The sun., 1916-01-19
TWO new NUMBERS
BY RUSSIAN BALLET
Dance Arrangements of De
Bussy's Tone Poem "The
Faun" Is n Feature.
OFFERING Is REAL ART

The second performance OF tine Ballet
Russo at the Century Theatre last eve
ming brought together another audience
as numerous and repi preventative as that
Of the previous night. The pi ogrammc
differed in the Offering of two number =
not before given. These were chore-
graphic arrangement OF Debussy's tone
poem "L'apres Midi d'un Faun" and the
dances from Alexander Borodin's opera
prince Igor" now in the repertorN OF
the Metropolitan Opera House.
The performance began with "LOiseau
de Feu' and closed with "ScheheTezade,
both OF which we're enacted on Monday.
Last evenings arrangement was IN its
essential features even more character
is,ic of the Ballet Russo than Mondays.
The second act of prince Igor a.
many operagoegs now know. euds with u
fet. in an oriental camp. "A wild burst of
barbaric splendor. which serves i'll the
lyric drama to emphasize the contrast
between the Russians and their foes OF
the moment.
Il may suffice for the time to record
that the scncmc o: the dances differs
from that of the ,.ropnl.tsn proiuc-
ton largely IN its uee of mass effects
II is not injustice to the Ballet Russe
20 say that 1t contains no woman dancer
~ IA. skill and agility Of Eosina Gam
Of the opera, aud that for this reason
the aoo features made 80 prominent .ii
the broadway hous., are replaced t.
some extent by the greater hrNliancy in
color ard movement vf tire Russian pres
entation
Til. plan Of the dances WAS made by
Fokinc aud the scenery and costumes
by l.. Roerich. Adolpir Bo!m is the
principal solo dancer. called Chief War
rior." Mile. Tchernikowa fhanz. kle-
mentowicz and BonieCke are the leaders
among the women. The ballet proved
pleasing to the audience and was en-
Enthusiastically applauded.
As \ work OF art the setting OF the
Debussy composition was more subtle
and suggestive. /; piqued artistic curios-
ity and stimulated the imagination. The
Fdun. eXquis!tely enacted by Leonide
Massin in wonderful makeup mostly
o: flesh covered with great brown spots,
wakes from his dream. AZ he does In
stephen Mallarme's poem, which sug-
gested the music. lie Ducks dry tn"
juicy skins of grapes. Nymphs appear,
and one partly disrobes for the bath
lie sees them, pursues. woos and
frlghtcns them away. The most beauti-
ful she VINO began 10 1lsroue, ledNeS 4
garment of flamentous silk behind her
This touch ~ rot IN the poem. The
Fam takes 1t up. presses IL TO his Fps
and lies down again to sleep with his
face buried IN the robe
The action is carried out In a series
NJ poses. followed by swif; movements
to other poses. Each pose is held long
enough to make a picture in itself and
every one is "A copy OF the type OF relief
portraiture found on certain ancient
E,ruscan vases. One instinctively thinks
Of Keats and his Immortal ole on "A
Grecian urn. The poses are all angular
and not unsuccessful attempt is made
TO simulate the half silhouette effect Of
the relief The whole thing is unique.
Ingenious and a real piece NJ stage
art. Nothing At all like II has been
seen here before, nor does IL ~ any way
resemble anything ever regarded here
as dancing or ballet deinea,ion.
The question Of the propriety Of
utilizing pebussy's music in this way
need not he raised. Whethe~ music
lovers or the composer himself have
made objection 10 IL. they must admit
company. who planned the spectacle
has treated the subject With insight and
delicate fancy altogether praise
worthy. The women who :mpers rrtt.d
the nlmph> were Mime. ThccrikoNa
and Miles i't'anz, klcmenovicz. E..
wicke, SokolOvs. lluk..oNa and Boui,rke
The frs, named Ma the principal. The
scene vas 10y the imaginative Bakst.