The sun., 1910-02-09
"L'AfFAQUE DU MOULIN
ZOLA-BRUNEAU OPERA SUNG
AT THE NEW THEATRE.


Handsome One-wOrk Of Three Men.
"L'Attaque du Moulin" book by Louis
Gallet after Emile ZOla's Franco-Prussian
War story OF the same name and music
by Alfred Bruneau. had it's firFt American
performance last night at the. New Thea
tire by members of the Metropolitan
Opera House company. There was a
large audience present and several epi-
sodes called forth applause. while the work
Of those chiefly concerned. among them
Mime. Delna, Mr.. Clement and Mr. Gilly,
won hearty oommendation. The piece
w6s well staged and in the second act
there was a tableau reproducing Alphonse
de Neuville's familiar picture. ia Der
Mere Cartouche."
Only one OF the three collaborators in
"L'Attaque du Moulin" has figured in
New York's operatio annals. and as
bretists' names are not always printed
in American opera programmes or word
books Ia barbarous omission), Louis
Gallet's is not too familiar here. This
versatile man wrote the books OF Mas
senet's -Le Cid.' -I,e Roi de Lahore" and
-ThaIs," Saint-Saens's ~Asoanio," and a
host Of others. He also placed to his
credit dramas, romances, notes OF travel
and brochures ON hospital administra-
tion. in which branch OF medical work he
gained the proverbial Government posi-
tion that is the goal OF most Frenchmen's q
ambition. Gallet's function as adapter
Of Zola's story for musical setting was
Of some importance. Notwithstanding the
close artistic partnership that had al
ready begun between Zola himself and his
younger colleag que, Bruneau., 1t is safe
to attribute the experienced designer of
hbrettos the addition Of a character.
Mdrceiltne, picturesque. yet not essential
to the dramatic development. who should
share with the youthful heroine the task
OF keeping womankind pretty constantly
in evidence in the opera.
The Attack on the MIL as originally
written in short story form, for volume
entitled LES Soirees de Medan.- to
which De Maupassant. Huysmans and
others contributed, had only three sig
nificant characters. Old Merlier. the
miller. for twenty years Mayor of the
tiny village of Rocreuse. in Lorraine. was
a thrifty widower who idolized his daugh-
ter. FT0Rcoise. a dutiful girl of lS, not
too comely. and perhaps because OF this
fact liked by the whole countryside.
Into this peaceful situation entered
Dominique PcnqueT. handsome young
Belgian who had come. some years before
the story opens, to settle upon a little
piece OF inherited land by the deep
forest of Gagny. near the mill. He was
reckoned an idler. but upon his suit being
favored by Frdncoise. Dominique set to
work at the mill and astouished every
body by his diligence. The Mayor kept
the young people waiting long for his
consent, but at last announced their
betrothsi and set the wedding 10. month
later
Meanwhile the war with Prussia had
begun. and on the day before that fixed
for the marriage a detachment Of French
troops hurried TO Rocrense to meet the
advancing enemy. Zoia's picture OF the
ripe valley under the hot August sun.
waiting for the approaching struggle. is
a vivid one. Old HeTtter walks soberly
about his beloved mill which the French
soldiers have hastily prepared for the
courtyard watch the barricading of
doorways and windows and the French
soldiers are eating their midday soup when
a shot, followed by a puff Of smoke from
the Gagny Forest, sets everybody at taut
attention. Gradually the firing increases.
until Dominique and Frdneoise. on tiptoe
in the COURTYARD Of the mill. see the funny
little French soldier by the river hank, who
mas been shooting from the shelter OF an
old boat. suddenly turn over upon himself
and roll into the ditch. Frdncoise grips
DoriiniqUe's hand nervously and the
French captain courteously warns them
to go into the mill.
There the horror OF flying bullets and
the grim intrusion OF death itself, deci =
mating the little garrison, grows ever
more unbe1rable through the slow hours
ot the summer afternoon. -Four O'Clock, "
says the captain, looking at his watch
while a shower OF leaves falls from the
great elm tree in the courtyard. we shall
never hold out"
Nevertheless it IL striking six before
he orders a retreat, and when Prussian
soldiers rush in from the rear they find
Dominique. frantic at a slig ght bullet wound
on Franc forehead. firing away all
alone with deadly accuracy at the enemy
Fastening up from the river. Dominique,
being civilian caught bearing arms,
will be shot in two hours.
Seeing FTaRcoise the Prllssian captain
offers Dominique his life II he will lead them
through the Gagny forest. but he refuses
TIL tomorrow morning think u over
saws the Prussian commander. Frdncofse.
locked by her father in her room in the
tower for safety. waits until midnight has
sent the soldiers to rest. Then she climbs
down an ancient ladder concealed by ivy,
past the window OF D0minioue's prison.
BY desperate efforts she enters the room.
with her lovers help. and begs DSmtRi0ue
to fee by the window and by boat from
the mill pool. giving him a knife to kill
the Prussian sentry across the river
should need arise.
Dominique rebels at running away. but
the girl falsely tells him her father urged
y. and so he escapes. In the morning
the dead sentry is found and old Merttsr
Is required TO produce the prisoner or
forfeit his own life. In mad indecision
Frdncoise finds Dominique in the forest,
but tells him nothing. Soon, however.
he hears from a peasant that the miller
Is 70 pay his penalty. 50 he quickly returns
10 the mill and surTenders Just as Merlisr.
dign1ed and resigned. is TO. be shot.
The Prussians again Offer freedom to the
Young Belgian Il he will conduct them
70 Nontredon. Francotsc raises beseech-
ing hands to him, but Dominique 10 reso-
lutte And at that instant the augmented
French, troops are seen running toward
the mill
The Prllssian commander does one
thing at a time. Pushing Dominique
against the wall he orders the firing
squad to shoot. and Franeotse betrothed
falls pierced by twelve bullets. Old
Merher himself is killed by a spent bullet.
aY,I a.. II l.