New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-01
Music
Mime. Yvette Guilbert, a
Pierrot, Brings Message
From France

Nine. Yvcttc Guilbert returned TO us
against yesterday afternoon at the The
atre du Vieux Columbier, the new
French theatre presided over by
Jacques Capeau.
Nine. Guilbert. who has come to Us,
as she herself would have 1t. trouba-
dour from her beloved France, has been
Cor the last three years a leading fig
ure in a propaganda which no American
need fear. She bears no message from
her government. but a message Infinite
ly more important she has comc'to de-
liver. for it is message from her
people. The message that France has
sent to us is written on many pages
with many colored inks.
What is this message? 1t IS cour-
age. but we share that with many
other nations; IL is gayety. but that be-
longs to the Viennese as we'll; 1t IS
unblinking realism. although even the
Germans have attained 20 that; II Is
spirituality in the higher sense but
France. too. is not alone in that. The
gift Of France alone is rather com
Mound of all; courage, illumin3d by
gayety; stark truth uplifted by the
wings of love: the ability to see man
kind in all its frailty and hypocrisy,
and yet TO believe; the power to greet
death with a smile, because, after all
death is like all else that happens upon
earth. a triAe sent by fate.
This is the message delivered 10 US oy
Yvctte Guilbert.
The opening portion Of her pro-
gramme yesterday was devoted 10 fier-
lot. old and new. The new Ilerr0t IS
symbol of suffering humanity-Pler-
rot, the Thinker, striving to Tree nm
self from sensual bondage. Nine. Gull
bert has done nothing higher than her
conception Of this spiritual tragedy. In
two fragments from The Sohloqules
OF the Poor" by Jehan Rictus. she ran
the very gamut of the tortured soul.
sPierrot. starving. meets Christ, who,
returning to earth, is Mortified that war
has betrayed Him once again, that
Judas is yet on earth. In her depletion
Of this scene, the dialogue between
Pierrot and Christ, Nine. Guilbert
touched supreme heights. She was the
new Pierrot.
But the old Pierrot was there as
well, and no sooner had the curtain
fallen than il rose again and Nine.
Guilbert tripDed onto the stage, the
spirit Of roguish comedy. Here was
the France before the war. unbelev-
ing. sardonic. eternally gay-the France
of Paris. of Montmartre, Of the quar-
tier. Yet the old and new Pierrot, Ike
the old and new France, is neither old
nor new. Each has two faces and each
face is that of Yvette Guilbert.
Nine. Guilbert was assisted by Miss
Emily Gresser, violinist. The Theatre
du Vieux Colombicr is an ideal setting
for her act.
Another French artist, Nine. Gabri-
ellie ellis. gave a song recital during the
afternoon at Aeolian Hall. Nine. Gllls
is especially at home in the realm OF
modern French song. Her voice IS not
a great one. nor is her tone procuc-
ton impcccable, but taste. graduation
Of feeling, cXpressivcness, she possesses
in large measure. In the songs OF
Faurf Revaldo. Hahn, Debussy and
Duparc she gave great pleasure 10
large and discriminating audience.
Max Bruch. who has long been
spoken Of in the past tense. came back
Yesterday afternoon with new con-
certo for two pianos, played by Rose
and Ottilie sutro az the Philharmonic
concert in Carnegie Hall. The piece
was finished only two years ago, and
according to the programme, was ap-
parently given into the special keep
ing Of the Misses Sutro.
Ii is an honest piece Of music nam
tanning a decent reserve and com
mendable balance. Indeed, as III
Stransky conducted It, and as the con-
noser seems to have intended II, tAe
work is less solo with orcheSII"I a..
commandment than q picturesque suite
,vi.b the pianos as orchestral lnstru
rnents. The Good Friday procession OF
the peasants. the moonlight on inc
Mediterranean and the awakening, OF
spring are in it's programme me
Misses Sutro played with vigor ana
,,recieiop A delightful "concertlno
Nv Pergolesi and the Beethoven oeN-
entb symphony opened the programme
RolIads enter rarely enough into song
,,.or,rarmes nowadays. Hence u was
i,ood 10 hear Theodore Won Helmert
Enc Loewe's "Hochzeitlied' and Nous
sorgskv's mastery Song OF the i ,
rom Goethe's "Faust" with splendid
shirt last night at Aeolian Hall. NJ
S Con- Hejmert's art lacks somewhat IN
tSc craces of the lied, but in his par
tjcuIer field of balladry he is admir-
oblc, Jacques Joles, unfortunately
moved most unsympatheHc accom-
panist In his own pieces ne snoTv ,,t
"a abnndant technical equipment, Dat
an an bas wav Of depressing the damper
ne T land hence his audience unnec-