The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-19
1.-THE DAMNATION OF FAUST"
pERLTOZ'S WORK AS GIVEN IN
OPERATE FORM IN PARIS.

HopelessIy Undramatlc Production
MERITS and Defects or BeriaOz's
Mnsic-Thc scenery an Attraction
Claude Debussy's Score for "Pelleas
and Melisande''--Piays I'm Paris.
The French must be musical people
md n patriotic; else they never could endure
rSoctor Berlioz's "Damnation of Faust "
In an operatic garb. As absolute music,
n,,en a. given in oratorio form. this tre-
n,endous composition has it's Qualifications;
hu, in operate shape, none whatever. 1t
;s hopelessly undramatic. 1t bores. II
,,rnedes. You ask yourself that fatal
question. Is BerliOx after all great musical
nomposer? And all this because M. Raoul
Gunsbourg saw At to arrange the words
and music for theatrical representation,
ue has done this as well az might be eK-
nec,ed. and for one shall not add to the
monument of abuse that has been erected
over since the fantastic production was
heard at the Theatre Sarah Bernhardt
In Paris. But why need he have attempted
such a barren task!
The scenery was the chief attraction.
Painted by visconti, and handled by
Kranich the stage manager Of Bayreuth,
the entire production was on plane with
Iryings Dante just as meaningless.
In five acts and ten tableaux, the opening
scene gave us a veranda on the plains OF
Hungary. Why Faust and the Hungarian
Pnz,a was explained long ago by Berlioz.
II. he exclaimed with superhuman candor,
# do not take my Fdnst to Hungary,
how can introduce the Rakoczy march!
Colonne conducted. He is always medi-
ocre, but thought he could do something
with the incisve rhythms and martial
themes of this most magnificent Of all
marches Not 80. His beat lacked elias
,icitv. and his version was habby as to
rhythm and noisy as to tone. positively
longed for Sousa and his swinging attack.
With the majority of French orchestral
conductors the same fault prodominates-
n lack of tonal splendor. For tone they
substitute brutal blaring and pounding.
But rhythmic life they possess, and deli
cate discrimination in the matter Of dainty
effects. So figure my surprise when l
heard the march so savagely slandered
This first brief act was called la Gloire.
The next was labelled ia Fol-" Faust, in
O. desperately bad voice, stood in his labora-
tory told his listeners how he longed to
quit the world, and then attempted to do so
by the aid OF poison. II Is hardly neces-
sary, at this late day to note the unvocal
style Of Berlioz. The chief accusation
brought against Wagner should have been
levelled at Berlioz. Either he writes on
the trite style Of the French dramatic
school, or else he treats the voice as an
orchestral instrument. 1t Is useless to pro-
test for there are many devoted Berlioz-
lars in the world to whom the word OF
DR. Wicksteed may be applied; "A cult is
always annoying to those who do not join
It, and generally hurtful to those who do
Therefore I need not expatiate on the
theme. As some palates prefer prickly
thistles, so there are people who enjoy the
vocal music of Hector Berlioz and declare
that Wagner is unmelodious.
Before die hope to make pilgrimage
to the tomb of Meyerbeer, and there upon
repentant knees do penance for my con-
the Meyerbeerian music. once called
Meyerbeer a syndicate" But what a
vocal style is his if compared with that OF
Berloz How plangent and logical his
melodies II Meyerbeer is a musical syn
dictate then Berloz is trust, l. e.. the octo-
pus among composers.
His Mephisto is not much OF talker
He gets to business rapidly. In the next
tableau we are conducted to Aue rbach's
cellar at Leipsic. The episode bears the
symbolic heading, lie Jeu, La Boisson."
Jolly student jewellers singing music
without a glimmer Of intoxication sprawl
artistically over the scene-a solid one,
very real in appearance. Brander sings his
Rat song with the chorus and its mock
amens and Mephisto delivers his song Of
the Flea
Here is a tangible attempt at tune--for
after all said and done, tune is only a
Characterization. And there are many
kinds Of tune in the world. Berlioz's is one.
1t does not WOO the ear. He is cerebral
in every line he writes, reflective, intellec-
tua and absolutely devoid Of emotion.
This may strike you as heretical, but by
emotional mean passionate, sensuous.
musical emotion, not the rhapsodic, ierky,
fantastic. nervous energy that served
Berlioz in place OF genuine tempera-
ment He felt everything through his
head as indeed we all do physiologically-
and his heart, for he had big one never
got by any chance into his music. All
the torrenta fervors, the drum poundings
and meanings over Henrietta Smithson,
10 whom he was unfortunately married,
do not convince one that Berlioz had the
musical sdcre feu
He was like one of those modern French
writer's who acquire. after many years,
an exquisite style, and then have nothing
10 say. Berlioz is the true father Of the
romantic movement in music, the head
OF modern Observation-Disclosures. But--to quote
widely disparate case-their titles are
the only things romantic about his works,
Just az Walt Whtman's best poetry may
he found in his headlines. Lelio, Childe
Symphony Fantastic. King Lear, Carnival
Roman all these are but vast experiments
In orchestraton. and their music has
little tituar significance Mendelssohn's
bly, little remark that annoyed Berioz
30 much, about composers who attempt to
combine the virtues of the classics with
The vices Of the romantics, did not 60 far
af1eId in its application to this particular
case. The constant strain to say some
'hlng original, to utter portentous phrases;
'he Rroanng travail. after which the mighty