New-York tribune., 1922-01-06
Overture Best
Part of LalO's
lie Roi d'Ys''
Conductor Wolff Plays 1t
Between First and Sec
ond Acts in Local Pre-
miere at the Metropolitan
Wedding March Is Pleasing:
Cigli. Danise, Roihier,
Aida, Ponselle il, Cast

III producing Edouard Lalo's opera
lie Roi dNs' at the Metropolitan
Opera House last night, Mr. Gait; re-
deemed premise made by orc of his
predecessors thirty y-onc years ago.
Watcher he burdened or relieved his
attempt to say: the fact is mentioned
merely because ii has q curious in
torest. The opera received its first
, representation in Paris on May Z, 1883,
and had sixty representations in the
, season Four months before the produc-
tion New Workers were permitted to
hear all of its music known here until last
night. except duet, for MIR. Theodore
Thomas played the overture on Janu
: aly u. 1883. at one Of his Young Peo-
pies Concerts IN Steinway Hall. Since
part Of the opera. has repea' 'cdlv been
performed and was one of NJ. Edouard
Colonies selections when he con-
/ Quoted concerts Of the Philharmonic
Society in 1904.
The opera created something Of a
+ str in Franco when it was new. which
fact, probably led TO it's inclusion by
Mn Edmund Stanton in the prospectus
OF the German season. 1889 1890. at
} the Metropolitan Opera House. But
nothing came of the PROMISE when was
renewed for the next season. By thal
time. however. the Wagncrian tide had
riscn so high in New York that after
January. 1891. all the new operas winch
had been promised. except Wagncrs.
were submerged in it, including &c
Roi d'Ys,' Marschncr's "Tempiar ana
] Icwcss.' Goetz's Flaming OF the
Shrcw." Masscnet's "Esclarmondc" ana
Nicolai's "Mcrry Wives of Windsor,
every one of which has as Just claims
for performance now as the tirss. After
Tho owners Of the thoater had deter
mined to yield to the demands CT fash
on instead of the taste Of the music
loving public and invited the return of
peri ormances in Italian. there was No
more thought Of "Lc Eoi d'Ys" until
Mir. Gatti issued his. prospectus last
summer.
We can more easily understand the
operations Of the minds of the original
creators Of the onera than of its pres
eat producers. "Lc Roi d'Ys" is an
amusing yet almost pathetic illustra
ton Of the struggle of the operatic
composers of France against the inhu-
cnce Of Wagncr-amusing yet pathetic
because OF the confession Of lmpotency
contained II the book IS well as the
score of the work. Not only does it go
10 ancient legend for its subject, as did
Wagner in nearly all Of his dramas, it
reproduces Wagnerian scenes and char
acters. There is wedding proces ion
like that in "Lohengrin." and no sooner
has it crossed the court Of the palace
and entered the chapel than karnac
and Margarcd, looking and acting like
Tclramund and Crtrud. appear and hold
sinister converse near The chapel steps.
There is :. master Of ceremonies who
ever and anon makes proclamations
and like Henry the Fowler's Herald
seems always on the point of inviting
somebody IN the audience to step for
ward and fight for Elsa of Brabant
herself from a rock into the sea and
by sacrifice of herself releases the
: Dutchman from his doom, SO .Margarcd
atones for her Wickedness and saves
the people of Us from complete de-
struction by lcaping into the waters
which she had loosed upon the city in
a jealous Jury.
The bridal chorus, which serves tc
; recall an ancient custom in "Lohen-
erln,' has counterpart in the pretty
pa phrase Of an old Breton wedding
> ceremony in the opening scene of the
last act-the only scene in which the
, ear IS Gratitied with pretty melodies
: culled from the foksong of Brittany
l.alo seeks to avoid the Wagnerian
system of composition, but he makes
rSe OF reminiscent and prophetic
phrases and in spite of him some OF
Wagncrs motivi pop up in his instru-
mcnfai score. In the overture tht
tromboncs once start the chorus Of
pilgrims from "Tannhauser" God an,
st. Corentin, his vicar. speak in con.
demnation Of the wicked people Of tho
drama in the old melody to which The
sequence. Dies irac," is sung The
world over-which is musico -dramatit
commentary OF the Wagnerian type
+ 1t is not the music Of the opera which
/, makes it seem SO much like book OF
atloNs and the stage folk. Henry the
Fowler, Lohengrin, Elsa and Ortrud arc
forever masquerading as the King
Mylio. Rozenn and Margarad Once
however the women doff both thcj,
oual natures and appear as Aida ane
Amncrls with changed costumes ane
compleXions.
Legend and Romance Combined
me story of the opera is a romance
OF commonplace sort grated upon 2
legend winch lives in the balladrv O!
Brittany and the folklore of Wales
Ireland. Germany and other countries
Edouard Blau, who made the lihrettc
for NJ. Lalo, said he had heard the
legend from the lips Of Breton
named jules de la Morandere, but he
might as we'll have taken all its primi
tive elements out of Dc la Nillemarauc's
book entitled "Barzaz- Brciz; chants
popuaires de la Brctagne' which was
in print more than fifty years before
the opera was written. From this book
we fancy M. Lalo obtained some Of the
melodies which he used in the scene at
the beginning OF the third act, which is
the only one in which an attempt is
made to preserve local color, though
Ioiksong motifs are also to be found
IN the opening chorus. From peasant
NJ. Nillemarque recovered fragments OF
an extremely old ballad which tells OF
the submersion of an ancient city OF
Arniorica. called Is or Us. The catas-
trophe is supposed to have occurred
about A. d. 440. and the Breton ballad
(which is in the dialect Of Cornouaille
otherwise Cornwall. for the founders
o. Armorica came from across the
English ChanneD tells, in brief, how
IN the reign of King Gradlon, Us, his
capital city, was protected against the
encroa chment of the ocean by sys-
= ten, Of dikes, the secret gate Of which
was locked with a key which he always
kept attached to a chain which he wore
about his neck. One night his daughter
wishing to crown banquet piven in