The Washington times., 1920-01-01
NOTABLE AUDIENCE
HEARS BLUE BIRD"
Maeterilnck's Opera Given Pre-
mIere Performance at Metro
politan Before Poet.

Mseteriinck's opera OF the "BIue
Bird" with the Belgian poets child
classic as libretto and music by Al
bert Wolf, was given with fashion
able eelat at the Metropolitan Ooers
House. New York. on SATURDAY night
last. The poet was present and Al
bert woln. -the composer, led the or
ehestrs. A writer OF music criticism
says of H.:
On the face OF It The Blu. Bird"
is simply an imaginative fairy story.
ryltyl and Mytyl are the children OF
q poor wood chopper Tomorrow Is
Christmss Day, but for them there Is
no tree nor Christmas stocking.
Tucked into bed, and supposed to be
asleep, they yield 10 the temptation
to creep out and watch through the
window the preparations for the holi-
day In a rich neighbor's homo across
the street.
TIE Fairy story.
While they are thus engaged the
fairy Beryiune enters She is a witch.
/ and demands that the two children
md and bring her the grass that
sings and the Blue Bird, TO res ore
to health and happiness her little
child. Tyltyl and Mytyl take IL az
a matter OF course that they will z"
and the fairy gives Tyltyl a magic
cap set with a wonderful diamond
which gives new light TO dimmed
eyes" discloses the past and the fu-
tlIre, shows the soul OF things. and
turns inanimatc objects and dumb
animals into speaking creatures
Everything around the children be-
gins TO take life and voice-miil>,
sugar, light, bread, the iirc. the CHi,
the dog The window Of the cottcgr
suddenly opens. and the little party
troops out into the night in quest Of
the blue bird.
First, they come io the Land Of
Memory. where they find CATER and
Granny Tyl long since dead, and their
little brothers and sisters, who have
also gone before: then 10 the Palace
OF Night. then TO the Garden of Hap
piness, then TO the Cemetery, finally to
the Kingdom OF the Future, where are
all the children not yet born. They
find various birds, some blue, some
not blue enoughy some that die when
they are caught; but not the blue bird
they seek. Having adventured much,
they finally return 10 home and bed
With the morning comes neighbor
Berlingot, who much resembles the
fairy Bcrylune, and who also wishes
a bird TO humOr her little sick girls
fancy and restore her 10 health. The
two children hand over their own
modest little turtle dove. when they
are amazed to find that he has turned
blue. why. that's the blue bird we
were looking foT, We went so far,
and he was here all the time!" SO
they gave IL, and with all the gift the
little neighbor RECEIVERS her health.
and comes to the Children with the
gra In hay Thaxy ~ 20
show her how g feed il. when IL es.
capes and fies 4wn!
"If any of you should find him
says Tyltyl, stepping TO the front and
addressing the audience, would you
be SO very kind a. to give him back
to us? We need him for our happi-
ness later on
Mseterlinck n SymboIist.
Mr.. Maeterlinck is a symbolist: and
seekers for his symbolism will i'm
agine that the two children typify the
soul of man searching for the an
swcr to the great enigma of life; that
the queer personifications Of every
day things--light, bread, sugar. fire,
water, the dog. the cat--signify the
imminent soul in everything: and
that the story teaches the Utility OF
seeking possession. always disap-
pointing ana thal llIe anu ueaul are
not what they seem. or perhaps they
will find something else or something
more or less. But at all events, what
counts in the opera Is not the SYM
bolism, but the poetic beauty of the
story, the simplicity and tenderness
with which poet and musician have
discovered the mind and spirit OF
childhood, and the art with which
their imagery has been translated into
action.