New-York tribune., 1906-12-08

operate, ana from that point OF view the niosS
perfect IN the work. It Is the reve Of students cit
izens and soldiers in Auerbach's cellar. Leipsio.
Brander sings the song Of the rat which. by good
living, had developed paunch like DR.. Luthers
but died from poison laid by the cook The drink
ers shout bOlsterous refrain after each stanza
and supplement the last with a mock. solemn
Requiescat in pace, Amen" The phrase suggests
new merriment to Brarder who calls for fusue
on the Amen" and the roisterous improviso over
on the theme OF the rat song which calls out hearty
conmendation from MephistopheIes and reward
IN the shape OF the Song Of the Flea. delightful
OlI OF musical grotesquerie with its accompaniment
suggestive of the skipping OF the pestferous little
insect that is the subject Of the song
me next scene IS the triumph of NJ GUusboUrg,
eAou6h 1or 1t he is indebted to the ingenuity OF
MISS Loie Fuller aad the inventor Of the aerial
O"1'el. berIoz simply permits his hero to reclne
on the bushy banks Of the Elbe He is asleep and
-Aephlstopheles summons gnomes and syIphs to
MI his mind with lovely fancies They do their
work so we:I as to entrance not only Faust but all
who hear their strains. The instrumental ballet IS
fairy waltz "a fnsy musical fabric of
Inoonoeanls and dewy cobwebs) over a pedal point
from the muted 'Cellos and ending with alternate
drum taps and harm1uics from the harp, one OF
the daintiest ana most original orchestral effects
Imagtnabe-so dainty, indeed, that one would think
that nothing could come between it and the OF
the transported listeners without bringing utter
rum TO the ethereal creation. But NJ. Gunsbourg's
fancy has accomplished the miraculous. Out of
the river bank he constructs floral bower rich
rs the magical garden of KIingsor. SyIphs circle
about the sleeper and throw themselves into grace
tul poses while the song IS sounding Then TO the
music OF the fairy waltz. others enter who have
seemingly cast OF the gross weight which holds
mortais in contact with the earth. With robes
a-futter like wings they dart upward and remain
suspended in midair at will or float in and out Of
the transporting picture. To Faust is also pre-
sented vision of Margaret.
The next five scenes in Berlioz's score are con-
nected by NJ GunsbOurg and forced TO act in
sequence for the sake OF the stage set in which
the picture of Margarets chamber Is presented in
the conventional fashion made necessary by the
eXgency of showing an exterior and interior at
the same time In the last act Of 'Rigoletto"
For an unguessed reason, however. NJ Gunsbourg
goes further and transforms the chamber of Mar
garet into sort OF seminclosed arbor. and places
a lantern in her hand instead Of the lamp, that
she may enter In safetv from the street In the
street there walk soldiers followed By students
singing their songs Through them Faust finds his
way and into the trelIised inclosure. The strains
of the soldiers and students songs are heard at
last blended in a single harmony Margaret en-
ters through the street with her lantern and sings
the romance Of the king Of Thule" which Ber-
Iioz calls "Chansoa Gothique"-One Of the most
original of his creations. and like the song in the
next scene. which takes the place OF Goethe's
''lIeine Ruh' ist him ("D'AmOur Pardente
ffamme') is stepped in a mood OF mystical tender
ness quite beyond description Mephistophe4es
summons Will -the-Wisp to aid IN the bewtlder-
rnent OF the troubled mind OF Margaret. Here
realism sadly distu-bs the scene as Berlioz per
mittei it to be created by the fancy The
customary dancing OF lights Of the stage, the
are supplemented here with electrical effects which
are beautiful # not They DO not mar If they
do not help the grotesqus minuet- But when NJ
Glnsbourg rnaterializes the lights and presents
them as a mob of hopping figures ne throws
douches of cold water upon the imagination Of the
listeners and later he sp5ls the enjoyment OF the
music by making II the accompaniment OF some
utterly irrelevant pantomime by Margaret who
goes into the street and is seen wrtthing between
the conflicting emotions Of love and duty-symbol-
ized by a vision Of Faust and the glowing OF a
cross on the facade OF a church. All this the dill
gent reader Of the lbretto may learn IS a dream
dreamed by Margaret, who has fallen asleep in
her chair. AS q matter Of fact 1t IS foolish and
disturbing stuff put in to Ill time and connect
two OF Berlioz's scenes. She returns to her room
Faust discovers himself and there follows the
inevitable love duet which Mepnistopheles change
into a trio when he enters to urge Faust TO
part. Meanwhile Margarets neighbors ge'o, -
the street and warn Dame Martha o. -
deeds of Margaret The next scene SHOWS MAJ
garet's chamber and is devised ONLY as an environ
ment for the beautiful version o. f1oe LIiliio 'a1
song at the spinning wheel III tH9 u4s''hlce -
heard the song Of the st.ients and the last echo
or drums and trumpet- sounding the retreat. Mar
garet rlshes TO tt- window and. overcome with
remorse and grio-. falls IN swoon
The last sc-ne. A rocky mountain gorge, rock
IN the foreground surmouuted by q cross, Faust's
soIiooey Nature immense. impanetrable ct here,'
v.a, inspired by Goethe's exalted invocation 10
..ature. Faust signs the compact Mephtstopheles
summons the Internal steeds Vortex and Giaour,
and the ride to hell begins Women and children
at the foCt OF the suppltcate the prayers OF
Mary Magdaleu and Margaret. The cross disappears
IN a fearful crash of orchestral sound, the suppl
cants flee and a moving panorama shows the visions
which the gaze OF the riders-oiTds OF night,
dangling skeletons, a hideOus and oestial phan-
tasmagora at the end OF which Faust is delivered
to the flames. The picture changes. and above the
roofs of the sleeping town appears vision OF
angels welcoming Margaret. This last scene, with
its music as II sung by Mr. Conried's people, is
OverlOng and tresome-
Not an opera, but a series Of detached scenes.
a beautiful spectacle welded to OF the best
music that came from the fantastic and glowing
Imagination of Berlioz Mr.. Conrieds production
is worthy Of the best traditions of the Metropolitan
Opera House. La Damnation de Faust employs
only four singers-Miss Farrar, NJ. Rousseltere,
NJ PIancOn and NJ. Chalmin Miss Farrar
has only the two songs and the love duet
TO sing NJ. Chalmin only the Song Of the Rat
in the cellar scene. The hOnOrs go easily to NJ.
PIancon who. though his voice is severely put to
II by tho high notes OF the Elbe scene IN Guns
borrs's Vale OF Roses'), nevertheless sings all
tbe music delightfully."-, and won q demand for a
repetition OF the serenade which he has sung many
times in concert NJ. Roussellere has made the music
OF BerIoz and the sentiments OF the text study.
and his bearing and utterances were appropriately
chivalresque IN all the scenes which follow his res
toratIon TO youth the vision OF Margaret Miss
Farrar sang and acted with understanding and.
save when her voice assembled into the regions IN
which II takes on a quality, it was vital and
vibrant as on her first appearance IN Gounods
.Rorneo ct JuIiette." Full justice done to his
song by NJ Chalmin. The piece has been provided
with gorgeous raiment and the dance Of the sylphs
Is performed by the Ballet Acknowledgement.