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Elia Peattie Author of Libretto for Opera Written by Mrs. Freer

According to an Associated Press dispatch, Elia W. Peattie, former Omaha newspaper woman and more recently literary critic on the Chicago Tribune, is the author os the libretto for a new opera written by Mrs. Eleanor Everest Freer, Chicago social leader and composer. Mrs. Freer's opera, her second venture, is called "Massimilliano, the Court Jester," and will be given in Philadelphia tomorrow under the auspices of the Philadelphia Music club in collaboration with the Operatic Society of Philadelphia.

Mrs. Freer has long been a supporter of the movement for opera in English and her new composition, with Mrs. Peattie's libretta is a demonstration of her precepts.

The libretto, by Elia W. Peattie, concerns the tragic story of a hunchback jeste rin the palace of a doge of the fifteenth century, in Venice. The work is in one act of two scenes.

Mrs. Freer's first opera, "The Legend of the Piper," has had a number of performances in this country and will be heard again at Charleston, W. Va., this month. In addition to her operas, Mrs. Freer has published more than 150 songs, an album containing forty-four musical settings for "Sonnets From the Portuguese," and numerous piano compositions.

One of her recent works was the music for a poem "How Can We Know?" written by Edith Rockefeller McCormick and carrying the refrain, "We know through the trust born of love." Mrs. McCormick has been closely associated with Mrs. Freer in her campaign for English opera.

In "The Court Jester," Massimilliano is hopelessly in love with Lady Lucrezlit, under whose window at night he has been singing a gondolier's song and with whose voice the girl, has fallen in love. The jester hides his jealous despair through grotesque acting and mimiery.

The girl's father wishes her to marry a noble suitor, and Lucrezza promises to give her answer at a birthday fete the next day. At this reception she tells of her nightly serenade and of her love of this beautiful voice, and begs that some on epresent, perhaps the suitor, may disclose his identity as its possessor.

To the astonishment of the assembly, Massimilliano says his is the voice. While the company derides him, he stops forward and sings his serenade. Seeing Lucrezia's look of contempt, the jester springs to her side, kisses lier and then stabs himself.