The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-04-23
Hackett, American Tenor,
Triumphs in Paris Opera
Enthusiastic Ovation Greets Him When He Fills the
Role of the Duke in Rgoletto'-Busy
Theatrical Season.

Mime. Kousnezoff. the famous Russian
singer. at the Thcater Femina. She has
surrounded herself. that is to say. by
troupe of Russian singers, dancers
and actors. with which she presents
what in less regenerate days would have
been cIassed as a vaudeville show.
Nine. Kousnezoff herself takes the prin
cipal share in the entertainment. dancing
as Spanish girl, singing as a Russian
peasant. cooling like Persian Princess
and being always superbly dressed III
costumes designed by Bakst.
Artistically speaking. the only item
OF the program worth considering IN
Cherepnin's Alteration" a pleasant
reverie pervaded by motif constantly
recurring. first on the clarinet, then on
the flute and finally on the strings.
From the point of view OF curiosity per-
haps the pride of place should be given
to "Ohana SAM SCALED Japanese
score due to NJ. Picheran, which IL
chiefly remarkable because IL ingores
the very fundamental principles OF the
music of Japan.
Historiographers tell us that the frs.
result of a great war upon the arts Is a
period OF total Reorganization, followed
by the gradual bringing together OF an
entirely new order. IL one may take
the Paris drama of the moment as any
criterion that second period has already
begun A distinguished American
woman critic at present In Paris mas
in the last few days been expressing
herself with proper patriotic prejudice
on the shortcomings of the contempor-
ary Paris stage as compared with those
OF. say Gotham and Chicago. This is
not only very satisfying to national
pride. 1t has even grain or truth IN IT,
as seen at least by any one who mas
only few days to spend IN Paris ano
naturally studies first what comes
easiest to hand. But the really inter
esting -nect of the Paris stage just now
e precisely that which the visiting
foreigner--especially If she be distin-
ruished-can never hope to see
Curiously-or naturally enough, &C
cording to the point of view-the true,
which is to say the sincere drama In
France. stands at very much the same
stage Of evolution just now as is tne
case at home. 1t must not be looked
for on the commercial stage. but In
barns and cafes and little club houses.
even in little theaters," though the
word has become rather horrible by
misuse. Anywhere, that is, where the
foreign visitor cannot find It, For the
foreigner has always been the brake
on the wheel OF the Paris drama. He
pays, and accordingly his tastes must
be considered. with the fatal results
everywhere 10 De scti Oih eiiC O. -
commercial stage just at present and
certain to become even more fatal as
the tourist season wakes.
There are probably q hundred the
aters' of one kind or another In the
back blocks Electrically OF Paris where
the dramatist who has something to
say but is not quite sure how to say
1t has the chance OF being heard. If by
exiguous audiences, at least by people
xx.t.< Ayint -nr1F
There are quite a number OF others,
where strangers do sometimes pene-
trate, II by accident. where equally sin
cere work Is produced Consider for
instance. Les Artisans" 1t Is con-
fessedly, or proudly, home OF lies
ieunes.' On Saturday afternoon It
produced a program at the Sale do
foreigner could find possible criticism.
There was music. Martins "Andan
tho" Sarasate's "Habanero" ana
"Ariette.'' a charming work written in
his twentieth year by Roger Gayral.
who himself accompanied Mile. Leonie
Lapic's rendering. There were poems.
read and recited. by a dozen OF the
younger French poets. very youthful
and ragged and perhaps lacking in pre-
csion, but tremendously sincere. Then
there was play, M. Faure-Fremiet'
"Sagesse' and the feeling OF the whole
unimportant little performances was
that the artists responsive were true
artists In that they were creative rather
than receptive-commercia or other
wise-and that there Is hope for the
French stage so long as such artists
continue to cherish the high hopes Of
youth.
Nor Is II, OF course. only the young
and callow who seek to carry on the
divine flame At the Club du Palais you
might see as elegant and subtle a little
comedy as you need look for 1t is called
The Late Minotaur.' deals with Paris
Ian life and Is as flyaway az soap
bubble. The most interesting thing about
II Is that the author Is judge, NJ Louis
Hanneuuin. one of the judges of the
Seine Tribunal. Which is all very much
as IL should be.