New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-18
MaeterIinCk's "MOnna Van
ma" Set to Music
by Ferrier.
ANOTHER HELP AT
MORAL UPLIFT
First Performance Of an Unin-
tercsting Opera at the
Metropolitan.


cliued 10 dcccncy TO think that the az
iom was the motive which prompts
managers to produce pictures publicity
aud lcvdncss on the stage. Sometimes
there is a confession much more convinc-
Ing than all protcstation Of moral pur-
pose i'm tho simple sequence Of theatrical
events After Mary Garden, under the
morally uplifting operate management OF
Mr.. Hammcrstein. had demonstrated the
commercial effectiveness Of the kind Of
argument which Phryne's counsel cm-
poycd I'm famous case of antiquity IN
Massenct's "Thais' -. Richard Strauss )
Salome' il caused no wondormcnt when
the announcement went forth that the
next novelty with which Miss Garden
would help the moral uplift would be the
operate version Of Maeterlincks Mon
ma Wanna" I'm That's" she had disclosed
herself with as little raiment as a gener
Gus law allowed but only for a moment.
In Richard Strauss's "Salome" she was
permitted 10 divest herself gradually OF
most of her bodily coverings. She did not
go quite 10 the extreme OF Istar in her
famous descent TO the underworld. but 1t
was at least limited that she might when
IL was announced that her next opera
would be Norma Wanna" IN which, were
she TO carry realism TO it's limit, she
would be able TO appear before tho New
York public clad IN loose cloak and her
cuticle and nothing else.
Circumstances interfered with that de-
lectable purpose, which, il is needless TO
say, would never have been carried out
literally. until the Chicago company gave
Terriers opera last night. BY this time
the vsrnish of sensationalsm had been
worn off by performances in Boston.
Philadelphia and Chicago. Perhaps else
where also. At any rate, New York came
In a bad third. and could not be properly
and pro6tably shocked. Meanwhile, only
Vincent d'Indy. so far "a we know, has
conceived the idea of showing a charac-
ter in his progressive stages OF divest-
ment from gorgeous attire TO the oppo-
site extreme. and he did 1t instrumentally
by the ingenious device of downward
development from elaborate variations TO
a simple theme lacking even the covering
of harmony; but that device was so
artistically sophisticated that IT could
harm nobody's sensibiities. We are no
more shocked by a naked tune than we
are by a naked tree. Neither was there
anything shocking, except, perhaps, 10
those keenly susceptible to suggestion, in
last nights performance.
In its primitive estate the theme OF
Maeterlincks Norma Wanna is that OF
the old legend Of the Lady Godiya; but
II has been tricked out with certain eIe-
ments which make it pquant TO the nou-
ern taste The lady, 10 save her CITY
goes to the beleaguering enemys general
clad in her virtue and her cloak-no more.
She IS willing TO sacrifice both for her
people: out the apparently victorious ~
rant il conquered by her innocehcy ana
q love dating back TO her Childhood Wn'c"
makes her person sacred 10 nm when
she returns to the city her husoand re-
fuses 10 believe the story OF her chas'ily
and his enemy's magnanimit!' So S''
ia forced TO practice deception and save
the magnanmous man who mas again oe
Gonna her lover as he had been "heh
,bov we're YOUNG together. \ Shakespeare
,,;gbt have whitened the innocency OF
,ha heroine. as he did in the case OF
roogen. despite the disclosure or the
mole. cinque-spotted, or IehhS 80"
nave left her purity unquestioned' as ne
did Lady Godiva's. But such device
could not serve the purposes or moder"
playwright Norma Wanna must at the
end deceive her husband and run away
with the man who had demanded ING
sacrifice which she was Wiling 10 pay
but he unwilling to accept.
y, ,s an old story that a good play. es-
necially a good literary play. does not
necessarily make good opera IN lact'
il might be stated as a rule that the
better the play the poorer the RESULTANT
opera. unless IL contain moments OF sus-
tanned lyrical exaltation which invite song
,eai Gong not mere musical defamation
Maeterlinck's "Monna Wanna is the hliiu
of play which can only be hampered py
music so long As IL Is lett IN ts OTIS
iual state. It's dramatic and literary Nalue
would evaporate If it were paraphrased
en- that tunes might be adjusted 10 II; Dut
this not having been done, II would nave
heen better TO have let It alone than TO
burden its speeches with music which does
not intensity Out Oily NiOo~ sH~'''' $3.50
il is a play OF speeches only
The music which Terrier has hitched
IN il is dul-a hindrance, not help
even when given out with such impds-
stoned fervor as was thrown into ITS
defamation by Messrs. Nanni Marcoux
and I,ucien Muratore who did all that
was noteworthy in last nights perform
ance. Something must be said OF Miss
Garden, OF course, under the circum-
stances, but there is no satisfaction In
discussing what she was not when that
phrase sums up in every respect what the
character of Norma Wanna was conceived
70 be by the author OF the play. a frgid
marionette, though she display a well
moulded shoulder. is not Maeterlincks
Norma Wanna Mr.. Muratore shared the
honors OF the evening Ohey were not
many with Mr.. Msrcoux, and the pair
did all that men with splendid hstrionic
gifts could do 10 win favor for the opera
which they were instrumental in launch
Ing originally. With Mr.. Msrcoux New
Workers became acquainted last week.
and there was nothing surprising In his
admirable acting and diction but Mr..
Muratore Was a newcomer. who gave an
equal amount OF pleasure, and also
pleasure OF the same kind--not that ex-
cited by beauty Of tone, but by an ex-
hibition OF the oest traits OF the operate
artists OF the French stage, admirably
truthful and convincing defamation and
s,irrtfi acting