The New York herald., 1920-01-31

Percy Mackaye. Music by Reginald dc
Koven.
Rip Van winklc. .............. Georges Baklanofi
Hendrix Hudson :........... Hector Dufranne
Nicholas Vcdder. .i;ustaye H,berdeau
Peterkee. .......... Miss Evelyn Hcrhert Idcbntl
Derrick van Bummell Ccnstantip NcoIay
Jan van Bulnmel ............ Edmond warnery
1;Sose Girl CIR Miss Emma noe
Conductor. ......... Alexander Snnallens Idehdi
de Ballet Place and time. in the Catskil Noun
tains. about the middle OF the eighteenth cen
! tuIy.
/ Now that Reginald de Koven has passed
away there is note of paignant pathos in
the fact that in his last grand opera. RIP
Van Winkle,' he has written a grand
opera which carries on in a bigger and
bolder way the happy achievement which
was his in the memorable score of Robin
Hood"
rip Van Winkle,' which the Chicago
Opera Company already had produced III
the great lake city. was presented here for
the first time last night in the Lexington
Theatre by the same group of singers.
So charmed was the audience that il
applauded again and again. But alas!
The familiar figure of the composer. SC
long associa ted creatively. critically and
! SOCIALLY with LllS city > UiuSlcdi lilc, db
swered his final curtain call only few
weeks ago.
Mr. dc Koven's score is as full OF color
as summer in the Catskills, where the
scene is laid-full of mingled sunshine and
shadow, the crash of thunder, the pater
of rain and later, the soft vitchnG OF
moonlight. II is a fitting swan song for
the popular composer
! The libretto cannot be praised so un-
Iiifa6iN Mr. a a his story
with some confusion and before the cli-
max is reached the listener is forced Ia
conclude that the librettist has turned a
good old legend into a vaporish echo OF
Peter Pan
Mr.. Mackaye's text sends Rip off into
/ the mountain in search of a Magic Flask
promised TO him by phantom. This is
not nearly so plausible as the old stage
versian that makes an irate wife order
her happy go lucky. non-providing hus'
band out o IT he house into a gathering
storm.
But. after ALL there was q feeling Of
gratitude that homely native Legend
should be used by an American poet anC
an American composer to create an Amer
lean folk-opera. 1t is a step in the righ
direction. May it thrive.
There are several other changes from
the stage version which Joseph Jeffer
sons acting made famous and which
our fathers loved. Rip is accompanied
by a harum scarum little tom boy. wh'
leaves him when he encounters Hudso,
and his crew. The magic flash which
she obtains Is treasured by her unit
: Rip returns after his famous sleep
an old man.
The flask returns him to youth. ant
he marries it's faithful guardian.
Mr.. Georges Baklanoff. the Russial
barytone, is an impressive igure as Rip
Hector Dufranne the spirit Of Hendrlcl
Hudson. Eduoard Cotreuil rs his Lieuten
ant and Gustave Huberdeau as Nichoia
4 Vedder were the most successful vocalists
!, All foreigners, they were particularly skill
ful in making the English text intelligible
/ Miss Evelyn Herbert made "A pleasan
impression as little Pelerkce, Rips littl
! tomEoy friend. Her acting was better thai
her singing.
The mise-en-scene is particularly attrac
tive. Several of the scenes have the charr
of MaXfield Parrish pictures.
AZ the end OF the second act Herbert VI
Johnson. business controller OF the Chi
caso Opera House. introduced the libret
tist Percy Mackaye. who paid tributes I
the late Cleofonu Campanini. who com
missioned the opera and was respo = sibl
for it's production and. TO Mr.. de Kover
It's composer.
Mr.. and Mrs. Ebert H. Gary. Mr.. an
Mrs Frederic CORTLAND Penfield and Nj
: Albert Morris Bagby were members of
n party In one Of the boxes. Mr.. and Mr.
= Alfred Graham Miles and Mr.. Georg
Ledlie also were in the audience.