As I said before, I had not had a chance of seeing the Gounod operas which Diaghileff was producing at Monte Carlo. I know only that the public had proved indifferent to those performances and had not appreciated my friend’s gesture. In their uncultured snobbishness the greatest fear of times if they showed enjoyment for music stupidly condemned by the publicity-mongers of what was once the advance guard. I was myself a witness of this foolish attitude of the public at the first performance of ‘L’Education Manquée’ during the Russian Ballet season at the Champs-Elysées. The tile was ironic, for the audience displayed a complete lack of education. Being accustomed to see nothing but ballets at Diaghileff’s performances, they considered that they were swindled in having to see an opera, however short, and indicated their impatience by interruptions and cries of “Dance, dance.” It was nauseating. It is only fair to say that these interruptions came for the most part from outsiders, who were easily recognized as such by their foreign accent. And to think that this same audience listens devoutly and with angelic patience to the edifying harangues of King Mark endlessly reiterated at official gala performances under the baton of some star conductor! << less