The evening world., 1908-02-20
Singers Practically Chant.

conversion.
Singers Practically Chant.
Dehussys characters practically chant
their lines. There Is not a single tune
In the whole opera-scarcely even a
melody. Would II not be better that
the words should be spoken naturally
with the orchestral accompaniment.
merely a suggestive influence and a sus-
Ia, ming power?
Question as one will. doubt as one
may. the fact remains that Debussy' s
music grips and stirs one strangely. 1t
may be decadent. 1t surely Is MAS
matte. 1t breathes the spirit OF the
swamps, OF the dark forests. of the
subterranean. death-deal!ng wells and
cavcrns. OF the decayinG houses. of the
III and old people of the story. Maeter-
rnck himself II he were a musician
might have composed II. Amos, ore
might say 1t IL Maeterlinck. not Dc
busy. that speaks through the mysu-
cal. haunting. tantal!Zing orchestraton
that seems to brood and brew and never
reach n climax.
MeIisande Brutally Shaken.
The story. which is identical in origin
with that OF "Francesca di Rimini. only
that It is transferred to an carrier
period placed in Northern w'Ids ana
,mbued with the weird fancifuiness OF
Maeterllnck. was told briefly by 1he
writer last Saturday and in fun by MI
Terhune IN The Evening Worlds series
of "stories Of the Operas" on TUESDAY
I, is divided into five acts and dozen
NO
that in which Golaud. gnawed with
a jealousy OF which he is hall asha'''eu.
EXERCISES the rights OF primeval man and
mauls his wife. MehSande' line
drunken longshoreman. He did not last
night drag her about the MOOR py heF
hair. Tor which the text calls. lie con-
tented himself with Selling her oy 'he
shoulders. throwing her TO the erouho
and shaking her as terrier "ouAu
"a, The odd thing IL that King Arkel,
vh., was present never stirred a nnser
- holm Melisande, although he Is
,,,,,leman as we'll as q King and Is
fond OF her.
Not Covered by Her Hair.
That hair, five feet four inches long,
taken from the head of a peasant oi
Rrittany for the use OF Melisande In
This opera, was in braids at the time.
7, an earlier scene. when Pelleas sur
prises her a: her window letting her
hair down for the night. 1t Is supposeu
to fall down all over him. But IL
doesn't; for, II It did. how could ne
sing? Pelleas contents himself with
fondling strands of 1t while he tells her
how she has enmeshed him.
All the scenes are we'll set. The
first. where Golaud surprises Nell
sande at the spring in the forest. both
being lost, looks very natural. She
makes a beautiful picture and the timid
and frightened way in which she fol-
lows him. fitting from tree to tree, Is
far more attractive than one would
expect from the text.
The Fatal Fountain.
Melisandes first filtration with Pei
leas, at the fountain, when she loses
the ring Golaud gave her, is very pic
turesque. 1t is at this moment that the
horse of Golaud. who is far away,
suddenly bolts and throws him, one of
the many strange things that happen
in this story. 1t is at this same foun-
| tain later on that, MellSande ana EEL
leas having mutually declared their
love within his hearing, Golaud kills
Pelleas. The grotto. where Golaud
| has sent Melisande to find the ring she
falsely said she. had lost there. with
the three blind men sleeping inside.
| typhfying something (who knows
whatH. and the bottomless. foul-smell-
ing deathdeaiing we'll In the vault Of
the castle to which Golaud leads Pei
leas. apparently to terrorize him. are
also picturesquely effective; but they
might be omitted without loss.
Mellsande Dies Alone.
The last scene, with Golaud's fran
tic and brutal insistence that Nell
sande, dying. shall tell him the truth
as to her relations with the dead Pei
leas, Is most effective. 1t II marred by
one jarring note. Everybody. including
the Doctor. for some minutes before
the end. keeps away from the bedside.
Melisande dies absolutely alone. And
what has become Of 0ensvisvs. mother
j NJ CyNlafd And TA1i~aA -ho uaf,.rallS,