The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-29
DELIBES'S "LAKME" REVIVED.
. STOW PERFORMANCE Ar TIE
METROPOLITAN.
Wine. sembrich In . New Fart and Pictur-
esque COstumes-The' Mounting OF the
Opera Not Picturesque-Minor Parts
Poorly Sung and Ballet Awkward.

nelibes's "Lakme" was performed at
the Metropolitan Opera House for the first
time in fourteen years. Doubtless this
revival was not brought about by any
deep affection for the opera on the part Of
the impreeario. 1t seemed TO be merely
an incident in the continued demonstration
Il delight in things Gallo now going on
a. the Metropolitan. At any rate. the
production was by no mean unwelcome,
for "Lakme" is very pretty and it gave
the subscribers an opportunity to hear
music of the gentle variety which appeals
10 so many Of them.
And what a lew sensation it Is to behold
Nine. Sembrich freed from the thraldom
~ Minis rags. from the silly ball gown
and tuberculosis Of Violettd, from the futing
madness Of Lucia and set swimming amid
the lush glories and sandal scents Of the
mvthic East. If we must have India
let MS have it a la Delibes, not Kipling.
Il was on Monday, March /. 1883, when
-Lakme" was made known to US at the
Academy of Music by the American Opera
Company, the defunct predecessor Of Henry
Savage. Who can recall the singers Of
that far of time? Pauline IAllemande
was the Ldkme, William Candidus the
Gerald, Alonzo Stoddard Nikdldntha. The
Nailikd was Jessie Bartlett Davis; Rose,
Helen Dudley Campbell; Frederick, William
n. Lee; Hddji, William Fessenden, and
Mrs. Benton, May Fielding. The conductor
was Theodore Thomas.
II was not the first time that the opera
had been given in America, for in the sea-
sor Of 1884 Emma Abbott devastated
the West with a set of improvised orches-
trail parts and her own prayerful self and
called down curses on the head Of Delibes.
The work came 10 light again on Febru-
arv %, 1892, at the Metropolitan Opera
House. At thai time the title role was in
trusted to Marie van Zandt, who had
created" it. The Gerald was Mr.. Montariol
and EIouard de Reszke sang Nitdldnthd.
others engaged in the presentation we're
Nile. Jean de Vigne. Ida Klein, Miss Bauer
meister, Mr.. Martapoura and Mr.. Rinal-
DIM. Mr.. Vianesi was the conductor.
After that performance the opera faded
away, and until last night it slumbered
peacefully. In all probability whatever of
success it now has will be due to the art
of those C oncerned in the performance.
"Lakme" r~ejoices in the possession OF much
superficial beauty. There is in this music
a pronounced style which has all the ele-
ganCe, daintiness and fuency Of Delibes
There are half a dozen melodic thoughts of
genuine charm and the orchestration is
exquisite in its clarity, its color and its ex-
pressiveness. This score is worth a dozen
such cumbersome inanities al Fedora
But il is so persistently sweet and pretty!
IL is more saccharine than @~Lohengrln and
has not one-tenth the muscular power.
This sort Of music is like the frosting on a
cake. 1t is at first most toothsome, but
ere long it makes the teeth ache. And then
that pitiless local c~olor-that local color
which never retires to the background but
u.k;ah l.oo1. Nhtr,N1fnr if0alf lilo nna of
Wagner's painted gauze drops between the
stage and the audience-it does become so
tiresome. One wishes at times that some
one would whistle a music hall tune from
The dramaS Well, il is good old operate
drama, wherein the heroine loves the mar
hated by her savage father. Hence when
lovely daughter sings, the lover ranges
himself up beside the Hateful knife OF father
and is perforated as to his back; Ldkrne
with the help Of MGtikd nurses him, but
Frederick arrives to inform Gerald thai his
regiment claims his services. OF course,
like Vdseo di Cana, Don Jose, n. b. Pfnker-
ION and all the other military and naval
calls! I u obey Applause from the
gallery. Despair Of the prima donna.
20 terra, addio.' -In questa tomba." In
this case she has studied the wild flowers
Of her native land and, like Alice Of Wonder
land, she knows just what to, eat. She eats
an herb and dies operatically with much
voice to slow and sobbing music.
1t is all pretty, touching, sweet and charm
ing. But there is nothing IN the work to
last night seem to be touched. Aside from
the art of Nine. Sembrich there was little
In the performance to interest a lover OF
music, an admirer OF spectacle or a con-
noisseur in linear curves. The prima donna
dressed her part and made it up with a fine
eye for barbaric splendor and a nice taste
in facial pigments. We have had bombed
Aidds and rare beef SeLikGs, but Last nights
Ldkme, like a certain damsel in a story by
Kipling, was yellow as bar gold IN the
Nine. sembrich had an excellent concep-
ton Of the role and her skill and experience
as an artist were lent to the treatment OF
the music; but she had TO carry most OF
the vocal burden on her own shoulders.
Mr. Rousseliere was only a fair Gerald,
for much of the music OF the part Is In a
style not congenial to this explosive young
singer. As for Mr.. Gourmet, he was a
ponderous and unsympathetic Nkdtdnthd,
and his proclamatory publication OF his
ideas in the solo of the second act was more
vigorous than satisfying.
The other characters were a sad and dis
printing lot. Nine. Jacoby as MduiKd mace
a tolerabIe essay at the duet with Ldknne
In Act l., but her voice mixed with Nine.
Sembrich's as oil with water. As for the
rest. let their names be writ IN water, as
their tones were. The opera was mounted
Win ntJl0 reSdTQ- IOT bu0 ORpCtNN'
offered for pictorial beauty. Kipling says
the golden East is not golden at all. He Is
right. II is yellow ochre, and barely that
raw lumber would perhaps be nearer the
color; Throw in a little HSoker,s green N
cobalt whipped with fake white for a sky,
draw a cross eyed elephant sitting on g
stump and some bell topped pinnacies, and
there you have the golden East OF last
nights -Lakme."
Also there was a ballet. In the annals
Of the opera OF 1909 let not that lambrequin
trimmed ballet be forgotten. Let It be
immortalized, that substantial but anx-
ious ballet, striving to shake its toes Tor
every note In the music n prancing on
one foot s~pasmodically, unPoeticaly, unI
comfortably. Fortunately the wise could
shut their eyes, listen to Delibes's EXQUISITE
ballet music and conjure up a more en-
trancing ballet in their ~imaginations: The
chorus sang very well indeed and In the
sacred precincts Of the nrst act iooks
like a choice collection Of. loathly taklrs
and truth hating ayahs culled from plain
Tales From h Hills' and Mine Own "
DUTIES sficiantl v- Mr.. BovY sat in the