New-York tribune., 1921-02-05
Shocking Tale,
But Good Music
In Jacquerie'
Lust and Greed Mingled
Unwholesomely i'm Opera
That Offers No Excuse
for Amazing Sensuality
Singers Have Little to DO
Orchestral Leader Acclaimed
Over and Over Again
by Manhattan Audience
BY RI. E. Krehhiel

the Chicago Opera Company at the
Manhattan Opera House last night we
did not know that it was possible for
opera writers TO bedraggle their hands
with filthier moral muck than that
which had been spread upon the stage
by the brood of young Italian compos
ers who rushed to the fore and tried to
follow upon the heels of Mascagni and
Leoncavallo. The stories of the mas
terpieces of these vigorous talents
were unsavory, but not altogether re-
voting, for there is in "Cavalleria Rus
ticana" and "Pagliacci" grain of
feeling, which save sthem from appear
ing of this in the 'Jacquerie" OF Messrs.
ing of this in the "Jacqurie" of Messrs.
A. Donaudy and Gino Marinuzzi.
Lust and Greed Mixed
Granting all (and there is not much
and the best (and there is not much
highly laudable) that may be said of
Mr.. Marinuzzi's music. the opera is
essentially and materially vile. 1t can
not plead even the poor palliative that
it at least presents q story of natural
sensuality. 1t does not do that, for it's
sensual lust is mixed with inhuman
greed.
A woman;s honor is not merely sacri-
feed to tyrant's sexual appetite; it is
also made the object of barter by the
tyrant.
The play is woven around the motif
of the medieval droit du seigneur, or
jus prima noctis. Whether the Gus
tom of the seignorial right implied
by these terms ever had existence in
law is doubtful, but that is immaterial
1t has long figured in romance and
the popular imagination, and that, may
be, makes it permissible dramatic ma
terial.
The motif has been used ingeniously
and amusingly in opera bouffe (Which
respects nothing) and in classic opera
buffa. 1t is handspring in the plot
of "Le Nozze di Figaro" though there
it is rather diftiy kept out of sight,
and when it is referred to by Susanna
al "Certe mezz' ore che il dlritto
feudale," it is IN lightsome speech
and with michievous look.
The count had renounced the ancient
privilege on his marriage with Rosina,
and though he has thoughts of reviving
IL for the nonce in the case of the
countess's bewitching maid, who joins
Figaro in frustrating his design and
humiliating him, the unsavory element
ia not permitted to obtrude itself un-
duly in the comedy Moreover, the music
Of Mozart SO completely establishes
the honesty of Susanna's love for the
counts valet, the love of the countess
fcf her lord and even his love for his
wife, that the moral sensibility of the
critical moralist is all but lulled
asleep.
Reason for Indignation
After all, opera lovers are careless
fclk, the foreign tongues Of their be-
loved entertainment helps to keep them
in this attitude, and it is only when
an affront is committed by the rude
methods of modern realism that they
are likely to be aroused That 'tJac-
querie" ought to arouse them to in
dignation is unquestionable.
In this opera we are permitted to
contemplate an assertion of the right
by brutal lord on the eve of a pretty
peasants marriage; to mar her honor
chartered for; to witness the refusal
of the lord when he is appealed to on
the verge Of his own betrothal; to
see the maiden victim, not only of
the custom, but also of violence, end
ing in death akin to the crime, which
is supposed to deserve the stake at
the present day and in our own coun-
try.
At last the moral element enters
in the shape of an uprising of the
peasantry against oppression embit-
tered by the incident and the punish
ment of the wrongdoer. Even then
there must be thrown in grain of
piquancy in the form of delivery
into the hands of the wronged lover
or husband of the innocent bride of the
Qt Low fa1 ho
wreaked on him through second vic
tim. Naturally, the peasant, though
transformed by his sufferings from q
lamb into wolf (this is libretto text),
is virtuous and human and the aristo-
cratic woman is spared.
Altogether delectable tale to trick
out with a musical dress truly. Mr.
Marinuzzi has provided the musical up
hoistery in the style of the youna
revolutionists of to-day.
Work Largely Melodrama'
To large extent the work is melo
drama - neither Yerdian opera MOI
Wagnerian lyric drama. The dialogue
of which there is an inordinate guam
tity, compared with the action, il
almost wholly parlando over stream
of orchestral music This strives
almost continually to be melodic, bu
it is formless.
Only once In Whlie does 1t hav,
hands and feet, sequence and symmetry
In the second act there is processiona
music of pith and moment. For
space even the proclaimant brass sings
in harmony. There is broad, sole
rhythm and the singers. become vocal
The devices of muted trumpets, higl
dissonant harmonies on the strings
crepitating xylophone clatter and tn,
binding simmer of cymbals an,
gongs struck by muffled drumstick
commonplace effects already becom
the stock in trade of the ambition
revolutionary are forgotten.
There is music, real music, good ans
swelling. But for the rest there is
wearisome stream of orchestral musi,
with few points of rep1se and much
laceratiag of the ear. So it seemed ts
US; tastes fashioned on the tendencie.
Of To-day ought to find much in i
to admire: for Mr.. Marinuzzi is fecunt
of device and an adept in presentation
Had there been more ingratiatins
rnGsic to sing there would also be more
words of commentator for the singers
Mr. Johnson, Miss Gall and Signo,
Galefi saw their duty and did it. S.
did Mr. Marinuzzi, who was acclaimed
over and over again. He conducted ths
al and $ha ar~h m efra