New-York tribune., 1901-02-24

sor small fee enjoy he privileges Of member
/ ship.
A new play by Henri Lavedan, Member Of the
/ French Academy. author Of such brilliant but
! dissimnar comedies as Prince d'Aurec," Cath
crime" and lie Vieux Marcheur." is a Partisan
event of the first magnitude. especially when u
is written for Nine. Jeanne Granier and the ex-
oellent company Of the Theatre des Naristes;
consequently all intellectual. artistic. fashion
able and Bohemian Paris which for the last few
DAYS has been on the tiptoe Of expectancy. was
grIevously disappointed the Varieties last
night. when ii found that Les Medicis, Lave
dams social satire Of twentieth century patrons
# art was a dismal failure being in reality little
more Than the iibretto Of an opera houffe with
out Offenhach's music The theme is captNat-
Ing beine The ridicuIe of rich. snobbish art
amateurs who revel in architecture and furnl-
ture Of modern style" and ultra impressionism
in painting and sculpture (neo-impressionlsin
has invaded even the kitchen, for on the break
fast "a hle is served an "omelette LohenSrin' 50
named because il is made Of swans eegSl- Les
Medicis" is. moreover. too servile imitation
Of lie Bourgeois Gentilhomme." which Lave
dan has vainly attempted put in the very
latest rastaquoire attire, hut I'm doing so mas NOT
only omitted the genius Of Moliere but the Keen
observation. sparkling wit and bright dialogue
Of his own hest plays This striking theatrical
disaster OF the talented and audacious Acade-
nician is to-day the talk Of Paris; Lavedan's
friends hope IL may prove for him a salutary
and stimulating object lesson.
The production on Wednesday evening or La
File de Tabarin," composed by Gabriel Pierne
on words 10y Victorien Sardou and Paul Ferrier'
which in spite OF the tragic ending Of the story.
is called "a lyric comedy" is the most important
event that has occurred at the Opera Comique
since the production Of Gustave CharpentieT's
Louise" which reached it's one hundredth per-
formanee last night La File de Tabarin' is
typical of the modern French school Of opera as
represented by d'Indy Bruneau and Charpen-
tier; il is wagnerian especially in the orchestra
ton. hut the leitmotif has been abandoned, and
TIE author has sought 10 attain the same end hy
providing each Individual situation I'm the piece
with descriptive musical setting, without re-
gare 10 what has gone before or what comes
after. The result is a composition Of foreible
dramatic expression. which IS wanting. how
ever. I'm continuity and unity Of impression
Some Of the finest passages in the score, writ
ten in a burlesuue vein seem detached and iso-
lated The story of the opera. brightly and
cleverly written by Sardou and Ferrier, is based
upon the career of Tabarin, who in the DAYS Of
Louis XIII was a popular comedian OF Paris,
sort Of seventeenth century Coquelin. Tabarn
who has a charming daughter Diane, has re-
tired from the stage with a prineey fortune,
and IN order 20 avoid the social ostracism 20
which Al that time all actors were subjected
lives under the assumed name OF Sire dc Beau
val in q superb castle In Brittany. where none
Of the neighboring gentry have stopped 10 In
ouire into his antecedents. Diane loves and Is
beloved by Roger the son OF the proud but
poverty stricken Count de la Rreds, who would
sooner die than see his son marry an actors
daughter. Happily. 10 one suspects that the
Sire de Beauval Is a retired eomedisn--not even
his daughter Diane-and the marriage Is about
20 take place when some strolling players arrive
in the village and perform the very play in
which Taharin once excelled- Tabarin criticises
the acting az the man who takes his own former
part. and when the latter angrily retorts Well.
IL you don't like g. play the part yourself" the
ruling passion proves too strong for Tabsrin.
who leaps on the stage ana performs the part
with all his old FIRE He is recognized and sud
denly realizes that he has ruined Danes
future; he shoots himself and dies contented.
knowing that his ehilds happiness is assured.
for Roger swears he viii marry her Taharin's
speeches. which have a smack % Cyrano about
them, written with spirit by the ubrett.sts
and the composer. Fugere makes an ininitable
Tabarin, and Miss Garden, an American. sings
the psrt Of Diane with sentiment and express
sion CrB