The Italian opera of the future will without doubt follow the lead of
Verdi, that is, the later works of Verdi. To me _Falstaff_ seems the
most remarkable of all Italian operas. The public is not well enough
acquainted with this work to demand it with the same force that they
demand some of the more popular works of Verdi. Verdi was always
melodious. His compositions are a beautiful lace-work of melodies. It
has seemed to me that some of the Italian operatic composers who have
been strongly influenced by Wagner have made the mistake of supposing
that Wagner was not a master of melody. Consequently they have
sacrificed their Italian birthright of melody for all kinds of
cacophony. Wagner was really wonderfully melodious. Some of his melodies
are among the most beautiful ever conceived. I do not refer only to the
melodies such as "Oh, Thou Sublime Evening Star" of _Tannhaeuser_ or the
"Bridal March" of _Lohengrin_, but also to the inexhaustible fund of
melodies that one may find in most every one of his astonishing works.
True, these melodies are different in type from most melodies of Italian
origin, but they are none the less melodies, and beautiful ones. Verdi's
later operas contain such melodies and he is the model which the young
composers of Italy will doubtless follow. Puccini, Mascagni,
Leoncavallo, and others, have written works rich in melody and yet not
wanting in dramatic charm, orchestral accompaniment and musicianly
treatment.