New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-03
.,dien." Sequel to Louise"
Considered the Best French
Work Of Its Generation.
,,pING LYRIC SYMBOLISM
,.;r. saens and Massenet Out
:. Iistanced by Almost Shake
.uerian Humanity Voiced
in Great Conception.
rRy cable 20 The Tribune. J

paris. June Julien" the new
tract opera and long expected Sc
., 70 Louise" composed 10y Gus
-. Cbarpcnter, was given to-day in
IS, rehearsal at the opera Comique
..,,e an unusually brilliant audience,
hiding Contesse de Grcffulhe. Nine.
psszke. Claude Debussy, Gabriel
r.ors Puccini. Leoncayallo, Rinaldo
a,bn and Gabrielle d'Annunzio. 1t
%, received With tremendous enthusi-
~ and is considered the most power-
- opers produced by any French com
,,.s- since Berlioz.
ys,ther the classic distinction of
s.;nt.saens nor the airy grace Of Mas
,.,st Weld anything approaching 10
=. almost Shakespearian humanity
..,,sd in Julien" \ profound i'm
...ss;on was created. notably in "A
.,.,s in the second act. showing the
,.ins Of Hungary. when Lucien, IN
anguish. doubling his ideal, interro-
,,,sd the night with the phrase,
sUbat is nv future? Whittier does
-, frail star flee" But the sphinx
ska night refuses TO reply. the sole re-
,,onses being a plaintive, slowly van
.s,nr echo warbled 10y nightingale
,,s the hooking canticle Of a cuckoo.
Life Of a Poet Portrayed.
erlien" is a lyric-dramatic version
..tbe life OF a poet. The action is im-
sgsd with practical everyday realism.
and also with fairylike idealism. At
,,s moment enthusiastic dreams bear
,,s noet aloft to enchanted lands, poo-
,s5 with visions of beauty; then, re-
tuned 10 earth, he becomes the apos-
1s Of universal love" and breaches his
srsan 10 Partisan men and women.
hen wearied by his task and VIC
i'm OF doubt and disbursement. he
yess for peace and forgetfulness in
rs,ure and among working folk, who
60 not understand him. becoming
more and more disheartened-a sort Of
.spsetre searching for his own soul of
5ygone days" He obtains oblivion ny
means Of intoXicatOn, and plunSes
With the frenzy Of renewed youth in
he Wild bacchanalian orgies Of Mont
martre. In his double life, that of
realism and Of idealism. he meets his
bssi friends as well as his most bitter
enemies.
Julien is the sole hero Of the work.
The other characters are merely allie
gorical figures or inCarnations Of the
excessive states Of his soul. The rea-
En!ng faculties Of Julien are repre-
snisd by the high priest, or hero
,aanie," who, in accordance with the
urous incarnations Of Julien, assumes
the forms Of an old peasant, priest
and philosopher. The imagination or
1salism Of Julien is represented by
louise. the Phantom Of Love. Louise
also becomes the personification Of
Beauty Cthe illusion Of Labor, Of
isssant girl tthe illusion Of the Bene-
.csnt Serenity Of nature, Of a vener-
ate grandmother Ghe illusion Of Re-
gous Consolation, and Of Louisette
he Illusion Of Bacchanalian orgies.
Louise, Too, Suffers.
Louise the poets companion. suffers
ns same successive changes Of Julien's
rind. participating in turn in his en-
tslsasm, his doubt. his lack Of power
nd his intoxication. A number Of
rlnor characters circle about these two
hing personalities, and take part In
he struggle, sometimes in behalf OF
Ne hard common sense or Of the skep-
tism Of practical life. and sometimes
behalf OF the ideals or illusions OF
aiyand.
It's understood that this psychology
a. theory did not precede the compost
i0n Of the opera. but came suddenly
o Carpenters mind when he began
arrange the stage setting and pre-
snoe for the singers the motives ana
'1ons Of their parts.
The prologue takes place in Julien's
NaGio at Villa Medicls, at Rome.
'-lsn is az work while Louise sleeps
NLse swakes, admires the mystic en-
A3sasm that beams from her lover
Nn,enance. and strives to comprehend
rs nnermost thoughts.
In the Temple Of Beauty.
ne first act passes in the Temple OF
"s1'y in Dreamland. Julien and
0-ise are in ecstasy before a process
'@ Of dream daughters and spec
- Of chosen poets" Then comes the
..''lhe Of Fallen Poets (Poetes
'faus-a sort Of Hell. where Julien
= Louise appear like Dante end
Ndiee. The succeeding tableau SHOWS
Altar Of the Temple Of Beauty.
ne second act is that Of Doubt
lssses In beautiful Slavonian land,