New-York tribune., 1919-03-01
Opera
Pastoral Performed
in New York for First
Time in Years
By II. f. Krehbiel

BY H. E. Krehbiel
Once upon time "Faustv and
Romeo ct Juliette" were the most
popular operas in the Metronolitan
company's list. To one or the other
had to fall the honor Of opening the
season or fashionable society was not
satished. After space, in which VI.
Jean de Reszke and some of his tuneful
companions had educated the public to
an appreciation of different order Of
dramatic song, Olympian Grau launched
thunderbolt by producing Christian
una ISOLDE on first night; but the
foundations of society were not shaken,
rlven or destroyed Thereafter "Fi-
dclio" and Faust" "Tannhauser" and
"fristan," "Trovatore" and "Tosca."
Don Giovanni" and "Don Pasquale,"
"Melstersinger" and Magic Flute"
Barber" and "Bohemc" "Lohengrin"
and Lucia, "Rheingold" and Romeo"
"Pagliacci" and "Prophete," Beethoven
and Bzet, Mozart, Meyerbeer, Masscnet
and Mascagni "Knit with the Graces
and the Hours in Dance" led on the
eternal spring of popular delight
Of late "Faust" has been restored to
night the lovers of Gounod's art were
offered substitute for "Rom6o ct Ju-
llette." The opera was "Mireille,"
which on this occasion received its
first representation in New York in
the language in which it was written.
1t was, to all but,a few veteran opera
goers, as complete a novelty as
"Sapho" or ola Nome Sanglante"
would have been. The only part of its
music which echoes in the memory is
the overture, which used to figure in
the walty sing--a companion Of the
like prices in "Faust" and Romeo"
The opera was heard here in 1884,
but in italian under the title "Miril-
la" Miss Emma Nevada, who had just
joined Colonel Mapleson's forces at the
Academy of Music, sang with Ma
dame Scalchi, Signor De Anna and
Signor Cherubini, first at the Academy
of Music in Brooklyn on December t0
of that year and two days later at the
last matinee of the subscription season
formances were hastily thrown togeth-
er, but Miss Nevada, an American,
whose daughter Mignon is now NOM
Der Of the Beecham Opera Company in
London, sang with great beauty in
the cantabile passages as we'll as the
tiorid.
At the time we accepted the per-
formance as the first which the opera
had received in America, though 1T may
have been given at the French Opera
House in New Orleans, and even in an
1,cl, I,,rt ba E,11,,
Company in the '70's. 1t seemed
singular enough that it should have
waited twenty years for first hear
ing in New York Git was produced in
Paris in 1864 in view of the popular
ity of Faust" and it is still matter
OF wonder that after having been heard
it should have slept thirty-tive years
more before being wakened to life at
the Metropolitan Opera House. The
productions of the Italians, who have
caught the public fancy, do not have
to wait as many weeks.
The opera does not pandcr to the
taste for hot blood which afllicts this
latter day, but it has many beauties
and we wish it might live for a while
at least as 6 corrective and sedative.
We have great need of such artistic
indictments. 1t is a charming pas
toral and aroused much attention at
the time of its first production, partly
because its composer was the composer
of Faust" partly because the author
OF its story, the rustic Provincal epic
"Mireio," had lifted himself to the
heights of fame. Frederic Mistral's
poem was published sixty years ago.
and if he be not alive now to enjoy
the admiration, affection and glory
which it brought him, he is but recent
ly passed out of the reach of their
earthly radiance. In Avignon, Aries,
Mines, Montpelier and the surround
ing country the influence of "Mireio"
was so great that societies Of min
strcls sprung up to attempt rcstora-
tion of the gay science" Of the
famous old Provincial troubadours,
For decades lovc-sck swains could be
heard throughout the district serenad-
ing their mistrcsses with the "Chanson
de Magali," the text of which Gounod
used in his opera with charming effect,
though he did not uso the folk melody
to which it is sung by the people of
Aries.
Within five years after its publica-
tion NJ. Carrt had turned the poem
into an opera book and Gounod had
produced the opera at tho Theatre
Lyrique. While at work on tho scenario
and music the composer kept in touch
with the Provencal poet and appealed
to him for native melodies which he
might study so as to blow their spirit
into his own music. Thus he got the
lit of The Farandalc. which gives
vvacity to the scene Of merry making
at the beginning of the third act; the
pastoral tune of the shepherd;
lad in the fourth, and possibly the
gavottc-likc melody of the witch 8 song,
"Voici la saison, mignonne," the deli
cious shorus of mulberry pickcrs which
opens the play, and some of the in