New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-08-31


such great power of expression. uttered underneath
the orchestral accompaniment suggestive passage
of ;is own The dwarf covered behind his anvil.
Suddenly the music changed heard in the forest
The voice of Siegfred the breezy song which fol-
lowed him when he rushed forth in the earlier part
of theact REQUIRED again, and he burst into the
cave. calling loudly for the sword, Mime, still asi-
tated and bewildered repeated only the words OF
VIVA" Nur wer das Firchten ME erfuhr
Schmicdet NOthung neu'
Reused at last he tried to teach Siegfred fear lie
told him Of Fafner. who in the form of dragon
kept guard over the treasure of the Nibeungs, IN
lonely region called Neidhole But Siegfr1eds
shirts only rose the higher at the tale. He longed
to attack the dragon. He demanded to be led TO
the spot. He called for the pieces of his fathers
sword, and welded them himself by the dwarfs
forge As he stood with his hand on the bellows
rope. and the flames glowed about the iron, he sang
the great Song Of the Smithy
"Nothung. Nothing
Neidliches Schwert!
Was Inustest du zerspriDgen"
"a song to be given with full chest and head erect
and bold and manly voice, song that breathes OF
herosm in every note, and rouses the coolest u.s.
tener TO passionate delight. 1t Is difficult to write
of this long scene in Mines cavern without an APP
pearance of exaggerated enthusiasm. but the
strongest possible praise would not be too strong
am sure that there hardly an intelligent man IN
the sbeater who did not feel his pulses beating
quicker and quicker as the act developed itself
The blade was drawn red from the fire, hammered
and tempered and fitted to the hilt Get me remark
here that the forge and fire were real and they were
real sparks which flew from the iron when 1t was
beaten ON the anvil. Segfrieds exuitatlon rose as
be drew near the end of his task; with every repet
ton of the song. Nothing, Nothing ho-ho! ma
he'll hO-hol ha-heip the excitement increased III
the sword was finished, and he tested it by striking
terrible blow upon the anvil, cieavlng the iron
block in twain Then the curtain fell
SIEGFRIED AND THE DRAGON.
In the second act after portentOus VOrspiel we
saw the exterior of Fafners cave, huge pile OF
rocks filing the background. forest opening ON the
left beautiful spreading trees and clumps OF reeds
extending toward the front. 1t dark night, and
we dimly dScerned the figure Of man leaning
against the rocks. II was Alberch, who haunted
the SPOT where his stolen treasures lay hid. There
was a fine scene between him and the Wanderer,
Wotan, over which, as it was somewhat episodical
IN a dramatic sense. may PASS briefly only remark
ing that according to his custom Wagner gives the
cod here a sort of solemn defamation while the
melody which is of the most exquisite kind, Is as
sieued almost entirely to the orchestra. The noise
IF a storrn-wind and sudden CLEAN of light fol-
lowed Wotan as he disappeared from the stage
Then day began to dawn. The faint twilight was
followed by the rosy blush. and iii the growing
tight the beauty of the foliage revealed itself.
Mime led Siegfried upon the scene and showed him
the cave of the dragon which he was 10 Kill. FOR
the dwarf since ne had not been able to prevent the
young volsung from getting possession of the ter
chile sword which was to conquer the dragon, had
resolved first to aid him in bis enterprise and then
tokill him and secure the treasures. Here again,
as i'm the first act, the characters and purposes of
the dwarf and the hero were wonderfully discrimi-
dated in the music. When Mime had gone away
Sierfried threw himself upon a grassy bank at the
foot of tree And now began pastoral scene OF
delicious dclicacy and elegance. The orchestral
part of what followed has been called almost sym
phOnie in character 1t certainly IN Its beauty
and richness AS Sieglried in charming strain
of tenderness, such he had not hitherto shown,
unused on the history of his birth, and gave voice to
the half-deined aspirations which drove hun into
the world the orchestra filed the scene with the
music of nature. The still woods woke to lie with
the rising of the The mlTnur OF rustilng
leaves the signing of the waving branches, the
whir of nyrads of insects, the morning greeting OF
the birds, rose and fell upon the air. Ii was the
birds at last that drew Siegfried from his revery
"Abn he cried chow often have ! tried 10 under
stand their sOngi Let me initiate it, and perhaps L
shall know what it says" lie made pipe from
reed which ne cut with his sword. The futile at
tempt to reproduce the mtsic OF the featbercd
tribes on this rude instrument is treated by Wagner
with considerable humor. Siegfred threw away his
whistle and seating hims II ut the foot OF tree took
MP his silver horn. This at least" said he " can
play" He wound upon it an exceedingly pretty and
merry tune the effect OF the scene being greatly
helped by the fact that the horn passage was played
not in the orchestra is usual IN such cases, Dut by
performer concealed behind the tree.
The horn aroused the giant Falner, and we saw
him in dragons guise tthe German text calls him
great worrl"l roll out of the cave. The machine
was big enough tor TO stand upright inside It's
head and the voice OF tho Fdher of the first even
ing Issued from its chasm of a throat. The battle
that ensued was short and, to tell the plain truth
rather absurd. In drawing his sword from the body
of the slain dragon Of the blood fell upon
Sieried's hand it burned like fire, and he put his
hand to his mouth. Instantly the understanding of
the language of birds TO him. From the
branches overhead we heard light soprano voice.
in phrases which most ingeniOusly welded articu-
late speech To blrd-like tones. direct Sleg-
fried to enter the cavern and secure the
helmet and the ring. We heard 1t again
warn him against the tTeaciery OF Aibcrich
and behold the dwarf, when he approached, was
made to utter not the false professions that we're
framed on his lips but the malice and nlurderous
purpose that uTked in his heart. He offered a
poisoned drink, and Siegfried slew him, threw bis
body into the cave, and blocked up the entrance
with the carcass of the dragon. Ii would be useless
TO try to describe the music Of this animated scene
or rather should say this succession of scenes all
crowded with incident. Every action had IT'S appro-
pirate accompaniment every word fitted exactly its
musical expression. There is no such thing as