m. The manager's _Premiere_ heard of this appeal, and she
in her turn went to headquarters, asking that the manager be compelled
to put on the piece as agreed. The next day he received an offer of
100,000 francs to mount the new ballet if he would put the dancer,
Mlle. Dumilatre, into the leading part, and do it in an incredibly
short time. This was how three composers brought into being the piece
that one day was to become the "Martha" with which we are now
familiar. After Flotow had written "Stradella" he was asked to write
an opera for the court, and remembering the peculiarly carpentered
piece, "Martha," he went to Saint-Georges's ballet for his court-opera
theme. When finished it was "Martha."

The librettist for "Martha" and another Flotow piece was Reise, but he
wrote under the name of W. Friedrich. Balfe used the story for an
opera which he called "The Maid of Honour." The opera was about ten
years in gaining popularity outside of Germany. It was perhaps
somewhat longer than that in reaching Paris and London. It was known
in New York, having been presented at Niblo's Garden, before it was
known in Paris or London, and Madame Anna Bishop sang it. The great
singers who have appeared in the cast are Anna Bishop, Mario, Lehman,
Nilsson, Patti, Brignoli, and others.

Flotow's best claim to distinction lies in this opera of "Martha." He
was not a special favourite nor a genius, but in "Martha" he turned
out a number of fascinating tunes of a humable sort. One of them has
been adapted to sacred words, and is much used in churches, but for
the most part "Martha" is made of a series of jiggy choruses. Berlioz,
who especially hated Flotow, declared that the "introduction of the
Irish melody ('Last Rose of Summer') served to disinfect the
rottenness of the Martha music."

Flotow was born April 27, 1812. Died January 24, 1883.

MARTHA

CHARACTERS OF THE OPERA WITH THE ORIGINAL CAST AS PRESENTED AT THE
FIRST PERFORMANCE

Lady Harriet Anna Zerr
Nancy Therese Schwarz
Lionel Joseph Erl
Plunkett Carl Formes

Sheriff of Richmond, three servants of Lady Harriet, three maid
servants.

Chorus of ladies, servants, farmers, hunters and huntresses, pages,
etc.

The story is enacted in England during Queen Anne's reign.

First sung at Vienna Court Opera, November 25, 1847.

Composer: Friedrich Freiherr von Flotow.
Author: W. Friedrich (F.W. Riese).

ACT I

One morning during