The evening world., 1911-03-25
Popular Prima D O n n a
Talks of the Ne,D-fo-
America Dukas = Maef.
eyHnck Opera to Be
Produced at the Metro
pohtan Next Wednes-
day Night.
the Most Difficult
Part She Ever Studied,
She Declares, as She
Pays Tribute to the
Genius of Toscanini,
Who Has Reheavsed
the Opera.
BY SYL vESTFR RA WILING.

Woman? Perhaps. But she
means so many things. Maet.
erlinck suggests to IN Imaginative
mind anything OF which the intellect
IL capable OF compTehendlng, DO
Won know him? Have you studied
lis works." said Geraldine Farrar 10
the writer at the Metropolitan Opera
House yesterday afternoon.
A rehearsal, o. "Ariane 81 Barbe-
Bicuc.' Maetcrlinck'S dream, set 10
must BY PAU Dukas. was lust over.
The opera is to have rs first produc-
ton in America AZ tho Metropolitan
next Wednesday n.grt. and upon the
American pr!ma donna the burden Of
sustaining 1t Will fall, for 1t is essen
not only tao p~rotagonist OF her sex
but. practically. the only distinctive
character in IL.
For Once a Positive. Woman.
'Mse;criinck, FOR once continued
Miss Tarrsr, "aas created "A positive
woman. one WHO know. no, only her
" mind. hut the great truths OF hu-
manlty. Her eyes are wide open when
she consents 10 be tnc sixth wife OF
Biuebeard. TIE disappearance OF his
previous i've wives has no te-rors .or
her. She has no Illusions. She IL not
IN love with him. II IL tho fate OF
woman to marry and she takes her
chance In the lottery. out she will he
no slave. and her husband. ogre II
no may he, cannot nurnch her splrit.
She heeds not the warnings and the
angry protests OF TIE people. Uer
serene spirit Is self.suGiclen;. She Will
follow her own fate and solve, II pos
sible. tho fate OF her predecessors.
when she II given by Bluebeard the
seven keys. six silver and ono gold. amt
nbIured 20 avoid the golden one. she IL
naturally inclined to try the prescribed
one. After her maid ms used all the
other keys n disclosed 10 her tho rich
treasures behind the locked doors she
stlll persists In turning the other key.
which leads her 20 tho dark dungeons
where the i've previous wives are com
hned. and when the door closes behind
her she Keeps up "a stout heart.
Leading the Five Into the Light.
stumbling across the cowed creatures
covering in the darkness. she comforts
them. conjures them to take courage,
finds n CLEAN OF sunshine, follows Il,
breaks down the barriers that hold them
I'm and leads them into the sunshine
and apparent happiness.
Later. when Blue5eard returns and
he and his r%etaineis are oveTthrown ~
the people, and B~luebeard. beaten and
bound. So brought in 20 them captive.
she uses her dagger not TO Kill him bu,
TO sever his thongs. Then. conquered
ana humilisted az no IS. with his eyes
lnploring her 10 stay, sine calmly walks
away alone into a new and unknown
Hfe. for her five follow-wives. whom
she has emancipated. bow their heads
In subsection to convention and meehl,
submit 20 stay with their lord and
master. tyrant though he may be.
A Counter Question.
IT'S an allegory. isn't Il? II & mean
10 you the effort OF the modern woman
OF intellect to emanc.Tate her sex from
tradition and an exposition of the hope
i~essness OF the task, It's a REASONABLE,
conclusion. Hut 81 means more thai
that. It's-hut Won awe just been lis
teniug TO Mr.. Dukgs's opera, and IL
appositcness n strength and beaut,
are What YOU should he asking m,
about. What 90 YOU think of It? ID
you Ike IT. How does Il compare will
Dcbusay's Peilcas ct MellSandc? But
OF course, YOU won't answer uutll afte
70 the performance,
Let me toll You one thing. Ariane /
> the most dinicult part | have eve
studied. / read music easily and readily
but this score almost stumped me
Have you looked at ~ Well, Just 90
a iaano score and see what it Is Ike
, The orchestra doesn I nelp YOU n b.
An the timo you nave to picture II
, mental photographs OF what Is IN
. tended that You shall sing and kee
: one eye ever on Toscandni, tho mo-
wonderful man who ever sat IN a cor
" ductor's chair. When We first bega
rehearsals Il seemed hopeless 10 a,
F" complish anything, or reach nnywher.
but he soon let IN the light by his II
i, splration and his A~elpsu!Hess, and nov
!, trying as Ia music is, we are on eds
for the first public performance. A
q, OF US are heart and soul engrossed
= Il. A great part for me. you 81,
= Wen, VIII the opera DO approved for {
= music, or WIN It be a popular success
., or BOTH"
y The answer cannot be siven AM
: after the fret performance next We
y nesday night, as Miss Farrsr W.
. knew, but the enthusiasm OF hers,
&. ana her fellow artists is unmlstakab.
They al believe that the opera "
score and become part OF the rrgu.
he rcpcrtory,