Mr. Laparra elaborated this suite, adding other piano pieces and songs and on April 24, 1918, in Aeolian Hall, with the assistance of Helen Stanley, soprano, he gave a concert at Aeolian Hall, New York, which he entitled "A Musical Journey Through Spain." "They are not songs as they are sung in Spain," said Mr. Laparra, "but they are the musical forms of that country expressed through the vision of a French traveller and treated by him with complete imaginative freedom." Mr. Laparra was born May 13, 1876, and studied at the Paris Conservatoire with Massenet and Gabriel Fauré. He secured the Prix de Rome in 1903. P. 26. "the dances and entr'actes are Spanish in colour": According to M. Sterling Mackinlay, Manuel García, who attended the first performance of _Carmen_ in London, June 22, 1878, was "astounded and delighted at the Spanish colour in the music." P. 28. "Clément et Larousse give a long list of _Don Quixote_ operas, but they do not include one by Manuel García": This opera is mentioned in Hugo Riemann's "Opern Handbuch" together with others on the same subject by Purcell, Paesiello, Salieri, and Piccinni. P. 29. "El Sombrero de tres Picos": This amusing novel of Alarcón, translated by Jacob S. Fassett, jr., has recently been published by Alfred A. Knopf. P. 29. "_Il Trovatore_": We are not accustomed to think of Verdi's opera as Spanish today. But read Henry Fothergill Chorley ("Thirty Years Musical Recollections"): "One of the points in _Il Trovatore_,--which may be found worthy of remembering--after this or the other tune has passed into the limbo of old tunes--is Signor Verdi's essay at vocal Spanish gipsy colour. The chorus of waifs and strays opening the second act has an uncouthness,--a bar or two of Oriental drawl,--before the Italian anvils begin,--which must remind any one of such real gipsy music, as can be heard and seen in Spain.--Thus, also, is the monotonous, inexpressive narration of the gipsy mother, Azucena, to be animated only by her own passion,--all the more truthful (possibly) from its want of character. No melody really exists among those people,--and the wild cries which they give out could not be reduced to notation, were it not for the dance which they accompany.--Signor Verdi may have comprehended this--though with insufficient means of expression; at all events, some notion of the kind is to be found in what may be called the characteristic music of _Il Trovatore_." P. 29. "_Don Giovanni_ and _Le Nozze di Figaro_": "Seville, more than any city I have ever seen, is the city of pleasure ... and in living gaily, and in the present, it is carrying on a tradition: it is the city of Don Juan, the city of Figaro." Arthur Symons in "Cities."