New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-03-30
MUSIC,
NEW OPERA AT METROPOLITAN
Dukas's "Ariane ct Barbe -Bleue.

D the management for TINS season NdS PRIV
J duced II was the opera 'Ariane 90 barbe-
Plcue." for which Maurice Mae'"rlincK
wrote the text and Paul Dukas the fnusiV'
4 The names q the authors compel respect
and Therefore the work invites interest
hut II one were To become serious In All
D analysis OF II the result. W. fear. Woui"
/ not bring honor either 70 the original au-
+ thors or those concerned in its representa-
ton The title Of the opera provokes GU
riosity. because of its singular juNtap"Si-
/ ton Of names. We have a school of Mac
/ terlinckian expositors. VINO seem 10 ~ as
serious AZ the members Of the Browning
! clubs in their Interpretation of all that
he has written. so. too. We have a scho3i
OF musical critics who hail with gladness
everything that differs so much from the
old ideals and canonS Of beauty that they
are able 70 show their peculiar presciehce
and their extraordinarily exquisite sensi-
bities only bv induIging In long comnageS
Of words equally vague and grandiloluent
which the normal mind. though over 80
willing. cannot assimilate OF course as
sirniation. which implies sort at leaat.
Of understanding. Is not necessary
/ enlightened days. II YOU want TO be reck-
oned among tho inner brotherhood IL IS
only necessary 10 affect 70 admire what
Is new and what YOU do not understand.
/ To make a case out OF the new opera
The French Ariane IL the old Arl5dne.
She was an operate heroine when opera
began 4 famous poet made a dramatic
creation OF her. and more famous mu-
stefan set her 10 music early in the seven
teenth century. She was the daughter %
t1rr
enamoured OF Theseus gave him the clew
which helped him out of the famous maze
and enabled him 10 kill the monster who
had exacied A sacrifice Of Athenian maid
ems for years. Theseus did not treat her
we'll according 70 tradition. and FOR that
I reason We have one ariOso which has been
sung in the music -et boy MOnteverde from
the early part II the seventeenth century
+ tiil now and--,et IL be said I'm pdssinG-is
finer piece than anything Of like charac
ter that has been written since certanif
much more moving and convincing than
. ANYTHING in The opera which vas heard
for the first time ID America last night rs
strange coincidence NJ Maeterlinck opera
followed by about year in Paris VI. Mas
Sanets setting OF the old story as put into
! dramatic form by Catull Mendfs. but VI.
MasseEet II seems. does no. appear o. have
! lcen as appealing o. us a. VI. Dukas does.
! who is . representative OF the new French
/ school which has no utilization with the
men who have maintained the principles
and the glory of tic French school VI
/ Maeterlinck's rSroine is called Ariane. Ne
/ imagine. because i'm lis opera book she at
I tempts 20 show how me may escape from
"a labyrinth S.e ~aes tie light or knows
/ the thread. and points II out 10 the slaves
/ cf her sex But she does not follow the
I light herself and the moral 81 the drama,
/ n there is any. is los, az the end Of the
/ play. when shelf Miss Farrar is a right
/ interpretor-so rroNfuIsy and hesitatingiy
+ takes herself ont Of tho embra ces OF the
monster man.
/ II is assumed that the readers Of The
Tribune know the story Of the opera. II
was not only set forth ar great length m
/ this journal last sunday. but Miss Farrar,
I'm an interview. threw upon r. me inter
pretatlve light OF her intellect. In tho pres
cnco of Miss Farrar. of course. NJ. Maeter-
lincks statement that he had no phNosoph-
lea teaching in mind and the evidence
OF the play itself fall 70 the ground We
are living under a happy dispensation when
a prina donna condescends 70 tell us what
4 poet means even II she disagrees With
him For our poor critical selves. We think
that Naeterlinck knew what he VAS
talking about when he made Iislt Of his
Ariane 81 Barbo-Bleue and said 10
Vas Intended only for AZ opera CO.
miGue and had no moral lesson attached
20 H. We even 90 step further
and say that while ndulginS hts love FOR
evmbolism 20 tho extent u giving the name
OF Ariane 20 his heroine he did not hesl-
tat, 10 take MS dramatic motive from OF
f.nbach- BARRIE Rleue for which NeilhaC
and Halavv wrote the words In this de-
/ liChtful old opera bouffe as IN Maeterlincks
supposedly serious drama. Blue Beard
wives are not killed. but Two I'm a subtor-
ranean chamber 81 his palace until m"
chemist wro ir supposed ~ have poisoned
+ them ON who has not. becomes troubled
with qualnl- Of his conscience and brings
,rom forth 90 confront tho monster. who is
le-e disturbed 10y tho thought If murder
+ than the conviction that no is a polygam.St.
That ir more than no can bear. and No con
seuts 20 q pairing NJ II ~ his supposedly
dead wives with an equal number Of gen
tlemcn whom tho King had ordered killed.
but who had been kept like Naeterlincks
wiyesl in q sIbterranean room Of the pal
ace and promises fidelity and obedience COB
tie sixth woman he had married. Literary
critics who are fond 81 diving SO deep in
their studies that they frequently bring up
only mud on their hedGs Ought 10 compare
Alaeterlircks "Arlane q; Barbe- Bleue" with
ONcnhach'r opera bouife II would teach
thew hing or Two that the ought 10
. know
Perhaps Naeterl'nck is wa. although
Dukas did not know the fact The story
goes that he gave the opera book 10 De-
busy 20 compose and he returned il To tho
author a. impracticable To Judge by
comparison Of the music of "Arianc and
"PeIeas et Melisande We think that
Maeterlnck was lucky iu his judgment. but
Debussy was also lucky I'm rejecting Art
ane." from dramatic point OF view. 10
IS an opera for one singer. ard that IS a.
fatal defect. More than that 10 is ~ opera
i'm which the one singer who IS expected Co.
carry the burden Of the work is compelled
during two-thirds OF IFS continuance 10
sing and act in semi-darkness
Five times ~ the first act the doors of
mysterious rooms 81 Blue Boards Castle
are opened. and five times the same gilt
terng cascade IS presented 90 view. save
that in each case 4 different light is thrown
uponsit. The pictures are supposed 20 rep
resent the marvellous treasure chambers
OF Blue Beard. but out-0f-doors. in pro-
sale Broadway. there are dozen electric
signs more beautiful by far and all the
time Ariane is mere silhouette against
the bright background. So she remains
throughout tie second act though Miss