New-York tribune., 1920-02-24
Music Adds Charm
T. To Spanish Ballet
At the Lexington
Benefit Performance Wins
Applause From Audi
ence; Composer Shares
Plaudits With the Actors
By II. F. Krehbiel

The special performance ut tho Lex
ington Thcater yesterday afternoon for
tho benefit of tho Society for tho Pre-
vention and Relief of tuberculosis at
tracted a numerous audience and one
Of distinguished social character. The
charitable appeal might have done this
alone, but interest in the occasion was
heightened by the production Of John
Alden Carpenters pantomimic ballet
"The Birthday of the Infunta."
1T Is something of pity that this
piece was not brought forward earlier
III the season. For it several operas in
the Chicago company's list might profit
ably have been sacrificed. The plot
comes from a story by Oscar Wilde,
out of which a play was fashioned
some time ago and produced at one of
concerned in the production of the
ballet, and all of them were rewarded
for the success of their efforts bv re-
peated calls before the curtain and ap-
plause which had the ring of sincerity.
they were Mn. Carpenter, who COM
posed the music; Robert Edmond
Jones, who designed the scenery and
costumes, and Adolph Bolm, who ar
ranged the dances and played the prin-
clpal character in the pantomme-
the dwarf, who wins the approval Of
the lnfanta by his grotcsquc heroics
tancles that he has also won her love
because she throws him her scarf and
dies when he contemplatcs his mis-
shapen form while dancing before a
mirror
Voice of Real Pathos
Tho title, perhaps, suggested to Mr..
Jones the use for the infanta and her
companions OF costumes patterned
after the familiar Valcsquez portrait,
which not only injected an element of
unconventionality into the pictures,
but also influenced the music to some
extent But whole stageful Of
Infantas with "tillers"! Since there
were some dances with national char
acteristics there had to be some Span-
lsh melodies and rhythms, but of these
we thought less than of the music of
the action when once it got away from
the asthmatic grunts and wheezes
plplngs and twitterings, which with
shimmcrlng effects OF instrumental
color and much naturalization so trc-
Quently supply the want Of melody.
There was excellent grotesqucric in
the music of the mock games arranged
Tor the entertainment Of the lnfanta,
especially in the bullfight, which was
infantile fooling enough, but comical.
But in the final scene Mr.. Carpenter
found the voice Of real pathos and real
beauty, in melody and harmony. as we'll
as orchestration. The pantomime died
as the dolphin dies, "Whon each pang
lmbues with a new color This har-
mony between play and music gives the
work better title to existence than
was possessed by some Of the concoc-
tons of the Russian Ballet, in which
for the sake of dance and pantomime
def1owered good music. We rejoice in
it for Is own sake and also because it
5 an American production.
Singular Companion Piece
A singular companion piece, in view
If the occasion. was the work which
the bailet-Ravel's "L'Henre
.spagnoli," which in the moral profit /
sacy of It's comedy desccnds to more
'ca turesome depths than the King of !
he Bouifes PaHsipns ever risked.
It's musical score, however, Is d. mas
erpiece OF humor along me line, per-
laps the only line, which music can
Of s4t-.r md Cynicism I
through burlesQue j. IS satire,
ONE times vulgar, but aiwaya sclntil- /
ant on the style Of the composer him /
elf and all his incorporates.
1T even more han niuts at the vul-
sarity OF the Amen ca "jaz2,' wi h its
on trump-t md trombone I
}ut III is hrillianl:.- j. in~enious It's /
performance by thc Chicago artists has (
.'~eany been commented.
Lydia Ii-'.oaska viii sing the part