New-York tribune., 1918-10-13

ance at the New Theatre on February
s, 1910. There was, Of course, no spe-
cial significance in the production Of
two military operas within a fortnight
by the forces Of the Metropolitan Opera
House. There might have been such
seeming if Mr.. Dippel and his German
cohorts had charged themselves with
the production of "Germania," and the
French contingent of Signor Gatti had
brought forward "L'Attaque du Moulin"
without his help. But both Of the pro-
ductlons were under the care of the
general manager, who occupied a neu
trail attitude at the time as between
France and Germany. Moreover no one
who had gone even small distance into
the conditions prevailing at the Metro
politan Opera House needed to be told
why the two operas chanced to be pro-
duced in this season. The demands of a
firm of Italian music publishers read
in effect: "lf no novelty from our
press, no Puccini." Hence "Germania." :"
Mr.. Hammerstein had threatened the
prestige of the house in upper Broad
way by his successful production of
French operas. Hence "L'Attaque du
Moulin" There being no available
opera by Massenct (Hammerstein prac-
tically had them alb, search had to be
made elsewhere, and the choice fell on
Bruneau's "L'Attaque."
Bruneau Entitled to Respect
On the whole, it was not bad choice.
There are older and better French COM
posers than M. Bruneau, but few who
had been more talked about and few
more entitled to respect. Saint-Saens,
whom we know even now but slightly
on the operate stage, does not belong
to the school of younger men who write
criticisms as we'll as music in France
and are so deft at passing the candied
stick of mutual compliment from mouth
to mouth that they make for each other
pages of history. SO nothing of his
was to be expected. There was talk of
the things by Debussy, which have fig
ured in the Metropolitan prospectuses
for years, but preliminary talk is al
ways in inverse ratio to performance at
our opera houses. Therefore Bruneau
was a reasonable and natural choice.
Berloz was left out Of consideration, of
course Che is still left out), for the
world seems to share Frances fear Of
the most gifted composer that she has
produced since the Romantic period set
in. Yet it would have been interesting
then Git would be interesting now to
witness an experiment with "Benvenuto
Cellini" OF "Les Troyens IA Carthage"
But all this is idle retrospecton and
speculation. "L'Attaque du Moulin"
was added to the repertory, and the
fact ought to cause no regret. No time
more propitious for it's revival than the
present could be conceived-and il is
worth a revival. The opera has most
moving and pathetic story at its base.
lola conceived it, which means much
IN favor of it's dramatic strength. Louis
Gallet threw it into dramatic verse. and
Alfred Bruneau gave it musical invcsti-
ture. 1t is, perhaps, unfortunate for
our knowledge Of French music that
Bruneau's works are so little per-
formed. Like many another Young
Frenchman. he started out with fine
achievements (of which "L'Attaoue du
Moulin" is one) and finer protestations.
At the beginning of his career he fell
under the spell of Wagner, but soon
realized that the Wagnerian method. as
understood by his compatrlots, was no.,
wholly compatible with French artistic
principles. He did not turn on his
model and try to rend him, like De-