The evening world., 1911-03-30
By SYLVESTER RAWLING.

IA Paul Dukas's opera. In
three acts. composed TO
an up-to-date story with a moral by
Maurice Maeterlinck OF our old
friend Bluebeard's treatment OF his
t0ves, got its first presentation IN
America at the Metropolitan Opera
House last night before q crowded
house that seemed TO have lost moth
ing in brilliance because OF the deluge
out Of doors.
Although the opera was listened TO
~Sth attention Il Is not likely to
o1oss the widespread discussion that
followed tho nrst production by Mr..
9iammerstetn Of the Debussy-Maeter-
HACK 'Pelleas ct Melisande;'' for one
tatD0. because whole tone progressions
and tho various vagar!es OF modern
oomposers. not necessarily French. have
become familiar 60 US. and for another.
because the Debussy work conveyed a
strangely mystic message 10 the up-
learned as well as to the learned in
musical expression n understanding.
Tho Story That 10 Told.
% . lat with tho writer. published
In The Evening World of last saturday.
Geraldine Farrar, the impersonator OF
Ar1ane, while giving a keenly critical
analysis of the character. incidentally
tdid the story OF the play most Graphi-
caily. Inc brief. 1t IS hat Bluebeard.
having disposed OF five wives in some
manner unknown. brings home a sixth.
Ariane, who viii heed no warnings or
hkr impending fate. but Is determined
70 solve the mystery of her predeces-
sors. B%luebeard gives her six silver
keys and one golden key, warning her
never to use the latter. Being a type
Of the new woman II is the golden key
only that interests her. BY means of II
she discovers the five wives immured
III a dungeon, but In consequence her
sell and her nurse are held captive
With them.
by her own unaided efforts she effects
the liberation of them all ami brings
them into the light of noon. When
Huebeard. wounded and captured by
tie peasants, is Surrendered to her she
sewers the thongs that bind him and
walks out from him into the world,
while tho other five wives refuse to
follow her. preferring to remain slaves
10 the tyrant who mas tortured them
than TO brave the unknown.
Essentially a Woman's Opera.
"Ariane and Bluebeard" Is essentially
a woman's opera; in fact, it is n one
woman's opera. for the burden OF II -
carried. both in the story and In the
music outside of the orchestra. by
Ariane. Bluebeard himself is only an
incident and the five former wives whom
Ariane rescues are utterly subordinate
70 her. The nurse. for most OF the
time. is a lay figure. Three peasants
sing a few words and the chorous, OF
which there is little. is heard only off
tie stage. Always, Ariane is the pro-
!. tAgonist without Il rival.
Readers OF this column know the
WRITER'S admiration FOR the genius Of
Miss Farrar-her voice, her art, her
heAuty; hut Ariane is not ono Of her
hAppiest efforts OF characterization, IL
she has grasped the significance Of
Ma eterlinck's new woman, which. in
conversation, she seems to have done
absolutely, she fails to propel it across
the footlights, She makes picture after
picture that is effective, but IL not al
ways appropriate. Some of her poses
certainly do not belong to Ar.ane, She
uses her arms so constantly as to be-
come irritating, At times she sings
with Just the ri5ht feeling, lat oftea
she seems 10 miss the spirit of the mu-
go. This Ariane. probably. is the big
gest character Miss Farrar has adopted.
. The music is cruelty hard to sing, be-