New-York tribune., 1911-04-04
MUSIC
A Repetition Of "Arlane ct
Barbe-Bleue."

There are times when every reviewer OF
oreratic occurrences must wish that the
,ttitud. of the New York public might be
at least a little bit like that OF the pro.
verbal Italian audience, which Is equally
ready thurdcrously to shout It's approval
OF m opera O. = singer, or 10 ftch forth
lis doorkevs and whistle work or performer
cd the stage and speed the parting guest
with the remnants of whatever they have
brought with them 30 regale themselves
with between acts 1t would he helpful in
II determination of what the patrons Of
orpra really think Of the offerings which
a generous management vouchsafes them
Under the existing dispensation applause
seldom means more than unreasoning devo-
ton 10 = popular favorite and the size or
an audience nothing at ALL since an opera.
&, cd bad or indifferent. is sure OF at least
four or five performances for the subscrib-
er> 10 ths. majority Of whom II offers the
only opportunity Of a hearing In the course
ct the season. To come to a case in point
l,ukas's Barrie -Bleue' had Its second per-
formance at the Metropolitan Opera House
IL night: IT will have several more repre-
senjatiuDs :Cr there is still a fortnight OF
oIera before us. At the first performance
not oven the keenest observer could tell
frou the conduct Of the audienc. whether
Gr not the new work had gwen pleasure.
Miss Farrar had the stage 70 herself all
evening She wore an assortment OF gowns
regardless Of dramatic requirements or eN-
ieencies; she looked beautiful: she made
AL that was possible out of woven PAGES TO
waving arms: she sang when the orchestra
permitted her TO sing. and shouted ana
shrieked when she felt that 1t was incum-
hent on her TO do so in order to be heard
above the instrumental food. which Is the
chief element in the opera. And houseful
o. good people listened patiently and APP
plauded dutifully. If not enthusiastically
after each fall Of the curtain. AS on the
first night. what else occurred was of little
consequence. Blue Beard was disappoint-
n,ent Of course. Nobody could recognize
r. the tall gentleman who appeared in me
blue spotlight and spoke a few words, and
then relapsed into silence and subjecton'
the picturesque monster whose turban and
srmtar used To give us such dehghtlu'
thrills and shivers And nobody cared for
his wives unless IL was to wish that he had
psod his scimitar in the old fashion rather
Than permit them to live and emulate the
.atorwauling valkyrior of Wagner drama
in the third act
or course those who had undergone the
preparatory training of a study of Maeter-
liucks Hbretto and the essays which il has
called forth may have been edited by the
symbolism" of the play. Symbolism is
fine thing TO occupy ones mind with when
ITO dialogue and incidents of drama are
no longer interesting in themselves. When
Golaud maunders about his broken head it
is profitable for instruction TO reflect on
the symbolism of the fact that he ran
into tree at Y o'clock. But. somehow.
the symbolism does not help on the dra-
matte action which is, or ought to be, ,''e
business Of 'Peleas et Melisande. NJ
Maeterlinck has told us that he did not at
Tempt To teach any deep lesson in "ArianA
81 Earhe- Bleue": but NJ. Dukas. who con-
posed hi words, knew better, and so does
Miss Farrar. Therefore. NJ. Dukas wrote
ii score which Is never-failing In its in
,orest FOR musicians, and has moments OF
great charm for everybody who listens TO
fho music. True. there are many tnns5 IN
~ which sesin futile What value has
,'oruS II eve-y word which II sings L. uh-
iutsIigihle- could not. indeed. be more un-
irfeOigiblc IL the text were English instead
off French. All the tale of Ariane's appre-
nended doom and the determination of the
peasants 10 save her is told IN detac 1.i
fragments of sound which can only be
called words i'm courtesy to the libretto.. The
bits Of strophic song by womens voices
which come up from the depths after the
fcrMddeu door has been opened help the
orchestra 10 disseminate a strangely fas-
cinating atmosphere over the scene; hut II
10 vas not designed that they should be
intellicihle why were they written?
w fear that NJ. Dukas has taken VI.
Mae'erlinck's book much TOO seriously Had
H. looked into the old opera bouffe Of Neil
hac. Halevy and Ofenbach. as the poet
OBVIOUSLY did. he would have realized that
're conclusion Of "Ariane et Barbe- Bleue"
), purely farcical In Offenbach the sixth
VIII. brings Blue Beard into an attitude of
~ubmission and keeps him for herself. In
Naeferluck the sixth wife brings back her
companions 10 slavery and leaves them
there. The tender attitudinizing Of Ariane
and Barhe- Bleue at the last are as little a
part 90 the poets purpose Miss Farrars
melodramatiC action when she cuts the
tvrani's bonds All the instruction which
she gives her liberated sisters tends only
70 III them more TO be the playthings of
man. which I'm the end they show deter
niuation 20 remain. Meiisande must dis
close the wonder Of her hair Ygraine the
lovely contour Of her arms Beanger of
her shoulders: Alladne - made 10 discard
her wells and wrappings. wherefore she
throws herself upon a couch and kicks up
her heels In sheer enjoyment Of her semi
nudity. Not a suggestion does Ariane make
~ the need II Intellectual or moral quail
ii"S Whence, then. comes this talk Of
"omans emancipation9 That consunma-
tion T. better set forth In Offenbach's farce.
v. Mseterinck wrote satire. not a plea
~. r. K