The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-15


. TO be woman.
II Miss smyth is laboring under the
amiable delusion that sound, neaithy'
pcrspirng young woodcutter would 90 III
danger Of losing his honor under the piah,
dishments OF q yellow-ha'red, riding-naoteo
courtesan, utterly out Of keeping Win 'no
forest and as inharmonious as u snsiP
I'm the scale of r ma jor she is miscalculstihg
the nature OF man rather strangely. race
rewski in aManru' made no such olunoei.
He seduced Manru with a woman he oouio
understand, not with one who fr'ghteneu
him. You can't scare a man INTO carnAi
riot Miss Smyth's tempt ress is ratner
appalling than anything else, and aireaoy
has reputation Of terror among the simp'o
denizens OF this 'wald.' This episode lacks
the potency OF conviction. This Is pty'
for II is the climax OF the opera.
After the huntsmen OF the scorned tempt
tress set upon young Heinrich and say
him, the darkness again falls upon the
forest and gives way 10 spectral moonlight
under whose rays we once more see the
pymphs at the altar informing their oid
chant to the effect that human life ana Joys
are fieeting, but that the spirits OF me ~ooo
lire on forever. There is room mere LOT
a beautiful variation OF the treatment OF
the first scene of the nymphs. a variation
which would utilize the devices OF musicai
development to accentuate the signihoance
Of the return Of the primevai condh'oh
Of the wood
Ri, Miss Smyth has elected to repeat the
Introductory music in its original iorm'
No doubt she felt that this was the more
logical way. for 1t brings back the original
state undisturbed by the little human
- -, ylara Rlit logic
must sometimes give place to effects
designed for the audience. and the nearer
canno; 60 back with an emotional about
face TO the point from which he started
when he sat with empty mind TO receive
the impressions offered to him by the author
Il was said in the cursory review OF the
morning following the production that
Miss Smyth's music was notable rather
for its masculinity OF style than for sensu-
Gus charm. Perhaps the most direct and
unaffected musical thought In the score
is that found at the opening OF the Tragedy
proper. II IL the scene OF the peasant
merrymaking where the musical investi-
ture OF the thought is obvious and therefore
natural The dance is excellently conceived
and charmingly written. and the chorus.
accentuated with shouts, has the real rustic
ring. But unfortunately these things
are easy to do. They are all made on es-
tablshed patterns, and the really din1cuit
thing to accomplish would he to get away
from them.
Where she seems to have missed her op.
portunities most widely Ia In the scenes
OF the prologue and epilogue. The stage
invites TO musical wonders, The setting
lie admirably devised. and the aspect OF
the virgin forest in before VA. heightened
by the mystery OF psllid moonlight and
deadly stiffness. Yet for the choral eN-
preston OF her nymphs and other forest
spirits Miss Smyth has composed measures
! of acrid harmonic basis and creakingly
unmelodic phrases. Her poetic fsuns and
satyrs sing like -acidulous vestals.' They
are neither Immortality young. nor naively
tuneful. They are prematurely aged In
chromatic polyphony. They have eaten
OF the fruit Of the tree OF Brahms, hut their
digestion was imperfect. They are q set
Of sophisticated spirits, and OH 30 worldly
wise.
But II the immortals Of the eoul OF the
WOODS were TO he 30 deoorously tart In theii
musical ioiom. II they were 70 moisten
the woodland mosses with vinegar, why
not let us have some wine and honey 10
the accents OF our young lovers, But no
here again We were offered convolutioni
: Of restless recitation. Q aort Of endless I'M
: melody. Let US hasten to admit that opers
IA no longer q series OF cut-and dried tunes
, each standing by itself and waiting lite
! turn TO como forward to the footlights
and receive q popular welcome. We al
know now that the arioso has suppante<
the aria and that the speech OF the oper,
Ia but sublimated blank verse. Rut VI
have heard how 1t can be written. and VI
have heard the new method stretched
70 its uttermost tension. That 1t In cspabl
: Of marvellously eloquent effects has beei
: demonstrated fully. Therefore Il Ii no
with Miss Smyth's uss OF the modern metho'
. that fault In to be found. but with her de
Q hberate injection OF solemn dryness Int
n II. Her 'wald' 10 indeed IN academi
y grove.
. Aiways In this opera ons feels the pres
6 encs Of . strong. ambitious. dominating
mind, but ono docs not fs-l the masterin
influence Of . tumultuon. throbbins TEN
o reraDsnt. Oh, that tsmpeumenti whs
% can't be done In art without III Brain
4 are esssutisi, for Art u mcthod, and with
. out brains tbsv can bs no method BIZ
10 the purposs Of dramatic Art II the POI
tTAyA OF uuinAn Shhtscht eb' Wt.asSe
y tsmpsramsnt. aud . huge psipstAtin
- temperament ct that. ths mighty wrestling
y of the human heart cannot 10 oonocivec
y Why could not May Andsu.on move W
q Because she never Sas moved hsfsel
Bsoau.s shs did not know what II ~
=. that moved oshsr women. Why doss Du'
turn our souls made out for u-f beoaus
= shs has dons u Nth her own. shs knov
what ,lss lasids n hks.
This, thsn. seems 70 IN the conciusia
~ Of tho whole mstier. Ml.~ smy'h "
:. woman " Vigorous mind and u 1nfrs,il
smiatlon. sho n M, oonisfsi Ia hos, tiiro,s
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