New-York tribune., 1919-01-25
Opera
la Refine Fiammette," b
Xavier Leroux, ;.t the Metro.
po!itan Opera House
By Grenville Vernon

IN adapting his words to the music Of
W. Leroux, and the opera was produced
at the Opera Comique in 1903 with
MISS Mary Garden in the title part.
It's success in Paris was consdera Bile
and 1t was afterward revived for Nine.
Marguerite Carre. the wife of the di-
rector of the Comique. It's Partisan
success was no doubt partially respon-
slole for its choice for the Metropoli-
tan. We arc to-day allies Of France
IN more senses than one, and French
opera, somewhat of a Cinderella in
New York since Oscar Hammerstein
TOOK his ten year vacation, is again
IN nigh favor. The public, or at least
its vocal part, demands French opera,
and so French opera it receives. In
producing "La Refine Fiammette" the
metropolitan has proved its sincerity
IN the search for new French works,
ana 1t has produced it in manner
worthy, perhaps moro than worthy. of
the intrinsic merit of NJ. Leroux's evo-
cation of the spirit of Italy at the time
of Luther.
Inc music of the opera will not de-
tam us long; it is -Masscnet with
out any of the spontaneous lyric gift
possessed by the successor of Gounod
NJ; LerouX has remembered every
where, from Massenet, from Berlioz,
from Gounod, from half a dozen Ital-
lans: The music flows along amid
perfumed banks, shallow, inconse-
quentlal, uninspired. 1t is distinctly
music of the theatre, cleverly made and
Tilted, lacquered and painted and
polished. There are charming bits: the
dance OF the pages in the first act,
some of the choruses behind the
scenes; the composers orchestral
palette is not without variety of
colors; he writes for the voice more
or less effectively. 1t is the facie
talent of the boulevardee concocting an
amalgam of whipped cream, perfume,
rouge and glue, which looks very nice
and smells very nice and gives a quick
attack of artistic Indigestion 1t would
be unkind to continue with NJ. Leroux.
The real matter in hand has to do with
the scene painter, Mr.. Boris Anisfeld;
the costumer, also Mr.. Anisfe!d; the
staging of Mr. Ordynski, the chorus Of
Mr Settl the orchestra of Mr.. Mon
teux, the singers, especially Nine.
Geraldine Farrar, and the libretto Of
Catulle MendeS.
NJ. Mendes has furnished libretto
IN thousand, lbretto full of color
poetry, romance; it is also full of
its opinion of its morality by placing
it on the Index. The story has been
told in The Tribune and needs no
further telling here. 1t sutfices to say
that Orlando, Queen of Bologna, is a
very fascinating, perverse little queen
VINO can't say no to any attractive man
and who delights in entering a nunnery
and teaching the novices from her
own book of experience, which, if
short in the years it covers, has many
pages and is profusely illustrated in
tertiary! A gay little queen is Or
landa, who also sympathizes with
Luther, though we are inclined to
believe rather with the old rhyme
attributed to him which begins "Who
loves not wine, women and song" than
with any of his ecclesiastical doctrines.
A most y mortal little queen, and, we
are frank to say, a most immoral
story. which none the less lends itself
superbly to operate treatment, for the
story is simple, the emotions strong
and the colors vivid. A great COM
poser could have done wonders with
1T, though perhaps a great composer
would not have chosen subject so
lnnately lacking IN any moral stand
ara. But the great composer would
have made the opera a serious matter
NJ. LerouX has made it only bonne
boucbe for jaded palates
The production furnished by Signor
Gatti is superb. The scenery was
painted by Boris .Anisfeld, distin-
guished Russian with futuristic lean
bo
to the pre- Raphaelites for his inspira-
ton AS the pre- Raphaelites were not
Of the time Of Luther, there is at
once an anachronism because of which.
of course, no one worries.
There never was a Queen Of Bo-
logna, and if there had been she would
not have sung neo Massenet. So,
beginning with an anachronism, there
is no reason why we should not con-
tinue, and pile up colors. reds and
blues, and greens. to our hearts con-
by doing it he has evolved something
effective, characteristic and beautiful.
We can afford to let history slumber
while we enjoy the setting. Mr.. Ordyn-
ski has produced picturesque postur-
ings, Mr. Setti has trained the chorus
effectively and Mr. Monteux conducts
the music as if he believed in it, And
then there is Nine. Farrar.
Nine. Farrar was altogether in the
picture. She was lovely to look at,
lovely to watch in movement; graceful,
pathetic, outrageously audacious. Or
landa is distinctly one of her best
roles, Manon of the Renaissance.
She was just recovering from a cold
and so it would be unfair to speak of
her voice. Those who love Nine.
Farrar, il they be not too Puritan or
too Catholic, will love her Orlando.
But we don't wonder that such goings
on put "La Refine Fiammette" upon
the Papal Index
Hipolto Lazaro was the Danie!o, and
when his voice escaped freely from his
throat he was effective, despite his poor
diction and his rudimentary ideas of
character. Mr.. Rothier gave dignity
and style to Cesar Sforza, and Adamo
Didur was an exquisite portrait from
the Renaissance. Indeed, those two
artists were never seen to better ad-
vantage, even though the music given
to them was unworthy of their artistic
stature.
OF the minor characters mention
ought to be made of Miss Mary Ellis,
who in the two roles Of the little novice
and the little fool displayed rare
combination of youth, beauty, grace
and unconscious poise. If this young
singers voice increases in power-snc