New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-02
Rsrrin'sd from psJterdaa's late editors
Opera
French Novelty Successful,
Produced by Chicago Com
pany at Lexington
By II. E. Krehbiel

Circumstances forbid that we should
inquire as curiously as we might be
disposed to do into the opera .Le
Chemineau," which received its first
performance in New York from the Chi
cago Opera Company at the Lexington
Theatre last night. There is interest,"
ing enough matter in the work to oc-,
cupy serious attention, but little time,
and we are not quite sure that all the
minutes which might be conscripted
would yield adequate results
We could not hear all Of the opera,
but only enough to gain a few general
impressions the record CT which may
suffice to convey as much of an idea of
what the work is like as the time
harassed reader of daily newspaper
IS likely to want in such a case. We're
The work one of profound interest,
artistically more careful and deliber-
ate, consideration might be a duty.
LIE Chemneau" was new to the
Audience as an opera. AS drama it
was doubtless familiar to many OF
those who saw and heard it in .its
changed form last night Jean Richie
pin wrote it for the theatre, and it was
produced decade or more. ago as an
English play in London by Sir Herbert
Tree under the title Ragged Robin"
and Otis Skinner brought it forward
in New York as "The Harvester"
AS a play, we make no doubt. it
was more interesting than it was last
night, or is likely ever to be as an
opera; for its story is slight and when
clogged, as it necessarily is by music,
its dialogue, its dramatic value and MS
significance become attenuate when
spread over four acts Music of an
extremely high order would be neces-
sary to atone for the loss Of poetical
thought and possible symbolism, and
such music NJ. LerouX has not given it.
though his tonal investiture has
enough charm to- challenge respect. if
not admiration
The action of the Metropolitan com
pany in launching LA RENE Fam
mette,' by the same composer, after
keeping 1T on the stocks for ten years
naturally provoked comparison, which.
70 Judge by the comment heard in
~-'N A0DDieSt vas SIedlly 70 tne QiSad
vantage OF the opera performed at the
Broadway house; but here again we are
not IN position to venture an opinion.
1t is enough that "Le Chemineau." bv
reason OF its book, its score and par
tlcularly by it's performances. more
than justified its production. 1t would
have done that had so obvious and
direct a challenge been offered in the
production at this singular juncture of
LA Refine Fiammette."
Why MN. Rlchepin and Leroux
should have undertaken to celebrate
lie Chemineau, who is called only bv
mat name, we cannot quite conceive.
tie Is roadster, a tramp obviously of
a romantic and poetic disposition. but
II ne possesses any of the attributes
OF Locke's beloved vagabond it is diff
cult to discern them. He delights in
nature and the work of harvesters, but.
like a walking delegate, he does no
work himself, but talks about the work
OF others. He seduces a peasant girl
and abandons her simply to follow the
call of the road.
After twenty years absence from the
scene OF the play he returns to find
That the woman whom he deserted has
married an honest and confidng old
man. He helps the pair out of trouble
gnu promotes the marriage OF good
for-nothingIson whom the husband con-
siders his own child. The old man,
dying in Ignorance, begs him to CON
tlnue his goodness to the woman who
had been his mistress by marrying her:
but this he refuses to do.
The lure of the road calls him out
again, and he deserts the woman a
second time, while the sounds of carols
and the bells calling to Christmas mass
mingle with the words of the simple
minded peasant. An effective com