The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-27
ADJUSTMENTS.


OF Music II had been rumorcl that scvcral
days before all the seats in tho Academy had
been sold, and the overlooking audience that
filed the house. the passages, and the door
ways. denoted clearly enough that the occasion
was ono that commanded. in an unusual de-
groc. the public curiosity.
1t is pity, after Wagner. through his great
works performed at Bavrcuth, has challenged
public attention in 80 marked "a manner. should
now be heard here through an opera which he
docs not in the least consider an exponent Of
his thought or purposes, or of his genius.
Tho Flying Dut'hman" tder Flicgcnic Hol-
Mndrrl. is to his later works what one Of Byron's
Juvenile poems was to his Childe Harold"
thing in the authors mind that was only sub
jet for regret.
wagner, when young man. was attracted to
Pnris. the capital Of Europe in all matters of
art. On the voyage from Riga. ON the Baltic.
the vessel in which he sailed was driven 10y
severe storm to take shelter on the coast Of Nor
why. During this storm Wagner conceived the
idea Of writing an opera on the legend Of the
Flying Dut Imam. and this design he put into
execution after his arrival at Paris. and during
the days Of his dependency. poverty. and suf-
fcring in that city. Doubtless he found somc-
thing congcnial to his own mood in the story.
The Flying Dutehman was an outcast and a
wandcrcr 10y sea and land. pursued 10y a
dismal and relentless fate misunderstood and
doomed to be surround by enemies. and
all this doubtless Wagner thought he
found reflected in his own experience. There
was also "A wiliness in the old story that
kinllD Masnot's imagination. The legend IT,
self was two or three hundred years old-per-
hays Older. for il scems to have prrp .tuatrd it.
self among sca-dwclling people from axe to
age. and has cropped out again most singularly
within a short time among our own people in
the story Of some OF tine Block Islanders who
aver that in their youth they saw, ON Il certain
night in every ycar, phantom ship in flames
sail hy tn island. The old legend of tho Flying
llut Imam WAS Ia Tue cii' That he W;- sea
captain, and tried once tu weather a certain
rap' a. lnst wind and sea. lie WAS driven
hu'k hundred times, nut swore lti thou
sand oatls that. though il took him all eternity,
lac would. spite OF God or devil, round that
cure. The devil took him at his word; and
since then he has been u Wanderer over the
ocean. ace ur~od Of God and dreaded 10y man, as
tn omen ~ evil and shpwrock.
Wagner has materially altered the legend 10
suit his purposes, and. OF course. tl III II Tor
dramatic representation. In his lihrctto the
FNIng Dutchman r. an unhappy out'i.st. driv
cu ly some Unexplained late to roam the St Us,
AMI yet always csruus W rest mud peac" and
q happy fires de. These have been promised
him If a maiden can hc foundto love and marry
him. ana every seven years hn II permitted to
land and seek such u bride. But the curse
beng unon him he IL constantly repclled and
stunned
In" opera opens NJ tho time or ono Of these
permitted visits TO earth. and ~ the tired wan
dgnr appears upon the scene h. eXcaim-:
" The umecNpirS again seven yrars are passed
Ike a storm. Nearici Of mo. the sea casts me
back upon the earth. Alas! fierce sea, thou
shi.lt aEiAn receive me, Tor never shall | Ind
help On earth O, wild waves eir,lling the
world. ann yours TIL the last hIlluw Ii shat
tered and the last drop dri"d upi' But at this
nom he cn .punters another s"niarer. Ddt-
amt by name. who has lust landed thr scene is
on the Nurwt llan coa~tl. and vino takes the
put lnah 10 ms ivnr, Iher' he meets
>'pin miul Aa- lr..n tllod with compassion for
] thr HnllputDr whose story Shr H. wont to re-
late. and She lectures that If iatr ever gives her
/ the "pp"rtuhy size Will nr MS lrlNercr. Iho
! OCCASION soon ars - ana, true 10 her promise"
she rel,.t- Erie. her lover, and boiroths herself
/ a. Ia" flFlug Out 'nnan. oi cour~" TINS brings
/ about mu' h accusation ami roprndrh from the
! rejected lover. II Is on one Of these interviews
| that the liolland"r finds them together. He
! mistakes their violent emotions Tor mutual
| love- and believing himself once moro. "a on a
! thousand previous occasions, hrtrg, ed and de-
| serted. he PUSHES 10 his sh.n and scts -lil nj
! once. Poor >tidc. without any opportunity for
eAplAAaton, AMI in despair throws herself
nom M" elm into ~ -'i - she looks riN "a the
| d parting ship. The spell Is broken, th"
/ woman WHO snail love him tin death has full
! snip founders and disappears, Untthe wund"rer
! Is 10 l'St ~ T. - iu t1e death that he 50 long
ant ardenty lad waited AND pray 'd for.
