Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-20
NJ u S I c.
BY HELEN FETTER.

cratic aria" in the score. There
is plenty of melody, elusive though
1t may be at times. There Is GER
tainly modernity with distinctive
individuality. Ivan Ivantzoff, the
Russian baritone, who has been
favorite in Washington, where he
has appeared previous seasons in
various operate roles, was excel
erection and gave rich tone to OBJ
viouSly difficult music.
The entire opera consumes
about half an hour CT time. 1t Is
no opera for society folk to wan
der in late to hear. 1t is swift, |
concentrated action and sound.
The story is extremely simple. |
Man, the role that IvantZoh por-
trays, is discovered on the stage |
being strangled by a Chimera-l
the perSonification Of his own dis !
torted imagination, interpreted |
and coStumed as grotesque bat
like creature. Man struggles free |
of the Chimera, to be caught in |
a great wave of love for Woman,
charmingly mined by Doris |
Humphrey, and to be inspired by |
her to such heights that he does |
not even realize that she is lost |
to him when a typical Don Juan
lures her away. Mans ambition |
for power develops. In a brief |
episode he shows two workmen
who are laboring at anvils that
he is a veritable Siegfried. He
strikes a single blow at a huge |
lump of molten gold and splits
the anvil, from which he picks up |
beautiful glittering diadem-I
symbol of quick money" He
later losses the diadem to the
workmen and realizes that he has
lost Woman. He finds her with
the other lover-the graceful, cul-
tured Stranger. It Is then that
the Stranger grows tired of Wom-
an and leaves her again. She
returns for a short time to Man,
but eludeS his every advance and |,
finally disappears forever. Again
the Chimera creepS upon Man,
and he completes his cycle of ex-
iStence by returning under the
spell of this imaginative beast
that croucheS above him as the
curtain falls.
Die Glueckliche Hand" is ex-
tremely fascinating in its perfect
unity and concentrated values
that rise swiftly, yet almost i'm
perceptibly, to a Stupendous cul-
minative effect that Is powerfully
dramatic.
***
THE remainder of this joint
premiere program was devoted
to the first production in this
country as a ballet of Stravin-
sky's suite, lie Sacre du Prin-
temps" fairly familiar as orches-
trail music.
Leopold Stokowski, the genius
conductor of the Philadelphia |
Symphony Orchestra, has wanted |
to conduct this work In full ballet |
form ever since 1918, when it was |
originally produced in Paris, with !
the designs by StravinSky'S col
laborator, Nicholas Roerich, and
choreography by the great dancer,
Nijinsky. The Philadelphia or
chestra has combined with the
League of Composers Of New York
for this double premiere program.
1t was presented in the Quaker
City for three performances last
week end and will have two in
New York this week. It Is COM
parable in its unusual Importance
as the outstanding program in
America this season with that
given under the same auspices in
New York last year. At that time
Monteverdi'S 300-year-old opera.
II Combattimento di Clorinda,"
was revived and the first ballet
performance of Stravinsky's Les
NoceS" was given in this country |
Before reviewing the more re-
cent premiere of lie sacre du
Printemps," it might interest
readers to mention here Mr.. Sto-
kowSki's opinion as to why this |
was the logical time to have this
premiere in Am erica. He said:
Since 1918 I have wanted to conduct |
lie Sacre" with ballet, but l could not |
find in America an organization or Or
gained group of dancers and mime |
artists who could do the stage interpre-
tation. Because this work Is so ex-
tremely difficult for rhythm and bodily |
motion, both individually and in groups, |
it is only by long working together that |
any group of dancers could anywhere |
near approach the true interpreting OF |
this work, which is certainly the most |
difficult of musical dramatic compost |
lions combining the dance, drama and |
orchestra.
AS we could not find group already |
existing we have formed group espe-
cially for this work. Martha Graham |
is forming the group of girls and she |
will dance the stupendous Danse Sac
rale at the end, which is the climax OF |
the work Leonide MasSine is forming |
the group of men and is undertaking |
the responsibility of the whole choreog- |
raphy.
Another reason why think this sea-
son is particularly good for producing |
this work is that lie Sacre du Prin- |
temps" is the creation Of both Stravin- |
sky and Roerich, and Roerich is now
back from Tibet and is in New York
and is greatly helping us in aiming to
express the profound significance OF
this work. feel We are most fortunate
to have his guidance and creative sug-
gestions. Prof. Roerich also is design
ing the costumes and stage setting.
Last Spring, when I was in Europe,
had several talks with Stravinsky about
this and about the musical side of the
work. He has made some important
changes in rhythm and orchestration
and his publisher is printing new edi-
ton, which we are using.
The staging and costuming of
this production Is highly original,
colorful after the Russian vivid
fashion, modernistic in general
lines and not nationaliStic in
dance design or conception as a
whole. This is purposely so. AS
a result, these pagan dances of
Snrinp-the true earliest Easter