New-York tribune., 1921-03-10
The Polish Jew
Given Operate
Premiere Here
Two-Act Version of ssThc
Bells Sung in English at
Metropolitan: Music
Proves Light-Waisted
Libretto Is Effective
Chief Caupolican Sturdy
in Leading Role and
Rest of Cast Excellent


"Thc Polish jew" sn opera in two
acts by Karel Weis. with a lihretto by
Victor Leon and Richard Batia, based
on a story by Erckman- Chatrian. known
to the speaking stage in melodramatic
form The Bclls,' was sung for the
first time at the Metropolitan Opera
House last evening. The English text
used by the Metropolitan Opera Com
pany is by Sgmund Spaeth and Miss
Cecil Cowdrey
In their version of the grisly story
OF Erckmann-Chatr the operatic
lbrettists have introduced device
which obvlated one element that we
fancy was an obstacle to complete en-
Joyment to great many seriously dis
posed people when Mr. Irving played
"The Bells" In the melodrama the
conscien~e of Matthias is racked by the
delusion that he hears the sleighbells
upon the horse which brought the Jew
to the inn. In the performance not
only did Mr.. Irving actually hear the
jnging sounds but the other people
of the play heard them (though they
had to affect that they heard nothing)
and what was worse, the audience also
heard them. Now. the sounds were not
real but existed only in the tortured
murderer's mind, stimulated by his
guilty conscience. Mr.. Irving thought
it necessary TO materialze them. be-
cause. probably, he felt that he could
not rely upon the imagination of his
audience.
Wagner In Similar Dilemma
He thus involved himself in a di-
I,k ,,l,
found himself when he wished 10 make
the listeners to his "Siegfried realize
that the bird which sang in the wood
was directing the hero of his tragedy
TO climb the hill, awaken Brynh'l Id,
kill the dragon and the wicked dwarf
and achieve the ring, with its magical
potencies. To do this he resorred to
singularly paradoxical device. Sieg-
fried tastes the dragons blood, and
suddenly the bird, which till now has
only been piping, begins to sing articu-
late German words. Obviously Wag-
ner like Mr. Irving, was unwilling to
credit the audience with sufficient
agination TO put the necessary mean
ing into the song of the bird. In this
both men acted on a conviction which
they shared with Berlioz.
When Berlioz composed his dramatic
ymphony, Romeo and Juliet" he
wrote an instrumental introduction to
the choral finale which is concerned
with Juliet's funeral, in which he
sought (according to his own program)
to give expression to Juliets awaken
ing in the tomb, her delirium of JOY,
/ despair, the last agonies and death of
the ill-starred lovers. To this move
ment he appended note in which he
said that ''the public has no imagina-
ton" and for that reason "pieces of
i ! u. L.
ton have no public" His instrumental
scene being in this case. he thought
that it should be omitted whenever the
symphony was performed before an
audience mot having a feeling for
poetry and not familiar with the fifth
act OF Shakespeare tragedy with Gar
rick's denouement"
Odd Garrick Denouemcnt
We do not know whether anybody
Of this generation has ever seen Shake
speare's fifth act with Garrick's amaz-
ing brass ornaments. In this denoue
ment Juliet wakes before Romeo dies,
and he carries her out of the tomb in
his arms. Then the lovers hold I'M
written by Garrick Next Romeo
swoons, crying "Oh!" and Juliet cries,
And did wake for this?" Romeo
gives up the ghost and Juliet, resist
ing the entreaties of Friar Lawrence
to fly with him, stabs herself to death
with Roneo's dagger Of course, with
cut knowledge of this Berloz's music
is meaningless.
We recall another instaDcc in which
= composer materalized a delusior
INTO sounds audible to the audience.
Many years ago young American
musician composed incidental music
for "Macbeth." In the music which ac.
companied Lady Macbeth's soliloquy
while Macbeth is doing the murder he
associated a monotone phrase on the
horn. with the words the owl that
shrieked." and reiterated it when Mac
beth said "Sleep no more!" thus MAX
ing Macbeth's hallucination a real and
audible thing.
1t was probably to obviatc proceed
ing so disturbing to every thoughtful
listener that Messrs Leon and Batka |
introduced a second Jew, whose coming
into the house of Matthias in the midst
of the betrothal festivities Of the muir
dcrer's daughter arouses his conscience
so powerfully as to induce TIE dream
of his trial and condemnation. The in
PRODUCTION of this new element is deft-
ly done. The betrothal festivities are
at their height when sleighbclls arc
heard. The sound throws Matthias into
a frenzy Of terror, which is not les
sencd when POllSh jew enters the
room, in whose appearance and conduct
we are asked to see counterpart Of
the scene which preceded the murder
fifteen years before. Matthias gains
sufficient control over his feelings to
offer the visitor hospitality, and the
merrymaking is brought to an end.
Matthias goes to his room with his fam
lily ard to bed in an alcove. H, thinks
he will sleep the better for having
wearied himself with drinking wine.
The next scene is devoted to the trial
scene. in which probably the best is
done which can be done to reduce to
minimum the absurdty of making
sleeping mans fevered fantasy a real
ity to the spectators.
Of course, such things are more cf-
fectually handled in the cinema shows,
but by the use of stage wells, ingenious
lighting and finely effective picture of
a trial scene set in a magnificent
church some illusion is preserved.
Sees Image of Christ
The elimination comes when Matthias
catches sight of life-sze image Of the
crucified Christ which suddenly shines
out of the gloom. He had denied his
guilt. denied that he was haunted by
the sound of bells. and caught hope
from the refusal of his daughter and
in Low 70 ,,s{o n,