New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-23

i lt-1n the repertory OF INC "''''
politan Opera Company for the ap-
preaching season, and the writer's TO
whom nstionalism, or racialism, or
folklorism, in music is snathema VIII
be made extremely unhappy by the nov
elites in the list. First, there comes an
American Indian opera, entitled "Sha-
nevis by Charles Wakefield Cadman;
then an Afro-American ballet, The
Dance in the Place Congo by Harry
F. Gilbert. There is tinge of Hun
garian music in LISTS oratorio, "St
Elizabeth" which for some reason in
scrutable to us is to be staged as an
opera.
The new French opera, "Marouf," by
Henri Rsbaud, is based on a story in
the Arabian Thousand Nights and
Night; no doubt we shall find it's mu-
sic saturated with Orientslism; and
there are Slavic strains In the score
of Rimsky- "Coq dor" 1t
is, therefore, permissible to say that
the Metropolitan season will be reflex
of the spirit Of the times, If not its
prejudices and antipathies. Frankly,
we should have gladly welcomed a
larger exhibition of prejudice in favor
Of French operas and French singers
than the prospectus discloses. We
note with satisfaction the absence of
the names Of Madame Gadski and Mr..
Goritz from the list of singers; not be-
cause they are representatives Of Ger
man art, but because they were, and
are, enemies Of our country in time
Of bitter trial; and we can not con
ceive that there is anything iniqui-
tously chauvinistic in wishing that an
institution which sspires to be repre-
sentative Of America should withhold
asylum and emoluments from the ma
TONS enemies. Indeed. there is some
thing more than anomalous in the fact
that we are offering the sacrifice Of
life and wealth in the cause Of human
liberty and at the same time giving
comfort and reward to representatives,
Of its enemies. We should not have
shown enmity toward German opera,
even II We had determined to sacrifice
our enjoyment Of it for space. As it
is, we are, in Macsulay's phrase, hating
our enemy and loving our enemy's wife.
Mr.. Cadman's work has for its sub
title "The Robin Woman" and We
fancy that it is based on a legend OF
the Western red men. We have seen
the Mexican Montezuma's people on
the stage Of the Metropolitan Opera
House, but never an Indian from our
plains. In this Berlin was in advance
of us, for Arthur Nevin's "Pois" was
produced there q few years ago, under
circumstances not altogether creditable
to the people Of the Royal Opera. When
Spontinis ferdinand Cortes" was
brought forward at the Metropolitan, in
1883, there was a great parade OF real
ism. The persons employed in the rep
resentation rivslled in numbers those
who constituted the veritsble army Of
the Spanish conqueror, while the horses
came within three of the number that
Cortez took into Mexico. This, as The
Trbune's reviewer remarked at the
time, was carrying realism pretty close
to historical verify. A finer sense of
dramatic propriety, however, was ex-
hibited in the care with which the pict-
ures and paraphernalia of the opera
were prepared. The ancient architect
ure Of Mexico, the sculptures, the
symbols of various kinds carried in
the professions, the banners of Mon
tezuma, and some of the costumes OF
his warriors were copied with pains
taking fidelity from the remains OF
the civilization which existed in Mex
leo at the time of the Conquest. The
music Of the opera sounded hope
lessly antquated, but the play made
brave show. Mr.. Cadman is not
likely to give US anything Of this kind.
Spontini and his librettist were old
hands at the business of opera-mak-
ing; Mr.. Cadman and his collaboration
Nellie Richmond Eberhardt) are nov
ices, known to US only by their trans
mogrifications Of Indian songs. The
first intimxtion that Mr.. Cadmsn,
whose fame rests chiefly on a
song, From the Land of the Sky Blue
Water" had written an opera entitled
"Shanewis' comes from Mr.. Gatti's an.
nouncement. In Volume " OF The