The Washington times., 1919-12-28
MAETERL|NCK HEAR
HIS LATEST WORK.
Famous Belgian Poet Witnesses
Premier Performance of "Blue-
bird" at Metropolitan.

Maurice Maeterlinck, the Belgian
poet. who arrived in America last
week, came to New York to witness
the world premiere production Of the
Maeterlinck opera. The Bluebird."
given at the Metropolitan Opera
House last evening.
The music of "L'Oiseau Bleu" is bv
Albert Wolff. the new French con-
duetor of the Metropolitan. This is
the fourth Maeterlnck drama to find
musical Interpretation. "Pelleas ct
Melisande." with music by Claude De-
busy; "Monno Wanna" with music
by Henri Fevrier. and "Ariane ct
Barbe Bleue,' with music by Paul
Dukas, are familiar. here. Maeter-
linck's mysticism apparently is at
traetive to modern French compos-
ers. OF all of his dreams THE Blue
Bird" has had the greatest vogue in
this country. -.- -.-..-
! 1t may sound q trifle incongruous TO
associate SO happy and exquisite a
| thing as this play of childhood with
the war, but the composer wrote a
part of the music within hearing OF
German shells. Mr.. Wolff fought as
| a private in the trenches early in the
war, having been in the first battle Of
the Marne, and later became a lieu
/ tenant aviator with a record of 1900
hours in the air. He won the croix
de guerre. ..
Speaking of music last Wednesday.
after q rehearsal at the Metropolitan,
Mr.. Wolff said:
| while started work on L,Oiseau
Bleu' in 1911, it was unfinished at the
commencement of the war, so packed
a copy of Maeterlinck's play in my
knapsack and carried it with me
throughout the whole period Of fight
ing, in the trenches, at rest stations.
and on the march. Whenever I had
time to think my mind turned to the
unfinished opera.
Started In the Argonne.
During a rest period in the Ar
gonne 1 found shelter in an old she'll
torn house at Dieu-sur-Meuse. The
town had been pombarded and was
badly shattered. Here composed
| the cemetery tableau. It had been
running through my mind prior to my
| rest period. There was battered
piano in the house. 1 found some
paper, ruled 1t myself, and composed
| the whole scene there amid the ruins.
! II had no opportunity to compose
after that until l became an instructor
! in the aviation school at Etampes,
near Paris. Between flying and teach
! ing novices the dangers and the de-
I lights OF the life of birdman,
wrote the final scene of L'Oiseau
Bleu.' Also found time to write the
I orchestration for the whole opera.
/ Later as an aviator in Morocco I cor
rected and rearranged several parts
! of the work. 1t took me eight years
to write the opera"
| How did you happen to select this
| Maeterlinck drama for an opera lib
| retto?" Mr.. Wolff was asked.
/ 81 had three reasons. 1 had been
! commissioned by Mr.. Maeterlinck to
/ write incidental music for one scene
! for the first presentation of L'Oiseau
! Bleu' at the Comedie FrancaiseA II
! seemed to me that there should be
music for the whole opera ! brought
the subject to Mr.. Maeterlinck's at.
tention and he agreed with me that il
was fine operatic material.
THE second reason was a personal
liking for the play, a purely senti.
mental one. Then l was further in
fluenced by my love for children. ]
have children of my own, and II
made me feel that the time had come
for me to write something for and
about children.
I'm my music I have tried to write
with as much simplicity as possible
The subject demands 1t. l have tried
TO bring out Mr.. Maeterlinck's light
ness of spirit. Modern harmonies are
very effective in fanciful things, so ]
have not barred dissonance. But there
are no big dramatic bursts of sound
1t would be Inappropriate. Always
the spirit of Maeterlinck has been liz
my mind"
! Probably no grand opera requires
so large cast as 'IOiseau Bleu" In
/ all there are. thirty-two principals