cala, and to the fact that the great publishing house
of Ricordi is located there, but it is by no means indicative of the
true condition. The fact is that the appreciation of opera is often
greater outside of Milan than in the city. In Naples, Rome and Florence
opera is given on a grand scale, and many other Italian cities possess
fine theaters and fine operatic companies. The San Carlos Company, at
Naples, is usually exceptionally good, and the opera house itself is a
most excellent one. The greatest musical industry centers around Milan
owing, as we have said, to the publishing interests in that city. If an
Italian composer wants to produce one of his works he usually makes
arrangements with his publisher. This, of course, brings him at once to
Milan in most cases.

MORE NEW OPERAS SHOULD BE PRODUCED

It is, of course, difficult to gain an audience for a new work, but this
is largely the fault of the public. The managers are usually willing
and glad to bring out novelties if the public can be found to appreciate
them. _Madama Butterfly_ is a novelty, but it leaped into immediate and
enormous appreciation. Would that we could find a number like it!
_Madama Butterfly's_ success has been largely due to the fact that the
work bears the direct evidences of inspiration. I was with Puccini in
London when he saw for the first time John Luther Long's story,
dramatized by a Belasco, produced in the form of a one-act play. He had
a number of librettos under consideration at that time, but he cast them
all aside at once. I never knew Puccini to be more excited. The story of
the little Japanese piece was on his mind all the time. He could not
seem to get away from it. It was in this white heat of inspiration that
the piece was moulded. Operas do not come out of the "nowhere." They are
born of the artistic enthusiasm and intellectual exuberance of the
trained composer.

AMERICA'S MUSICAL FUTURE

One of the marvelous conditions of music in this country is that the
opera, the concert, the oratorio and the recital all seem to meet with
equal appreciation. The fact that most students of music in this land
play the piano has opened the avenues leading to an appreciation of
orchestral scores. In the case of opera the condition was quite
different. The appreciation of operatic music demands the voice of the
trained artist and this could not be brought to the home until the
sound reproducing machine had been perfected. The great i