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Reviews — The New York Times
From the New York Times - November 28, 1908
“LE JONGLEUR DE
NOTRE DAME” HEARD
First Performance in America of
Massenet’s Opera at the
Manhattan.
MISS GARDEN AS THE HERO
An Opera of Delicate Fancy Telling a
Simple Story with Pathos, Mysticism,
Humor - Mr. Renaud as the Cook.
Jean, the Juggler Mary Garden Boniface M. Renaud The Prior M. Dufranne The Monk Poet M. Valles The Monk Painter M. De Segurola The Monk Sculptor M. Vieuille The Monk Musician M. Crabbe Musical Director, Cleofonte Campanini.Mr. Hammerstein’s first new production this season was made at the Manhattan Opera House last evening, when Massenet’s “miracle,” as he calls it, of “Le Jongleur de Notre Dame” - “Our Lady’s Tumbler” - was heard for the first time in this country. The audience was very large and the work clearly made a favorable impression, though the applause was not so unrestrained in its enthusiasm as that which some other of Mr. Hammerstein’s productions have called forth. But the subject and the nature of the treatment of “Le Jongleur de Notre Dame” are such as to give a quieter and more reflective pleasure rather than to rouse to outbursts of acclamation.
The opera is unconventional in its subject and treatment, and into his music Massenet has put some of his most delicate and original fancy, some of his subtlest skill in creating and maintaining an atmosphere, and giving characterization of persons, times, and places through music. The touching and simple story of the opera is based on a legend, such as formed the subjects of the mediaeval “miracle plays,” edifying the people by relating some miraculous intervention of divine power in reward of good works and piety. The poor little juggler, Jean, comes hungry to the Monastery of Cluny, and tries in vain to amuse the people on market day. At length he is induced to sing the popular ribald song called “The Alleluia of Wine.” The Prior arrives, and rebuking him, draws so vivid a picture of his future and his end that he enters the monastery to gain forgiveness - and as he naïvely admits, a dinner.
The second act shows the preparations in the monastery for the Feast of the Assumption. The monk in charge of the music is training the brethren in a motet, in which they make frequent mistakes. The painter and sculptor monks are preparing a colored image of the Virgin; there is a dispute between the different value of their respective arts. All the monks are doing something in honor of the Virgin; only Jean alone knows how to do nothing. At length in despair he appeals to Boniface, the cook, who tells that the Virgin will be pleased with anything he can offer. Accordingly Jean enters the chapel at night this is shown in the third act - stealthily, after he thinks all the brethren have gone, and proceeds to give a performance of his tricks, songs, and dances before the new image of the Virgin. The prior and the monks come upon him as he is thus engaged and are scandalized and infuriated at the sacrilege, but they are restrained from rushing forth to stop the impious juggler, as they regard him, by the big-hearted Boniface, till finally, as the end of their patience is reached and they are about to seize him - he being all the time unconscious of the trouble of which he is the cause the statue of the Virgin is suffused with a glow of light and she stretches forth her hands over him with a smile on her face. The monks are overcome by the miracle, and Jean sinks down exhausted, covered with confusion as he sees the brethren around him, and gently expires in the odor of sanctity. A chorus of angels is heard commending him, and the aureole of the blessed leaves the Virgin’s hands and shimmers over Jean’s head.
The opera has a singular charm the charm of quaint simplicity, of humorous touch, of delicate color, and a real atmosphere. It is to be placed among the most successful works of its composer. Strong originality and dramatic power are not the most notable features of Massenet’s music in general. These are to be found rather in graceful melody, clever design, skill in the general structure, and the finely wrought orchestration of his scores; and these are the excellencies of “Le Jongleur de Notre Dame.” All is here “silver gray, placid, and perfect.” The prevailing note is of gentleness, simplicity, and naïveté, with an admixture of humor and mysticism. The composer has inscribed at the head of the score the beatitude, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,” and both the inscription and the notation of the Gregorian tone that accompanies it are significant. For he has made considerable use of such melodies in the score; he has also helped himself to his effects by the use of folk-sing melodies, either real ones or tunes of his own based on their spirit and character.
