", to the delight of all her hearers. Prince Eberhard
promises to grant any wish of Peppina's, while Prince Ferdinand does
the same with Pepusch.--

Finally Prince Ferdinand joins Peppina's and Pepusch's hands, while the
old Prince announces that the two shall henceforth play "Flauti due" by
being married, and appointed musicians of his court for the rest of
their lives.--

MOLOCH.

A musical tragedy in three Acts. Music by MAX SCHILLINGS.

Libretto by EMIL GERHAEUSER, founded on HEBBEL'S fragment "MOLOCH".

The first representation of this opera took place on December 8th 1906
in the Dresden Royal Opera.

It is the production of a highly esteemed German composer, who, though
independant in his musical invention follows in Wagner's steps.

Two operas "Ingwelde" and the "Pfeiffertag" have already made him a
name amongst modern composers; his last, "Moloch" is however the best
in orchestration and invention.

The Moloch music, if somewhat heavy and loud, is altogether noble and
interesting. The first Act is steeped in gloom, the second is more
{491} fascinating and especially the choral accompaniment to the
quartette is as striking as it is beautiful.

But the culminating point is reached in the last Act, where we find
passages of extreme beauty.

The scene is laid on the island of Thule (otherwise Germany, perhaps
Ruegen), at the time after the destruction of Carthage.

In the first Act Hiram, a Carthaginian priest emerges from a cave,
where he has found a refuge. He has brought Carthage's famous idol
Moloch to Thule, with the intention of subjecting the inhabitants to
its power, in which he himself no more believes since the downfall of
his native city.

The inhabitants of Thule do not as yet worship any particular god, and
Hiram hopes to gain enough ascendancy over them, to use them as a means
of revenge against Carthage's great enemy Rome.

When the people of Thule catch sight of the fearful idol, they are
frightened, and Hiram intensifies their terror by taking advantage of
natural causes. A terrific thunderstorm comes on and the lightning
striking the hollow brass figure, sets light to the wood inside and
makes the figure become red hot.

The King's son Teut is one of Hiram's first converts. Moloch, he says,
has appeared to him in his dreams, and in spite of the remonst