The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-27

Julien. or. A Poets Life. lyric poem
In a prologue. four acts and eight tab
leaux, the book and the music by Gustave
Carpenter, was performed at the Met
ropolitan Opera House last evening Tor
the first time In this country. A great
audience assembled and soon found itself
lost in wonder and speculation az TO the
meaning Of the strange and tragic satire
placed before Il. A long. sombre. pathetic
creation, demanding on the part OF the
auditor the tenderest sympathy Tor things
commonly treated with Indifference and
calling for an imagination the peer OF the
poet's own, Julien" makes no bid for
the triumphs Of popularity. but asks the
re.pect of serious devotees Of art
Uti,,.ing all the apparatus OF the opera,
this il not opera at all. but ooid'
brilliant and pitiless arrangement OF
world which despises and maNreAts ~.
art,.tic children. and at the same time It
.trikcs AT pride and ambition. Spectacular
in the finest sense, poetic In the artistic
.ensa of the word. musical In . vague
| vel sentative medium of utterAnce. Ju-
len 10 first Of all not an entertainment
and the furthest possible thing from an
evenings amusement. II seon VI
prose poetry. homily IN sc''o"' "'s
terry play Of modern life
hook Nor. i.pertsst Tha. Assic.
The book Of this opera 10 much more
,r,portant than the music. The story
may be summarized briehy ~ Charpen-
tiers picture OF a poet shame with eager.
ness to upiift the ideals OF gross worlo
and destroyed by his own PRIDE. MOI
seeking to serve but to conquer. no rails
a victim TO the ,rld's scorn.
The hero 10 Julien, who carried OH
Ioutse in the opera named after her.
The two are living In Rome In the VIVA
de Medlci In a room from whose WINDOWS
one sees the dome Of st. Peters. The
,nc, .oliloouixes over his dreams and
Ambitions. He yearns to write with his
hearts blood, to deify perfect beauty.
"Ny beautiful enchanted dream. when
wilt thou see thy day. make eternal the
low of living, which intoxicates me?'
This Is the keynote OF the drama. ne
lies down and sleeps. Louise comes and
stands beside him HE has gone to hia
land OF dreams. What does he do there
Does he forget Louise beside some dream
maiden? No matter. ] shall live In his
work" This Ii an outline Of her thought.
And then she trasicaily exclsime:
| "Etre Muse! Destin divtn! Sort re-
The prologue ends and the dream OF
ywIism, his recurrent dream Of his fsvered
nights, 10 set forth. This u Charpen-
tiers singing an!wer TO JwISew's Ques-
ton and with It goes q bitter reply to the
conjecture Of the faithful LoStse. What
a Muse she comes to bel Surely Charpsn-
tier knew that the Muses. were psrforce
three times three. because they must
serve the odscss Of the oracss. The ~
rics and the Fates-
Hector Berries celebrated In music the
life Of an artist His "0ymphonie rantas.
tiqus" begins with bsautifui dreams and
ambitions, takes the artist b the hear
Of nature In the nsiaA marches
him 70 the soa6old and faess him q
last with the ebscens riot Of the Wal.
purgisnachG And HE artist too had
II assnss. Henrietta 0mlthsea, againse Whom
tils svmpheay was desagnsd y - venee'
~ diAtsteA Latss nes1se peensd -
oueL sJSelie. - the Rseusu - Lafe.s
CkaspeaAies sheWs ~ aiee dreams anl
la1hltl6aA 3 scsae IN ~ oe1ds and Wal
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