New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-08
Music.
TANNrA USER IN TIE CONCERT ROOM.

VI.
Wagner's Tannhauser" was performed fol
the first time this side Of the Atlantic in August 1857
Mr. Bergman conducted the work, the Mannerchor
Arion sang the mems choruses. and the principal per-
formers Nine sedenberg Herr Pckaneser ard IIer
| Lenmann. The place the German stadt Theatre n
which dozen or more years later "Loh@ngTin also he'd
| its introduction to people through the efforts
| Of modest German company. Since then number OK
trOupes have attempted the opera In 1872 advantlEs
taken OF the presence in the city OF Franz Ab ths
German sOngwriter and chapelma,ter. 10 bring 1t
under his direction; in 1874 and 1875 Mime. Lchtmay /,
presence here occasion OF questionable r--
vval" and in 1877 the Frye Nenendorf Combination
maltreated the work at the Academy. Then Nine.
| Pappenhelm filed the role OF ELi-dbeh and
Mr. Bischof was the minstrel knight The merit
| which lay in these performances hardly
substantial enough to the subject OF brief
discussion. IL seldom that the music Of than
one part was even fairly well sung Always THE stage
decorations absurd in the extreme The bacchana
an reve with which the opera opens and which Wagner
! amplifed for the Partisan public, was never
| given. and the Transformation which remains the
| most beautiful and thrilling spectacular AMI
| dramatic effect that Wagner has created
aged so "a to be anything except ridiculous. There
therefore comparative failure Of all the elements
which Wagner thought important in the lyric drama and
all that was accomplished the dissemination OF a
vague sort Of an idea Of the musical and dramatic src
tuTe Of the opera.
The Justification which Mr.. Thomas had for the per-
Torrance Of the music in the cOncerroOm, the
that he had for the later musical dramas-no and
no less For the general pubic advantage from
the performance Of the earlier work its music mach
more lyrical than that OF any drama which
followed it except "Lohengrin," and thu
old forms and continued writing In it
give it the material FOR direct appeal 10 the faculties
which most employed by listeners at a In
fact in only one instance does the los Of the spectacle
and action which haunt the listener fragments OF the
Nibelung tragedy thrust itself painfully upon ones
attention. It the transition the first the
second in the first act Here in the marvellous
transformation already referred to. An orchestral
crash follows the pentent ninstres call upon the Virgin
instantly the cave OF Venus with all It's alhIrements
disappears and T1ihdaSer without having changed his
position finds himself lying stretched the greensvard
Of lovely Thlringan valley, while a shepherd lad,
seated rock trolls dtty to the month of May, then
beguiles himself with playing upon shepherds pipe,
while number OF pilgrims their way 20 Rome pass by
singing pious then is ideal cO-opera-
ton OF pictures action, poetry and music and violence
was done the poet-compOser last night
at the Metropolitan Opera House, by the
performance of the beginnings Of the scenes with
the music interrupted by full stop between them sn
this is part of what pay for the PRIVILEGE OF hearing
the music Of the opera grandly performed, and
it is with the music only that We have
to deal IN these Wagnerian concerts which Mr.
Thomass daring spirit and his confidence in the public
have provided.
It pleasant to observe that in respect this
daring unrewarded this confidence misplaced
last night fine audience had gathered TO
hear the music and there manifest
keener appreciation of the beauties Of tho
performance, and heartier enthusiasm than have
marked any Of the concerts which preceded this
Had the enthusiasm not gone hand In
band with a really reverential spirit, every
number of the music would have called long
and noisy demonstration As il
opportunity TO testify their delight by the LISTEN
ers Tie bulk OF the opera given the most sgnia
cant omissions being the Venus and Tam
hduser in the first and the OF the MINISTRIES in
the Warburg In the second In both OF them portions
the opera, however, Herr wagner's opponents have
round food Tor crclsm they nave argued that In these
scenes where there call tor the Pavshing and
eXuberant melodies the composer cOnented himself With
vigorous sort of defamation instead. The omitted
were most easily spared
or the brancy of the orchestra the pOmpous yig0r OF
the chorus IN the familiar h. and the sweeping AMI
magnificent singing OF Nine. In this music had
an example IN the first concert. multiplication OF tho
extracts could not add 70 EN- lnstration that al
ready complete But the had fresh interest ia
the exposition which enabled Winkemann give
OF his great merits in "Taunhauser merits which
brought him the beartiest recognition in the
years or hs artistic It also interesting be-
case or the unusual measure OF which crowned
the efforts of the local singers Darficp1ted-es-
pecaly Mr.. RemmeTtA He sang with better nt0natIon
than Herr scaa, who frequently forced his OF
time and with a dlSagreeable barshness.