New-York tribune., 1885-02-23
Total number Of representations.

-
From this list will be that twelve OF the twenty
tyo works promised given the unpeIfoimed list
being az follows: Wagner's 81 RienA" and Flying
Dutchmanr Mozarts Figaro" and Magic Flute"
Rossui's Barber" GOunods Faust" Ntcoai's Merry
Wives of Windsor" BOieldicu's Dame Blanche,
Msrschners Hans Heling" and Kreutzer's Nacht-
lager In Granada" Except in the character of the
operas a comparison OF the WORK done with that OF last
year is in favor Of the latter. Mr.. Abbcy's fall and
spring seasons consisted OF forty evenings ana NJ
teen matnees representations more than those o.
the German Nineteen operas were gwen ana
five omitted Of the promised list. But In Mr. Abbeys
Dis. there were only fiye operas which were included in
Dr. Damrosch's repcrtOry, these being LOhengIn,'
HRigoletto," Don Giovanni" Les UuguenOis and
Le Prophee" Four of these five were among the u eras
which attracted the most numerous audiences last year.
though Of them heard by so many reope then
as this season, except Don Giovanni" which was
peculiarly successful last year and peculiarly unsGc
eessu this for obvious The failure 10 produce
p the operas promised Is directly traceabe to the teach
ings OF first month OF the opera In the i-t were
number peculiarly German works In which the must
cal numbers aternated with spoken dialogue. The
experIepce OF Dr. Damrosch with Fidelio and Der
Fresehutz showed that works of this character were
upedfus to the persons OF birth in the audience
md this was one reason why 1t was decided TO omit
several OF them. Another reason Tas that II was Cund
at the large dimensions Of the Opera House detIacted
from even good performances OF light works; and st
that the style OI tue was
10 vigorous and declamatOry music rather ;nan to that
which depends for effect upon purity ana beauty Of voice
and excellence of vOcaiizBt1n. comparison OF the
a,t pevformances with those which were given wAch
the company continually engaged IN studying new
works VIII suggest another reason. Der ffelschuN
was p0Dry porfOriEed the uIst representations Of
sWuliam Tell and Les HuguonOis y. threatened the
loss Of all the prestige by The performances OF
LTannhauser" and fidelio," and Don Juan called
for "A vigorous exercise OF good nature. Whatever dis
appointment came therefore, from the failCIo TO pro-
nnce sncb Interesting works Hans Hcling" one Of
the finest n not finest product OF the cpgOnot or
Weber, and " Die Lustigen Weber Won windsor, un-
queslonaby the best ShakcspoaIian opera c1thn was
compensated Ia the excellence which marked the
performances OF Tannhauser," Lohengrin,' "Le
PrOphce," and Die WalkuTe." The production OF
this great work of art fitting end 10 Dr. Dam
rosch's artistic career Had he iyed know that, IN
a manner, II would have been the beginning OF "A new
ige that he would have been supported abundaDtly in
his mas nfcent ambition TO produce The entire Nblung
tetraOgy here next season. and 10 ncquant the Amer
people with Tristan and Isolde, Die Nc stcTpin
ger" Rienu and :" The Flying Dutchnan besides.
In this other respects, the death Of the director
was public calamity.
In the list, WaenePs operas lead with twenty-five
represcn, ,aGns, followed by Meyerbeer with fourteen
Halevy with five. Auber. RDssini and Beethoven with
with ore each The largest average attendance at
the seven representations OF Die Wakure; next in
nrer IN this particular comes Les HuguenDts, then
lie Prophete" and next "1annhauser." The honors |
sem therefore TO be divided pretty evenly between
wagner ana the composer against whom he directed
zig mest pointed shafts For "Tannhauser" FidolO,"
william Tell" MasaDiello," La Juive" and Die j