| Share page | Visit Us On FB |
|
FAMOUS SONGS |
||
|
CHAPTER XI
"THE LAST ROSE OF SUMMER," "THE BELLS OF SHANDON," AND " THE EXILE OF ERIN"
THAT curiously-compounded, old-fashioned opera,"Martha," owes its continuous popularity, as is tolerably well known, to the introduction therein of the ancient Irish melody known to the world generally as "The Last Rose of Summer." Now, at first sight it may appear rather incongruous to assign the song in the opera to a lady who is supposed to have lived in the reign of Queen Anne; but, as a matter of history, this incident is not quite so out-rageous as critics, with a scant knowledge of Irish music apparently, would have us believe. Count Frederick von Flotow's opera," Martha," founded on a ballet, was first performed at Vienna, in 1847. It was given at the Theatre Lyrique, Paris, later with Mme. Christine Nilsson as the heroine, with so much success, that it ran for three hundred nights—a most unusual run for a piece of any kind half a century ago. It was brought to London in 1858, and achieved
i75 |
||