/ tlr+ contrasts between the iut.u-' -ufI'rlu, Of
/ tlr il-iatrl iiollnnl,r and th" equally Intense
/ ind -'li--Hrrlil ing love of >7tl. The spin
/ D. ne -1ns m tho second at Is always q favor
/ o. Hul b. well known to all plauI-i- through
] l-i-- very nc. tive urran cement of H. 1t
n..ui- ut flr opening oi the ~''.oui act. where
>rtft ~.tS surrnl nlod ty spinning rNliN i-
] who sing tni- lr'ty aud YtNmi al uru-.
/ between Santa. rHpr.- nt'd hy MI-- Kellogg.
I ans 90" lio.landrr Mr. Cwlet.nl. loading 90 q
part, J. his was ~ me cay. when Na-u'r did
not dis lam t. write trioS. thins wA. ID now he
never dos. In the third nci ther" IT. CON" eN-
/ "Nrm chorus music ami the du.I hetw"n
>t'd AMI EnA l,r former lover Nj. Maasl,
Wiz 20 $50 very elective.
This opera mus been performed in almost
n.ery capital ia Luropo At one time or another
I during the tInIty-luur years that have elapsed
sn-" was irst brought out IN Dresden under
Masters own dir'.ti,n.
IL l0ul0u. wD'rr it wns produced in 1870 in
l'.t..-n. rn4 ,u.t i,r' t;o" =, Aii.ui end az;
NJ 1i7Aa and Mr.. saut.ei assumed iAe lrin ipu
Ar aly in this opera the germs ~ DIS later
-tsie are aiplr nj, and We find some of the
strIns characteristics that mark hiS sui s'-
h'u.h Gudtr ill., inru'nse. II tic nr,.-
NuIlug uotlod- OF operate ronipo- ton
5 ni- iirm Wlll nnd purpose. and hi- gret
unH- native qualities, u-s. rted ulrm7-iND al
In inanyr -p"es 'Ne" Flying pu'-lmon" re-
i,'+ yrar- carrier than THAT wnr, al Ittul
be- j -7 ntrrretins and in Almost b. As Aa> tn
h', of the NO works IS the -an'r. Ii
Iltl, We int mdlllrns lDII ol poetic ferry ir uut
.Pn ~ ~ '3ih lh"f' come rIl sc r.Nn- lo'.t-
ffInnlIH In 30 l |fl 80 D., rINN INK through The
wat rIy meuu- of som" eupTuWunl agency
t.c otHrr. drawn in "a boat ly.a WNit' -Nai
cNpc.iant lnetlcns. EIsa m |Lolengrin." an'
e..fG % thr Flying lut hmau, TAM n' once n
h'iA .tt l'l 90. u" p.' IT. qua I,rS' tru
. comes the f'riun, ~ -.,ng thoir ily-ti,a
..t..- ..al .,nHr a- -uIdcut 90 t.Ny 'aN ,an.
30. D. tiH NUE. th,rt % al 80 pu 10 Uni
u-a OF tnrorah,.tra r.il,etius and intern. yin.
.l d f 4 . I