Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-03-19

of the Blackfeet Indians. here be enc
dtured himself So strongly tD the
hearts Of his unprecedented hosts that
he became the adopted son oI the
chief Mad WOLF. with the Indian
Maine OF white Weasel Tie IL was
who saw the possibilities of "a great
art work based on Indian legends and
lore. ana he acted as ciceroue when
MI Nevin. &C his suggestion. went on
"a voyage of musical exploration.
When the days work of hording was
over the Indians would gather about
their camp fires and sing their
characteristic melodies. while the
American composer sat alert with note
book in hand iottiug down the weird
strains. His hosts were most ublig-
ing and would repeat "a song until hc
had il letter perfect" ono evening
after notaung particularly difficult
melody Mr. Ncviu sang it 90 them
90 see if ne had caught IL correctly
His effort seemed tu meet with little
approval and IL suddenly occurred Co
him that he had uuconsclouslv used
the o., la Of our syllable mcthous. He
then tried to initiate the peculiar gut
toral sounds made hy the Indians en-
intOuiug their songs without words
and his efforts met with hearty re-
sponsc. one old chief rcmarkinc that
"tho white man has magic. but ne
h'NrlN z INV Nhn hINNIN now To use 7.
LEGEND Of SUN GOD.
The legend of the Suu-God. as told
him by AIR. MuChntock. had taken
great hold upon the Imagination of
AIR. Neyin. and when me heard it
again from the chief Bun Plume. as
they SAT around the camp fire rest
ing after the arduuus ceremonies COM
ncctcd with the festival of tine sun.
he determined tD use IL as the material
for music drama. He chose as his
librcttist Randolph Hartley who out
of the crude material OF the legend.
has developed "a consistent and roc
mantle drama. Too much praise cam
not he given Mr.. Hartley for his direct
and effective yersincatlon of the pic
turesque outlines OF the old legend
And yct IL entirely meets an the
modern standards which require that
libretto shall not be merely "a suc-
cession of rhymes, but "a Wcll-c0u-
structed dramatic work of sufficient
strength and beauty 90 hold It's own.
irrespective Of the music such "a
book was p'Alhcrt's 'Tlpnaud. and
such book has Strauss chosen for
his "Salome' and "Elcktra." ono
critic, in writing of the work. says
that while the story is Indian. the
soul OF the story is universal" and %
is this universally which makes Tor
the essential greatness of am ara work
III would bee matter for surprise
did "Poia' not make "a strong auuo1I
TO German public. for since Wag-
ner introduced them To their own
great epic of the Nihplungen Ring
and eoniured ny from vague legends
~ the middle ages the striking figures
Of Lob angrin TannhuusCr and the
Flying Dutchman. the Tcutonic mind
Is keenly responsive to any material
which bears the stamp of the fanci-
ful. the romantic. the fabulous and the
legendary Moreover. tho picturesque
Leather Stocking Tales OF Fcunirore
Cooper have ever found an appreci1-
tive reading public In Germany.
Poia stands as the Christ figure IN
the legends of the northwestern
Indians but differs from similar Ir-
gends possessed hv all races by the
fact that his way 90 spiritual ppr-
fection leads through human love
Poia Is scorncd Dow his tribal brothers
on account Of tho mystery surround
ing his birth and rldlculcd by them
because Of "a strange scar which disc
figures his face lie loves Natova. the
most boautiful woman ~ the tribe ana
the daughter u great chief. hut her
affections are conferred En- Sumatei
noted warrior Of moro ynlOr than viz
tue. and she dismissos PoIa. tho hu-
bic dreamer, with the hooking
promise that she viii marry him
when his scar disappears.
VIVID TONE PAINTING.
DespairIngly hc oonhdes his woe to
old Ncuash the medicine woman. who
tells him that he has been branded as
a scapegoat for the sins OF his ycople
by no other than Natosi the Sun-Gol
and that IL is o. him that he must 20
and plead for the removal of the scar
when the tribe returns Poia announces
his intention Of jourueying 90 the
realms OF the Suu-God in war sons
which has been copied with great hdel-
ity from the Indian music Here as
elsewhere In the score the orchestra
does some very vivid tone painting, re-