The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1934-04-06
Last OF Opera Series
To Be Sung Tomorrow
Dubussys Great Lyric-Drama ''Pelleas ct Melisande
to Be Broadcast Tomorrow Afternoon
BY LUCREzIA BoRI

It was my great privilege to
write, last December, the first of
this series of articles about the
operas to be broadcast on Satur-
day afternoons by the Metropoli-
tan Opera association and now, at
the end of the season, it is my
privilege to bring them to a close.
With the broadcast this Saturday
afternoon of Debussy's marvellous
"Pelleas ct Melisanre" from the
Boston Opera house where the
Metropolitan company is playing a
weeks engagement, II different
operas Gncluding one double bill)
will have been given in their en-
tirety to the millions of radio dis
teners throughout the country.
While it is not unusual on the
continent Of Europe for entire OPP
eras to be broadcast this Is the
first time it has ever been at
tempted on this side of the Attain
tic, covering the entire country. 1t
was, perhaps, a daring experiment
but I believe that the results have
fully justified the courage of those
that made it. Letters written by
people of every walk of life, from
all sections of the country shaw
what great interest has been
aroused.
Public Made "Opcra Conscious"
For us artists who have taken
part in these performances, the
,broadcasting has been a real source
Of inspiration. 1t has been not
merely the feeling one has of sing
ing to a myriad audience that has
spurred us on to our best but the
certainty that these performances
were bringing untold benefits to
our beloved art by taking opera
into homes where it was stranger,
by making it known that grand op-
era is not something to be suspect
ed and feared as "high-brow" but
is something very beautiful that
canbe taken into the heart; In a
word, by making the American
public "opera-conscious."
In my first article talked about
"Mignon." Today the subject Is
"Pelleas ct Melisanre," Claude De-
bussy's single contribution to the
lyric stage. 1t would be difficult to
find two operas SO completely and
entirely different, in purpose, In
dramatic content, in musical garb.
Both are French, their only point
of similarity.
Debussy's Work Is Unique
"Mignon" follows well-trodden,
safe traditions and charms with
it's ear-tickling airs. "Pelleas ct
Melisande," SO far as operate ira
dition goes, is complete break
with the past. 1t had no prede-
cessor and SO far, at least, no sue
cessor. 1t is unique.
If there is one poet whose fan
tasy fitted in with the rare and
very personal genius of Debussy 1t
is the Belgian Maurice Maeterlinck
and Debussy's exquisite. setting Of
Maeterlinck's strange drama Is, to
my mind, of words, or better, OF
theme, with music. If you can, be-
fore the performance get a copy or
Maeterlinck's poem-there Is an ex-
cellant English translation-and
follow the performance with 1T.
Then you will see clearly what !
mean.
Forty years ago Maeterlinck was
the leader of the French school OF
Symbolists. In his dramas and
poems he revealed or indicated the
mystery which lies Just out OF
sight, beneath the surface Of or
binary life, all this with an ex-
IRENE simplicity of diction and a
symbolism so realistic as to be al
most bare. He dealt with the
spiritual adventures Of souls. Or
binary facts of time and space
meant nothing. Orphan princesses,
blind persons, pale Arthurian
knights, aged guardians of desc
late castles deeply buried In dense