The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-25
4 NEW OPERETTA
AT METROPOLITAN
GNodclcinc" With Victor Her
bcrt's Music Heard by Mat
incc Audience.
WORK KINDLY RECEIVED
4 Pretty and Sentimental story
Told in a Simple
style.
WORK KINDLY RECEIVED
"Madclcine"-N the Metropolitan Opera
HOuse

fh''''' ''hppi' q
Madeleine" described rs n lyric opera
IN one act. was performed Mt the Metro
rolitar opera House yesterday afternoon
for the first time on any stage. The
hook. which is in English. was made by
Gran, stewart. already known a. a play
wright and the music was composed by
Victor Herbert. The llbretto is based
upon a charming little French come delta
bv pecourcellcs and Thibaut. a work for
rerly known to amateur actors in this
town through a translation made by Mrs.
Burton Harrison. The opera was
heard by large audience and was most
cordially received. There were fourteen
curtain calls for the principal singers and
the composer. and Mr. Herbert, with char
acteristic modesty. declined to make a
speech.
The story OF Madeleine" has been told
In this paper. To summarize II once
again for the benefit OF those who may
not have read 1t, Madeleine. prma
donna. with plenty of the tempestuous
artistic temperament but a good heart.
has no one to dine with her on New
Years bay. She invites an admirer, but
he must dine with his mother. She
invites her lover. a duke. but he also must
u,nr with his mother and quarrels with
her rather than break this engagement.
She invites her maid. but she has al
ready promised the girl day OFF that
she may dine with her mother. Her old
est friend. the painter Didicr. ar
riv.s with a portrait of her mother which
he has touched up. She asks him, but
he too is dining with his parents. lie
invites her to disguise herself as a work
ing girl and go to his humble
home and dine with him and his parents.
She IS moved by this and refuses TO de-
ceve the simple old people. He goes
alone. Madeleine remains to dine with
the portrait of her mother before her
1Sc table.
- j1,.;t.a opere..a- is ia-louAXe danger
az being judged too seriously, the play
has innate charm and there can be no
question that the sentiment OF II Will go
far toward gaining IL a place in the affec-
,.on of audiences which hear II. NJ. Stew
at has obscured none of the feeling OF the
story. Indeed. he has sacr!ficed himself IN
some places in order TO make clear thS
thought of the original.
Here arises the first temptation 20
launch into too portcntous review OF
tho t.xtual portion OF the work. Let this
termination be avoided and let II suffice TO
cav that Mr.. Stewart chose To put ms
speech in the form of conversational Eng
lish rather than in poetic sarD. by uo!hs
this he has gained much in clarity ana
unauestionably lost something In beauty
of expression. But his sense OF stage val
ues has enabled him to bring well before
the audience the essential points IN the
story and for this and for preserving the
delicate atmosphere OF the work ne COM
mands praise.
Victor Herbert is a musician of fine ac-
Quirements and "A composer OF long prac
tee He has devoted much OF his orllllan,
talent to the production of ephemeral OPP
,rettas Of the Broadway type and in some
Of them he has made music far better than
i,s surroundings. He has also composed
come serious works for orchestra and mas
given us one opera in English. "Natoma,
which contained some admirable episodes
and promised even more than II achieved
His Madeleine" as already said. may
b. in danger OF too much seriousness oil
critical view on the part OF the pupilc'
Probably Mr.. Herbert would De thc iast
person to wish his score TO be regarded
a. that of genuine grand opera. IL oe-
longs specifically to the held OF opera
comique and that too OF a light ORDER
The composer has endeavored to pro-
vide a musical medium which would per-
nit the dialogue TO reach the audience
He has striven earnestly to follow the con-
ycisatlonal style of his librettist, and Tor
the most part he has succeeded excelientI!'
Ills bursts OF purely lyric song are there
to,o NOT numerous or long sustained, but
those which are introduced are fluent, me-
lndlous and simple. The monoloSue Oh
UGdclctnc beginning when ] am HAPPY
AL must be so too" Is we'll planned and
expresses the better state.of the pampered
y,ua donna's mind gracefully.
Tho brief scene with the Duo dEsterre
IL swift in movement and has some spir-
tied defamation. But the best part OF
the ouerctta Is the scene Of Madeleine
with Didier. for in the moods OF this the
Composer has found more materials TOT
zeal song than elsewhere. The scene IS
better than II sounded at yesterday
performance. Mr. de Segurola' the
Didicr. acted his role with hne APP
probation and genuine dramatic SIKH,
hut tho music demands a more polished
vocal delivery than he was able TO De-
Sow upon 1t.
The final picture. showing the soIltary
Uddclcinc seated at her dinner table gaz-
.ig at the portrait of her mother IL
lumiued by the rays OF the SINKING sun
Is unsteady intensified by the meiouious
orchestral poStlude built on the lyric
theme which throughout the little WORK
trgs the thought of the mother. IL u
very simple theme. but exquisitely or
en- S'ratcd.
The Instrumentation of the whole ope'
lstil shows skin. There are places whert
Il ght be "A little more transparent, bu,
such places are to be found in almost AL
modern operas Mr.. Herbert follows tht
rotlsts IN certain incidents, az IN ms
wild Drawing Of the brass when the Duke
IS turning loose Mddehfnc's horses ano
aE.,7 in his orchestral description or tht
writing Of the letter.
The performance was generally com
uoudabln. Nine. Aida, who seems Il
be- the high priestess of opera In English
AZ the Metropolitan. impersonated Made
i'rc with genuine art and earned large
share Of the honors OF the afternoon
Miss Sparkes was altogether admirable
hs the maid, and Mr., Althouse though no
distinguished was commendable as thu
Duke Mr.. Polacco conducted and showed
complete mastery of the score Once agair
'h' competent orchestra OF the house
displayed it's high qualities by playint
viii lovely tone, with finish and eiasticit,
The Instrumental part. which is In man,
places difficult.
The record of the afternoon ends will
~" statement that "Madeleine' was fol
lowed by "Pagliacci." In which the prin
opnls We're Miss Bori, Mr.. Caruso an'
NJ Anato. In the evening Tam
ia'pscr' was performed, II being the hrs
~ NJ MI "A