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event； one would think the sight of the lover's approach； with lions and
elephants in attendance and a tiger hanging on behind the chariot； might
have shown Fatima that； although Bluebeard might be admirable as an advance
agent for a menagerie； he would hardly be a pleasant fireside companion。
However； it was the old story！ Moved by love； ambition； poverty； ennui； or
what not； Fatima lost her head； as all Bluebeard's previous wives had done；
both before and after marriage； and left the humble home of her childhood
for the unknown castle。 Simple chords give us this information thus：
（Semplice； piano for the Humble Home； Agitato； fortissimo for the Unknown
Castle。）
Then comes the 〃_Liebesgruss_Motiv_〃 （Love's Greeting Motive）。 No single
instrument can give this exquisite theme。 The whole symphony of human
nature seems to rise and spread its wings in a glorious harmony of pairs
and twos of a kind melting in passionate octaves and triplets。 The
groping； ardent； distracted； thwarted； but ever protesting bass； set
against a coquettish； evasive； yet timidly yielding treble； the occasional
introduction of a mysterious minor in the midst of a well…authenticated
major； gives us an intimation that wooing is not an exact science。
Next come the 〃_Hochzeitsreise_und_Flitter_Wochen_Motive_〃 （The Bridal Tour
and Honeymoon motives）。 Here are harp _glissandos_； here are voices
soaring； voices roaring； voices darting； voices floating； weaving an
audible embroidery of sound。 They make up the most exquisitely tender scene
of the opera； and arc especially interesting to us in America； since they
are built upon one of our national songs。 This can only be regarded as a
flattering recognition of our support of German opera in this country。
ARIA
〃Midst the treasures of his palaces； dee…lighted to roam；
〃Sister Anne with fair Fatima explored their new home！
〃Home！ Home！ Sweet； sweet Home！
〃There's no place like home when a maid's too poor to roam！〃
It is later on in this act that we have the celebrated 〃Hope Motive；〃 a
marvelous series of tone…pictures so novel and sensational that many box…
holders are expected to drop in at ten…thirty for the excitement of this
one brief scene。 The motive wanders from key to key； hoping that in the end
it will hit off the right one。 Fatima is hoping to find her ideal in
Bluebeard。 Sister Anne is hoping to get a handsomer husband than Fatima's；
Blue…beard is hoping that Sister Anne will be his eighth spouse； and hoping
that there will be room to hang her in the hidden chamber； in which his
deceased wives are already pressed for room。 All this is reflected in the
voices of the singers； together with many other emotions。 They hope that
they will be able to come in just enough after or enough before； the usual
time of entrance； to rivet the conductor's attention； that they will be
preserved from falling into one another's parts； that they will not be
drowned by the orchestra； that they will be able to mount the dizzying
heights of a precipitous chromatic scale and manage an unrehearsed descent
in fifths on the half…notessomething that always causes intense joy in an
uneducated audience； especially when it is unsuccessful。
This scene runs the gamut of human emotion。 The universe is mirrored in it。
First； one of the themes which we have noted； and then another； is sounded；
bringing to the bearer's mind all the crucial moments of Bluebeard's
strange； perverted； wife…pursuing life； as well as all the aspirations and
disappointments of Fatima's ambitious but checkered career。 All the while
that this complicated web of motives is being woven out of unresolved
dissonances； the thirty first violins keep on playing the same three notes
in ever…precipitated rhythms。 This is radical； audacious； and effective。
The notes are G flat； A sharp； and B natural； and the world reels as we
hear them。 Everything is ours in this sceneorchestration； vocalization；
dramatization； characterization； gesticulation； auditory inflammation；
cacophonation； demoralization； adumbration。
There is an abrupt change of key after the 〃Honeymoon Motive〃 from sweetest
major to a piercing minor。 This is exquisitely sincere and symbolic； though
it is a point too delicate to be perceived save by musicians who have
married but have not been able to hang up their wives。 The libretto goes on
to say：
〃The honeymoon passed when a letter one day
〃Upon urgent affairs called Lord Bluebeard away
〃To inspection； sweet love； all my castle I leave；
〃But remember with this key be on the _qui_vive_！
〃It is not a natural keythink of that！
〃My sword's in the key of one sharp； and that's flat！
〃（Then he half drew his blade； and it was sharp and flat。）〃
From this point the music…drama hastens tragically to a close。 We have
Bluebeard's sudden （and feigned） journey； introduced by a pompous march of
great originality：
MARCH （Pomposo。 Decrescendo。。。。。sempre p pp ppp）
Then we have the fatal curiosity of Fatima and her sister Anne。 We must
extenuate here； nor aught set down in malice； remembering that Wagner knew
only the women of his own day； before the sex was uplifted and purified by
the vote； and he naturally depicted them with the man…engendered vices that
were then a part of their unhappy heritage。 This 〃_Neugierde_Motiv_〃
（Curiosity Motive） is made up of agitated； sharply accentuated sixteenth
notes played with incredible vivacity and culminating in a terrifying
orchestral crash where entrance is made into the hidden chamber； with its
famous tableau so eloquent of the polygamous instinct of man； an instinct
only kept in subjection by the most stringent laws and the most militant
domestic discipline。
ANTI…FEMINIST ARIA
〃But Fatima said； 'To the keyhole let's creep；
〃There can be no harm just in one little peep！
〃We are womenbesides； there are none to behold us！
〃If he wished us to leave it； he shouldn't have told us！'〃
It is these inexcusable lines which have caused the Feminist party to
boycott （and perhaps rightly） any opera…house in which this drama is given；
urging that they contain an insult which can be wiped out only with blood
or ballots。 I sympathize with this feeling； yet； as I said before； there
are extenuating circumstances。 Wagner was born a hundred years ago。 In his
time the hand of woman； though white； was flabby and inert from years of
darning； patching； stirring the pot； buttoning and unbuttoning； feeding and
spanking man's perennial progeny。 He had no conception how that frail hand
would be steadied and strengthened by dropping the ballot into the box； how
curiosity； vanity； parasitic coquetry； lack of logic； overweening interest
in millinery and inability to balance a check…bookhow these weaknesses
would vanish under the inspiring influences of municipal politics；
therefore I feel disposed to forgive him； and to attribute to him； not
absolute and deliberate insult； so much as a kind of patronizing
persiflage。 In this case； however； feminists will say that the great Wagner
undoubtedly and regrettably overreached himself。
Here is just a hint of the theme； a paltry； parasitic； mid…Victorian
motive。
CURIOSITY ARIA
Curiosity c