▁the ▁form ▁of ▁an ▁opera ▁". ▁Arnold ▁Be cker ▁of ▁New ▁York ' s ▁San ▁Carlo ▁Opera ▁under lined ▁that ▁the ▁author ▁" ▁poss esses ▁the ▁so - called ▁extr am us ical ▁fac ult ies , ▁without ▁which ▁any ▁composer , ▁however ▁capable ▁he ▁may ▁be , ▁even ▁Sch ub ert , ▁would ▁be ▁in cap able ▁to ▁make ▁his ▁plays ▁triumph . ▁" ▁The ▁work , ▁however , ▁raised ▁in ▁the ▁pages ▁of ▁the ▁magazine ▁La ▁Ly re ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 2 9 , ▁much ▁controvers y ▁initi ated ▁by ▁recognized ▁professional ▁artists , ▁forcing ▁the ▁editor ial ▁committee ▁to ▁interven e ." ▁On ▁the ▁occasion ▁of ▁the ▁performance ▁of ▁" ▁L ' Int endant ▁Big ot ", ▁there ▁were ▁de pl or able ▁deb ates , ▁he ▁wrote . ▁[] ▁Unfortunately , ▁personal ▁arguments , ▁completely ▁un related ▁to ▁the ▁music , ▁were ▁presented . ▁[] ▁we ▁have ▁never ▁said ▁that ▁M . ▁Vo yer , ▁self - t aught , ▁produced ▁a ▁master pie ce , ▁no ▁more ▁than ▁we ▁said ▁that ▁M . ▁Vo yer ▁gave , ▁in ▁his ▁score , ▁tri ps ▁to ▁the ▁rules ▁of ▁the ▁musical ▁pros ody , ▁he ▁con cludes ▁" ▁. ▁ ▁Musical ▁Background ▁ ▁J .- U l ric ▁Vo yer ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁professional ▁music ian . ▁He ▁worked ▁for ▁ 2 1 ▁years , ▁as ▁an ▁advert ising ▁agent ▁for ▁J .- B . ▁Rena ud ▁and ▁reg rett ed ▁not ▁having ▁been ▁able ▁to ▁dedic ate