Critical Reaction
Opera critic Arthur Elson, writing in 1901, while appreciating d'Indy, prefers another composer.
Of the younger men, Vincent d'Indy (1851– ) has shown himself abreast of the times, and his Fervaal, with a libretto of "rhythmic prose," is a worthy example of the school of operatic realism and musical complexity. But the most prominent composer for the Paris stage at present is Alfred Bruneau. n Le Réve (1891), on a libretto from Zola's novel, he began the career that has won him his present position.
In a post-Wagner age under "the artistic domination of Bayreuth," Elson describes two "paths" in contemporary opera, one path being more conservative,
while the other has led to the uttermost regions of modern polyphony and dissonance. Among the more radical group, corresponding to Bruneau, D'Indy, and Franck, the most daring work has been done by Richard Strauss.
In Elson's opinion, those following the more conservative path are Cornelius, Goetz, Humperdinck, and Goldmark, as well as Saint-Saëns and Massenet.
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