New-York tribune., 1886-02-25
MUSIC-THE DRAMA.
MoZARTs "MAGIC FLUTE.

Doubtless n good round dozen of reasons
why the American Opera people included The Magic
Pue In their repertory could be had for the asking For
instances but rarely been given In English ana only
~ exceedingly long intervals In italian, performances OF
II always waiting for tue coming OF phenomenally
endowed songstIoss able sing the music allotted 70 Ihe
Queen OF Nght It is the last OF Mozarts operas and
derives peculiar significance In this latter day when
the musical sceptre has passed from italy to Germany
from BoethOyen's alleged dictum that 1t was Mozarrs
one opera in right OF the style and soldy OF
Its music 10; 1t Is full OF easily comprehended musical
pieces 20 which tho Of the people the world over
have cung since childhood, and which are heard with
Increased IN tefost ard affection In their place In the
opera II we except few numbers and those among the
least interesting its music makes only modest requisi
ons on the vocal gifts and technical requirements OF the
forces employed IN IT. Its finest moments are those given
up to concerted and it Is in such music that the
artists OF tho American Company have given the most
pleasure; It opens boundess possibilities to the stage
decorator and machinlst, who IN mounting 1t. are
unembarrassed 10y the ordinary considerations OF pro-
prety rs 10 time, place anc people; nnaly, Madame
EAlemand though she has not distinguished herself
above fellows In the representations given thus far
has the reputation OF having sung the extraordinary
music of The queen Of Sih we'll in Germany, and Mr.
Whitneys bass might be imagined rs the product OF
special creation for the music OF SdrdStro.
Each OF these reasons has q certain amount OF
validity but taken together they probably do not weigh
as much the managerial mind ~ the simple facts that
tho work promised to enable the company to score
respect OF tho general effect OF the
performance "a PROMISE let say in passing. that has
teen fulfilled and that t makes strong appeal TO the
careess7class OF amusement patrons TO which Schck-
anoder and Mozart pandered In writing IT, and which
is unfortunately numerous now in New-YOrk as 1t
was In Vienna ninety years ago There Is, however,
point of view which the production of the opera at
this time IL open to question II is that from which the
payv Academy OF Music Is
siderod not contributor to the agreeable diversion
OF the public Institution whose first thought is
its exohequor and It's the demands of art but
the active agent OF dlgned. earnest Intelligent and
patriotic movement to advance the standard OF art.
culture IN America. II might be urged with consider
able force that allegiance to the mission of such u
stitution would have excluded The Magic Flute from
It's list at least until dstnctyey educational purpose
would by the production, its book could
be rcmOdecd and the opera purged OF the absurdites
which for nearly century have excited the rdicule of
critics and public and which. naturally, acoentuated
by translation into language understood by all The
former contingency will arise when the time for
representation OF all, or the better part of Mozart's
operas In succession, occasion ally happens IN Ger
mauy-a feature OF operatc activity which the most
saugune believers in tue future OF opera In America will
hesitate look upon imminent. With the prevailing
and tendencies In this department of music such
A consummaion is more than likely to be preceded by
Wagnerau cycle the possibility OF which need not be
more than two years distant The latter contingency
at the command of the management, though, no
DOUBT II would have been difficult 10 ilnd any one in
tmatey acquainted with the music OF the opera and
customed to dramatic composition willing to undertake
tho necessity of which recognized for dec
aces In Germany without inspiring poet play wright
with the Willingness aud ability to It, The
dihcuty Hos In finding satisfactory theory which to
proceed Ia the work Of revision Every effort to give
opera dignity and conference OF plot would be likely
to end in failure 1t is the magic Of the music of Die
ZauberOto which has kept fresh aud sparkling
Alpine stream In the midst of the disturbing nilu-
OF changing tastes and ideals and this sic is
full the book OF albeit Is most amiabe
NONSENSE The experiment has been tried. In the first
quarter OF this century tho French had n version
titled Les Mysteries dIsis" made by musician who. IL
is related burst into after the performance,
compose operas because he could not hope 10
produce anything comparable In beauty with this Yet
his hOtch p0toh The augmented the music with pieces
drawn from other operas of Mozarn long ago ree.
! gated to the limbo of artistic monstrosites.
The most satisfactory solution of the difficulty would
seem to bo to leave the general drift of Schickaneders
stupid extravaganza unchanged ana 10 seek to improve
the dcti0n of tho text and this to have been
complished In reasonable degree In the Academy YER
sion. Yet there denying that there Is something
saddening In tho contemplation OF much admirable
music being kept in the service Of work which, Us