Show S Sad d Story off of a aI I f 1 Little Bird Bi rd I Tl TIt That t Tell Fell v Tho tremendous success of or l Blue Bird when pro produced as asa a- a R apIa pIa play pay several years ago aso afforded grounds for tho the belief that In tho the form orm Metropolitan Metropolitan Metro Metro- of ot opera and produced by tho the politan opera company In New York surrounded a no perfect cast east and that lavish laIsh j all the appointments expenditure of or mone money and artistic conceptions con con- could devise It would prove a Veritable mint to both author and pro pro- ducer ducer Yet In spite of or nil all expectations as an an opera Blue Bird recorded a dismal failure Various explanations 3 critics of or eminence have appeared from time to time but none nono that seems more plausible than the following from Crom Topics whose reviewer writes Pled Pied under tinder the pseudonym of or tho the Piper z t Sad to relate high a as The Blue Bird flew lew in play form It flounders helplessly as ls an opera and andl l long lone ng before the final curtain falls the poor poor things thing's futile flutters indicate the inevitable end it will achieve In the Seldom has there dust bin o of oblivion a a. stor story more m lIly illy adapted to op operatic operatic op- op treatment than this Blue Bird with Its facile spirituality and its popularized pop pop- j philosophy Its groundwork an appeal to the general beneral belief beller that all is forever seeking happiness makes good stuff for tho the theatre If Ie treated and with perhaps music thrown In m incidentally and stimulate stimulate tall tally to quicken the senses late Jato late the emotions That Is a n far cry however from Crom tho the realm of or opera hero music ever must predominate rin can draw inspiration only from the tho doings and personalities of ot tho the characters characters characters char char- on the stage O Beethoven n fl was genius enough to write rite some great music to tho turgid Mo- Mo ro- ro and story stor- of or Fidelio Fidello barts bart's surmounted the absurdities absurdities ab ab- ab- ab of ot most of ot tho the librettos to which ho he wrote music Verdi another tonal giant often made up Ui for the weakness of or his dramatic material by creating melodies that in themselves attained Immortality So did Weber Jn tin the case of or Albert Wolff however who chose o The Tho Blue Bird for operatic both the stuff and the tue musical creative power are negative nega nega- tive tivo and In cOI consequence a n work has Ims rei re- re i which will add no new now material A af rf moment to the list of or desirable op op- op eras Wolff yoUr was frightened perhaps by b- Debussy's experience with lacter- lacter linck when the latter nearly nearl bit off the head of the composer of or Pelican and for taking liberties with the tho scenic order and anti text test of ot that play For r or a long onS' onS while hilO before the tho premiere the two men did not sp speak lc to each 1 other and it took some Shears ears cars to make mako up his mind to listen to toI toJ I J the Debussy opera Wolff let do his own arranging of or tho the libretto and even subi submitted sub- sub i 1 his music to him for approval I j and suggestion As a consequence tho thoI I j score has hag turned out to be as delicates delicate's delicate i Ss s 's s writing but In the i process process the tonal part loses all Its own Individuality and virility and limps limps' weakly eakly after atter tho the words a a. true hand- hand paiden to another art Music never neer is meant mel for such a a. role and in this instance instance in instance in- in stance oven even if It it meets with linck's lincks sanction is pale anemic placid Red fled blood seems to b be absent from irom tho the vocal and orchestral I measures The Tho strings drool the wood- wood ind twitters feebly the brasses blow blon with bated breath A veil covers everything every thing and dims the tho colors Melodies Melodie o of f sustained body or Incisive complexion complex complex- ion 91 one seeks in vain aln Set songs and anc t I arias arlas there are aro none nono Climaxes being be ing absent in tho the story stor of or course do dc donot not lot occur In tho the music either cither It han Isan is h isah ah an endless river of tone flowing lowing on or tm and uninterestingly without any eddies or whirlpools to disturb thc the monotony The Tue harmonic method h hS is that at of or Debussy but It is not nearly a as S characteristic or piquant t as aa that of th the tho thes s supreme preme master of or sensuous i jy ly Ten minutes of and is worth all of or Tho The Blue Bird and Flats SO II liEn En Felix BorowskI the noted Chicago critic and composer wrote a ballet balJet entitled entitled entitled en en- titled which has been produced produced produced pro pro- by tho the Chicago Opera tion lion After Arter the performance Mary Iary Garden Garden Gar Gar- Garden den was standing in the wings wing's of ot the opera house near Borowski They say that was introduced to her herlie He lie naturally asked her how sho liked his music Oh said gald Our Mary I l know now you ou L vc-r vc very well vell I did not like liko it at all For five years ealS you know Mr 11 BorowskI Borowski Borow Borow- skI you ou did not like anything thing I 1 did So I 1 do not like HUo c your our music Tit for or tat So like o Our Mary Isn't It writes in Musical America |