New-York tribune., 1918-03-24

Novelties by Cadman and Gil
bert Given With Success
at Metropolitan
By Grenville Vernon

received their first performance on any
stage at the Metropolitan Opera House
yesterday afternoon. The ti1st was
"Shanewis," two-act opera b. Charles
Wakefield Cadrlan,to a li5rctto of Mrs
nellie Richmond Eberhart; the second
"The Dance in Place Congo a ballet
pantomme by Henry F. Gilbert, found
ed on an article ofeGeorge w. Cable in
which were described the dances held
many years ago in Place Congo, New
Orleans. 1t is not too much to state
that later works met with n more favor
able reception than had been the case
with any of the American works the
Metropolitan had presented in seasons
gone by.
"Shanewis" is Mr.. Cadmans first
opera, but he is we'll known from his
songs and his experimentation with the
musical themes of the American Ind
ians: His best known song, From the
Lord of the Sky-Blue Water" is based
on two Omaha love calls, and it is thus
not surprising that he should have
chosen an Indian subject for his opera.
The story of "Shanewis" is SIMPLE and
rather foolish.
Mrs. j. Asher Everton, Il wealthy
widow Of Southern California. has be-
come interested in Shanewis, aA Indian
girl of musical promise. After several
years study Shanewis is invited by her
benefactress to spend the sumner in
her bungalow by the sea. a few days
aftcrward Amy Everton arrives home
after months visit in the East, and
in honor of both girls Mrs. EVertoh
gives a musical
Lionel Rhodes, the fiance of Amy, IS
fascinated by Shanewis and he makes
love to her. Shanewis, not knowing OF
his engagement. yields to his wooing
conditionally. The condition is that he
go with her to her home on the reser-
walton to see if her family be any bar.
He consents, and their interview is
terminated by the sudden entrance OF
Amy
Surprised and annoyed by their evil
dent confusion at her interruptions
Amy jealously protests to Lionel, and
is not reassured b. his half-hearted
efforts to propitate her
The second part takes place in Okla
homa few days later Shanewis and
Lionel are discovered watching the
closing scenes of a pow-wow His love
for Shanewis grows stronger in the at
mospherc which belongs to her, and
when Philip Harjo, fanatical young
Indian devoted to The old traditions,
presents Shanewis with d poisoned ar
row once used by a maiden Of the tribe
to revenge herself upon a white be-
trayer, he assures Harjo that Shanewis
will never have use for such weapon.
Lionel begs Shanewis to leave early,
but she insists on staying to the end.
When the crowd has nearly departed
the booths are stripped, and Shanewis
h, ,,,t, Il I.
Hario. Mrs. Everton and Amy hasten
to check Lionels mad nfatuation for
Shanewis. He refuses to return with
them and declares his love for Shane
wis. But the Indian girl, learning for
the first time Of his engagement to
Amy, rejects his love with scorn and
insists upon surrendering him to Amy
She then declares her intention of
retiring from civilization to seek
refuge in the forest, near to God, to
recover from her wound. Recognizing
the evolutionary distance between her
and that other maid who sought re-
venge for treachcry. she throws the
bow and arrow far from her.
Though all the other Indians had left
at the beginning of the alteration,
Philip Hario watches the scene from
Lionel. Harjo rushcs out, snatches up
the bow and arrow and shoots the
Young man in the heart. Shanewis runs
back; she and Amy kneel beside him.
while Mrs, Evcrton frantically at
tcmpts to drag Amy from the scene.
Shanewis looks upward, saying: "'Tis
we'll. In death thou art mine!"
1t is useless to discuss this librctto
In spirit it is childish. in expression be
yond belief banal and unpoctic. Its
sole virtue lies III the opportunity it
gives the composer to produce music
Of varied color and notably Indian
has made much of in the second act in
the mnistrationa of the medicine men,
where genuine Usage ceremonial song
with gourd rattlcs is introduced. and
IN Shanewiss own songs in the first
though in these latter worked up in a
more sophisticated manner Outside
the Indian Influences, however, the
music IS distinctly Italian. Mr. Cad
man. like most American COMPOSERS.
Is an eclectic. Like Kipling's Homer.
ne smltes his Tyre and goes and takes.
happily he takes from good places, ar
ranges what he takes with skill and
puts the result where it will do the
most good. Happily, too, he is neither
intoxicated with the wine Of Wagner
nor drowsy with the morphia Of De-
bussy. He has no philosophy TO cx-
pound. no message to deliver He has
SIMPLY written some pretty and senti
mental music and written it admirably
for the voice. He evidently believes
that the opera is place for singing,
not for symphonic exposition Of the
possibilities of the orchestra.
1t is this very evident gift for song
which will give "Shanewis" the success
which it will very probably receive. All
OF the numbers of the soprano and the
ond act and the Indian medicine song
arc most effective. Mr.. Claimants or,
hestration is adequate if not brilliant
and both the overture and the inter
nezzo arc charming bits Of writing
iu,l of color and catchy ryhthms.
Shancwls' is in short an unpreten
tlous little work, OF no great original
lty, but of much charm. AS for the
libretto, the less we hear of it the
better
The performance was excellent. Miss
SopAlc Braslau, assuming the title
part on short notice, gave truly ad-
mlrablc performance. Miss Braslau
has one of the most beautiful contralto
voices now on the operatic stage, and
she made the most of it. Moreover,
her lmpersonation possessed feclin;.
and dignity. Miss Braslau has grad
uated from her long apprenticeship in
secondary parts and the public is to
be congratulated. Mr.. Althousc never
sang with freer tone than in the part
of Lionel; Nine. Sundelius had SCOPE