There is a suggestion of a mediaeval spirit in these things, but there has also been care expended to avoid monotony, and Massenet does not linger too long over his “echoes of dead rhythms and melodies.” The prelude is solemn and dignified, an ecclesiastical tune; the opening chorus of the townspeople has a splendid verve, and is like one of the old bergerettes. The “Alleluia du Vin” that Jean sings for the people, and in which they join in the spirit of parody, has a true comic effect. Jean’s song in praise of liberty and his renunciation of it are most skillfully made in their contrasting expression. There is a further touch of parody in the air that Boniface sings as he comes in riding his jackass laden with flowers and vegetables for the refectory - an air half classic, half comic in its cut, with certain ecclesiastical turns in the melody and flowery counterpoint in the accompaniment. The spirit of the whole act has real vitality.
The prelude of the second act hints again at ecclesiastical tone, introducing us to the scene of the musical practice in the abbey, a scene in which comedy is paired with contrapuntal science. There are numerous excellent passages given to the cook, Boniface, as the song in which he encourages Jean; and one of the central points of the opera is his recital of the “legend of the Sage Brush,” telling how the humble plant took the task of concealing the infant Jesus from the Slaughter of the Innocents, which prouder ones refused, and was honored by divine favor in consequence. This air breathes the very breath of the old French folk song. Its music is a tender melody to which the accompaniment of the reed instruments gives a strongly pastoral suggestion.
The same pastoral suggestion is carried through the prelude of the third act, based on the same melody. The scene in this act, where Jean makes his offering of simple-minded faith to the Virgin - his dancing - is ingeniously made. Jean’s tunes are apt and stirring, a war song and a love song, and in the love song again, either use is made of a genuine old folk song or there is a most skillful patterning after the spirit of that song. Jean’s address to the Virgin, with which he preludes the offering has something in it of rapturous devotion. The whole scene is touched with humor and fresh gayety, as well as with a feeling of devoutness. The mystical and ecstatic feelings of the little juggler, and is puissant in its effect.
As it was originally composed, “Le Jongleur de Notre Dane” was for men’s voices entirely except for the very brief angelic chorus at the end behind the scenes, for women’s and children’s voices. But Miss Mary Garden’s ambitions, which reach far in many directions, extended to a desire to appear as the hero of this work, Jean, the juggler, who is a tenor in Massenet’s score. The character of the part and the music made such a change feasible, and the composer is said to have given it his consent and lent his assistance to it, as far as assistance was necessary. However dubious such an undertaking may have seemed in advance, the results are not unsuccessful. Here an entirely new side of Miss Garden’s extraordinary histrionic talent is shown. Her impersonation of the juggler has much sympathy, vivacity, and humor, and is underlaid with the essential pathos of the character. It might be a little less self-conscious, a little less petulant, a little simpler - it might so easily be, and it may be when Miss Garden has felt her way a little more clearly in the part. As she comes on in the first act, she is a poor, pitiful little figure, wholly ineffective in the juggler’s trade, doing ribald and distasteful things with a mental reservation of piety. As the little white monk she is as charming. She sings the songs with great dash and vivacity, and the music makes few demands on her voice that she cannot meet. The part of the juggler is likely to be one of the most successful in which she has appeared here.
Scarcely secondary, in the hands of Mr. Renaud, is the part of Boniface, the culinary monk, of the warm heart and the rich human sympathy, a figure of unctuous humor and more than monastic sympathies of which this wonderful artist has made a most minutely finished study instinct with character in every detail. He is not in his best voice, and seemed to be suffering from a cold, but not such an extent as seriously to imperil his success. His greatest effect was made, naturally, in the “Legend of the Sage Brush,” which he delivered with a power and a fervor that thrilled the audience.
The other parts were in admirable hands in those of Mr. Dufranne, who was the prior, a dignified figure, who sings his fine music with a noble voice; of Mr. Vieuille as the sculptor, Mr. Crabbe as the musician, Mr. de Segurola as the painter, and Mr. Valles as the poet. The choruses were sung with the vigor and energy that distinguish the choral singing at this house, the choristers were among the living, breathing moving characters on the stage. The orchestra was at times more vigorous than a just balance would have required, but most of the fine and characteristic effects of Massenet’s orchestration, which are many, were well realized. Mr. Campanini deserves another laurel in his wreath for the excellent performance he had prepared of this work and the vitality which he infused into it.
Last updated December 29, 2006