The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-19

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misses the note throughout the opera
As II 10 impossible to divorce music and
text-Debussy seems to be Maeterlinck's
other musical self--so is it a useless task
70 point out the beauties. the ugliness, the
characteristic qualities Of the score. In
the piano partition nothing may be cleaned
OF its poetic fervor, it's bold landscape
painting, its psychologist penetration
There are some isolated spots where the
orchestra soliloquizes, though few. 1t is
the complete enveloping of Maeterinck' s
strangely beautiful play with a musical
atmosphere, a sort of reverberating miro r
OF the poets atmosphere, that wins the
attention. II Ia easy to conceive OF the
play apart from the music. but not of the
music as separate entity.
Debussy, then, has a musical idiom of
his own. He is not stylist. but an i'm
pressionist. Like Claude Monet he seems
to delight in giving us the complementary
hue of every tone. There are puppies on
his palette--no blacks. His colors occa-
sionally screech, so high" are they, and
their vibrations never cease. II the West
ern world ever adopted Eastern tonalities
Claude Debussy would be the one composer
who would manage its system. with its
quarter tones and split quarters. Again
l see his curious asymmetrical face, the
pointed fawn ears, the projecting cheek
bones-the man is a wrath from the East;
his music was heard long ago in the hill
temples Of Borneo; was made as symphony
To hn 4 L.,
CHASTITY spoils Of war;
We're it not that the pun is 20 shudder-
ingly bad should call Claude Debussy the
greatest Of living De-composers! Every
musical idea he touches thaws and re-
solves itself into everlasting notes. His
future should be viewed with suspicion
from all the critical watch towers.
Maurice Donnay's "L'Autre Danger" is
one of the best plays OF the year but with
LIE Bargy and Cora Lapercerie in the prov
inoes achieving big success visitors at the
Coincide FRANCHISE are deprived Of ono
OF its attractions.
La Bottle A Bib" is revived at Dejazet's.
II is old, but always amusing.
Il Enfant du Miracle" Is certainly the
cleverest. withal the wickedest, play in
Paris. 1t contains many capital lines,
most of them untranslatable. However,
there is plenty of unaffected laughter in the
piece. which draws big crowds.
saw ia Neige" by Ibels and Morgand
at the Vaudeville and found it shocking.
A dying woman reveals the secret Of her
life TO her husband. She has had past
He replies that he knows it, that he has
poisoned her slowly day by day. Emile
Bergerat's comedy Petite Mere" which
follows is full of entertaining stuff. Yet
1t smaoks Of a comic opera libretto. Here
is king from overseas who is hard up
for cash in Paris-quitea comic opera theme,
as any American in the French capital
with dwindling bank account will testify.
Before I left London went from curiosity
to the Garrick Theatre to witness Henry
Arthur Jones's comedy withdrawing
Julia" thought it rather slow at the
time, with that lazy. deliberate movement
VIC Aiiu AIoHOpt' dlItI
the leering righteousness of some boule-
ward farces Mr.. Joness little comedy is
rather refreshing to the memory. 1t is so
hopelessly British in Its quality, so ire
claimably English, THAT one expects to see
nothing but tall. monstrously thin young
women with inevitable, projecting upper
teeth, hideous taste in dress-all the colors
Of the rainbow-and the ensemble of the
familiar Englishwoman, bright eyes,
healthy complexion and blond hair. Well,
Mr.. Jones has put her into his comedy.
There are several of her, in fact.
The entire play gave one the impression
Of much powder burnt with scant results.
Yet it is just the kind of comedy New York
lovers of London haberdashery and British
social prejudices will welcome, for it is
proper it is safe; and whatever is safe is
sure to attract. Devilish dull, dear Henry
Arthur, and a play for chaperons. Yet,
proper as it is, I overheard an eminently
respectable couple groaning over its coarse
ness mot the coarseness OF it's technics)
and audibly remarking that Edith" would
not be allowed to visit the Garrick
wondered what sort of young person
Edith" might be.
JAMES HUNEKFR