New-York tribune., 1920-03-28
By H. E. Krehbiel

-.~med as IL Che oPcAo "~S AAASAS W
....e the deepest impression Of any of
=. Metropolitan's recent novelties. 1t
within ten minutes of the open
:, of the performance and for several
~;rutes a numerous element in the
-,;.,,ce showed a determination not
:. lat the opera proceed until there
"a heen a repetition of the feature
..;.h had stirred up gladstone feelings
:. N. souls of the entire audience but
s.a .st the pulses of the Russian con-
.,.snt. especially, leaping with joy. 1t
-. only an episode, without the least
.;,,;scance so far as the story OF the
-, uas concerned, but it touched the
.,,uIar heart because it introduced
s-;.bt ~ and beautiful dash Of local color
~ the scene-the only bit Of true
,.tioualism which the opera contains.
:, this respect it was like the wild
4,.ss in "Petrouchka" and "Prince
I,orv and the pretty scene in "Boris
coaounoff" in which the young prince
and his nurse play at wnat we "ouio
all apease porridge hot"
sheaf of wheat decorated with
scrers was brought into the garden OF
.he heroine's home and around it the
r,v,v dressed peasants executed a
.s,rv dance. Two of the dancers were
children and they were promptly
singled out to be the principal recipi-
ont, of the popular plaudits. AT the
pus;an "Isba" some weeks ago SINH
i, scene was enacted, but it was kept
IN much in the background and had
.oo many companion pieces of equal
interest to excite particular notice, for
overv incident in that entertainment,
s.eept the ecclesiastical opening scene,
WAS beautiful and powerfully moving
to the lovers of folksong and folk
dance.
Worth More Extended Hearing
Had the occasion permitted the lovely
ceremonial might have been worked out
a. greater length and with more detail
and its meaning been brought nearer
10 the comprehension of the general
audience. We wish it had been. Per-
hsps the favor with which it was re-
ceived will direct the attention of Mr..
Gatti to other Russian operas in which
the national element is more fully
elaborated to Rimsky-Korsakoff'
May Night" for example, in which
the conventional dancing, which
occupies much time in Eugene
Onegin," would be replaced by real
Kmovod, with music and action taken
iraight from the peasantry Of Russia.
How much more delightful than the
customary terpsichorean advertisement
such an episode can be made the pa
irons of the opera learned from "Pe-
rouchka," "Prince Igor" and the hilari-
GUS polka in "The Bartered Bride" to
shich members of New York's Czech
colony lent their aid.
! The scene which, despite its brevity,
i eyerted SO large a measure of charm
st last Wednesday nights performance
I many beautiful functions in the life of
he agricultural communities of Rus
ia. OF course, it has counterparts
among many people who have preserved
customs of great antiquity. 1t is an
clement of the harvest home festivals
common to all rural communities which
lave preserved relics of primitive life.
! awakens n: emories of the ancient
'ommemorated by pious Jews who re-
vere the customs of their ancestors
even in the hurly-burly of metropoli-
4 sn life. 1t has parallel in the Green
yorn Dance, which is still celebrated
q oy the Indians on the reserves Of the
sw Nations in New York State and
tanada. The Indian Green Corn Dance
PAS little poetic beauty to commend
irout the harvest home of rural Rus
va is full of the fragrant loveliness of
me ceremonial which IS merely hinted
Hor suggested in Eugene Onegin."
SslsVon has much to say in his Songs
q the Russian People" We have not
ssn ssa time to investigate the matter as
aliy as we should like, but from the
,olksong enlisted in this scene by
'schaikowsky we fancy that it may
as'e originally belonged to the custom
D. Inc government of Vladimir which
cralston calls Leading the Ears of
visit to Fields a Ceremony
About Trinity Sunday" says he,
~aen the winter rye is beginning to
A. .he heids are solemnly visited by
ss sss PEASANTS. The young people of
rsen village meet together and draw
sp.l TWO lines, linking their arms in
NJ M manner as to form kind of
aa,oge, along which trips a little girl
yosned with ribbons OF various hues.
me me couples past whom she has gone
I'M 70 the end of the lines and take
ahelr places again, SO that the
thse oI arms is always renewed until
r., eornhelds are reached. There the
a.. as jumps down, plucks handful OF
md runs with them to the village
8 church, s"'"i o""" oioSe 70 Tue
tSongs accompany this pretty play,
course, and our surmise touching
~ s :, ceremony as the possible origin
ba,ae me music used by Tschaikowsky is
vosS. sH simply on the fact that the
4 -u'as OF the song refer to a bridge
81 Co.'S the field streamlet floweth.
tue stream a 3ootway goeth," etc.
Hsn.s sne very prosiac tranlation Of
.dis;.y. 1rafton Chapman in Schirmer's
snrs vh OF the opera. The real cere-
dsirys,. diry mmicked in the opera is less
ston st'y !, put equally charming. Mr.. Raj
H. describes it as follows: "Wher
srops have ripened the mistress