New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-31

ity which permeates Russian literature
and unfortunately much OF Russian
/ life
That the tortured conscience Of the
Gear, his crime, his stonement, and the
approach of the usurper. all should END
in the empty wailings of an idiot IN
[ doubtedly seems TO the Russian intel
lectua as most fitting. But TO the
+ Western European, as TO the American,
such doctrine approaches blasphemv.
For US there must be emotional full
filment in a work Of art as there must
be in life; if not, then that work or
B that life becomes stunted and mis-
shapen. Therefore, when Serge Dia-
ghileff for the Paris production changed
the positions of the last two scenes,
closing the opera with the death Of
Boris, he acted wisely, even II he proved
false to Slavic pessimism.
prince Igor" unlike Boris" has
happy ending, an ending which
in Western lands would have been
worked up to in a climatic spirit;
/ but this ending Borodin or Rimsky-
Korsakof has made little Of, probably
because TO their Slavic spirit our ideas
of artistic unity seem both childish
I'D conventional. with the result that
.
/ factory of the whole opera. Indeed,
/ throughout the opera il is the separate
O incidents and not the complete whole
that interests the composer. When, as
B in the scene between the two drunkards,
or in the Tartar reyels, the action be-
comes completely satisfying; when
words and music are welded lndls-
solubly, it is solely for the effect OF
the moment.
4 This absence Of any definite driving
power will, OF course, initiate
against the possibility Of the operas
popular success. Borodin began with
an idea. but this idea he never de
veloped into any definite scheme. lie
started 10 tell story, but the story
failed 20 interest him, and, telling II as
he did, il truly is not worthy OF inter
est. What really WIS of interest 70
him were the wayside stops the
drunkards, the banquet. the dances
anything except what to an ltailah'
German or a Frenchman would nave
been the chief matter in hand.
Borodin, like all true Russians. was a
democrat at heart, and he Is at ms
best when he sings the daily life OF the
peasantry. the joys and sorrows and
hopes and fears of that coarse, hun
cry, vet poetic, anonymous mass, hall
! Slavic. half Oriental-the Russian peo-
ple. It is in these scenes that the
opera becomes suddenly OF vital import
all else is mere prettiness and often
vexation Of spirit
The Music.
II is these wonderful Slavic choruses,
/ choruses first made known to us in
/ Boris" and the Tartar dances which
/ raise prince Igor" from the level of
/ a dull Italian opera. Whenever Boro-
| din attempts TO wax lyrical his soul
undergoes a momentous change, loses
/ its Slavic color, and drifts helplessly
across the Alps into the vineyards and
/ gardens Of Italy. Here he begins to
/ dotc on love and pipe dolefully in the
manner of Tuscan or Lombard amor
/ lists. Whether il is Igor or Yaraslovna,
! Vladimir or Konchakovna, who pour
out their souls dulcetly they invaria-
Z bly, do so in the Italian manner. IL IS
a high tribute that the Russian COM
poser pays 20 the land of Rossini-
, only does net lyric love exist on the
Russian steppes? But when Borodln
tu!... 20 st, es Of carousa. he turns
full heartedly. Give him chance 70
sing Of The Joys of vodka and he sings
with all the spirit Of the Russian race.
Here he bases himself upon the firm
rock Of Slavic folksong, and how high
does Bacchus stand I'm these old lays!
Almost Falstaffian are these scenes and
almost unconsciously We find ourselves
quoting the words of old Sir Toby:
"Thinkest thou because thou art Writ
uous there shall be no more cakes and
ale?'
In the Tartar dances, too, Borodin is
. completely at home. These dances,
which were made known to us several
years ago by the Mcdowell Chorus,
are replete with Oriental color and
rhythms. savage, fascinating breaths
from the Eastern plains, dances OF the
people, for the people, by the people.
Here Borodin, the democrat, energies
and proclaims proudly that a demo
cratic art Of music can exist, II not
in eastern Europe, at any rate beyond
the Vistula. II only he had carried
this belief with him throughout the
opera!
prince Igor" Is. In short. a work Of
considerable interest, and for its pro-
duction Signor Gstti-Cssazza deserves
high praise. II IL one of the chief
works Of Russian opera, IL is popular
In its home land. and 1t Is but right
that we in America should be allowed
20 Judge OF il for ourselves. Yet out
aide of it's choral vigor and its dances
it's importance is slight.
As music drama IL possesses Tar
less continuity even than Boris 10
which opera the development Of the