New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-19
-, :, America as If she dearly loved it. shd

,,,..p NJ America as II she dearly loved 1t. Shd
homes TO see our shores again soon. Sure enoughH
r ,.rov Herr Richter would be here There hs
s,ords brusoue, hearty, inelegant, but sinccrca
= ,orn from which the waist has long since dis
a,,eared n huge tawny beard, heavy shock OF
blonde hair. typical German lie was as stralgn"
forward In his conversation as In his looks Wheu
told him that we needed him In America ne shud-
dcrod and said. Not till the ocean Is aboishcd!''
ril,. ve,di no has mortal dread OF Neptune ana
mn, do mos Bnt now another character comes on
the scene. II is short, fGt, good-humored' gray
haired, spectaclcd man, who beckohs me 10 So
down and chat bit, and eat an ICE ap''r' rum
the tbronc. Il is NJ. Lamoureux, the nius'ca'
hero OF Paris, the man who ran into ac'oai ""ns
for the sake of giving performances VI
grim in France. / speak to him OF tnis Nh"
press my admiration roundly. lie m@Rcs ''p
rccating gesture but says: fes there "o'.A
have been actual danger, possibly verifaoie r'o',
had given another performance ask Mn, !.
he will try it again, and he says very emphancaiy
/" Yes ! shall give many orchestral numbers iro"i
Wagner's works this season. C'est drole' tn"
French do not get enraecd at that It seems THAI
Wagner only becomes dangerous when given IN
costume As for me, make music, not l"'litics'
and do not think Wagner should enter into poll
tics at all"
NJ Iamoureux returned my compliments with
comnound interest. lie has the French gift OF
aattery, and he unblushingly praised my French.
which IS OF a quality to make the inhabitants OF
Paris shed tears, and began speaking Of America
with rapture ! want to 20 there some time.
It is very audacious Of me, considering what greao
musicians you possess, but am fond OF travel
and must yet see your great country
Then the music began. cannot describe that
mart Of the evening. Herr Scheidemantcl sang
Schubert's Sci mir Gegrusst' in mos. exceiene
STYLE, giving each strophe different expression.
and moderating his great baritone perfectly to tho
room Then Miss Frtzsch. Of the Carsruhe opera
House sang List number. Then Herr Stanen"
hagen, the best Of the younger planists piayed
selection and then Frau Materna obhteratcd all
that had gone before by singing the finale OF dc
Gottcrdammerung7 as I have never heard IL be-
fore She was inspired by the Surroundings ana
Herr Mottl himself was at the piano. while FRAU
Cosma Wagner turned the leaves IL was htcinS
crown to that glorious evening. and soon AFTER tnls
the company began 10 dspcrse,. many OF them re-
turning to plebeian Joys at AngemahhS b
where the seance lasted till o'clock the nexo
morning
| had. however still another WaGnerian pill
! grimage to make, and an early train brought mo
on dismal. dusty ride to Munich where "ag-
ners first OPERA Die Feen' was being resur-
rected The Opera House in Munich is very LARGE
but plain and not comparable to tho fine edhces
at Frankfort. Vienna and Pcsth. But the per.
formances are better than in those cities. which
have contented themselves with paying more at
tcntion to the frame than to the picture. OF
course in Die Feen' one does not seek for Wag-
merriam theories The opera was modelled on tho
Auberian and Bellinian plan. and has tunes in
! good number There are many touches or Weoer
and Mozart there also. and one feels like lowing
continually as old musical acquaintance pass III
review The librctto is the most absolute. inefa-
bic and awful trash. suited at the pesJ lor ,ha
plot of a ballet 1t is a compoand OF Lufllhe'
" Iolanthe" and =" The Magic Flute and falries
and human warriors mingle in the most uncon.
strained manner The music Is lar better ann
much of it is worthy Of being rescued from
oblivion. There are melOdious arlas. even caNau,
mas and some lne even II not original. cohcerle9
effects. II the ridiculous plot could he worker
over all would be well; as 1t Is, the II ma menu
try to float the opera on the ballet principle, ny
grand spectacular effects. Fairies are contioually
floating on or off the stage on cloud winch IS
not as comfortable as Broadway horsc-car; tho
scene suddenly changes from palace 70 burns
ing pit and back again. and other startling trans
!, formations are constantly occurring. fairy mas
married mortal. and two children are born TO
the happy pair. In the trials which come upon
them these children are tossed around IN
a manner that makes Normal youngsters
happy IA comparison By the aid of his aiiee-
| ZION and friendly wizard the husband hnallY
, becomes fairy himself. and the results OF the
mesalance are ended in falry scene OF apso-
utcly dazzling splendOr the best OF lis klnd thic
have ever seen The second act Is the strongest.
Z and contains more than one flash OF wagner
( Conus the impressive chorus OF welcome TO tne
{ " King" and the striking and original nsurc III
the orchestral accompaniment being especaIy mo-
. tjccoble The playful scene between the King
SQUIRE and his mistress is light pretty ana meio
dous. and the chorus at the appearance OF ue
. children aforesaid is as tuneful as anything 10
the opera The whole work utterly refuteS those
G Ignorant critics who have maintained that WaR
n ner could not write melody. Yet the very p,s'
, ! single number of the opera is the prayer Oh tht
l. LAST act ouintette and chorus, entirely unaccom
s nanied which | recommend for concert perform
IS ance by some of your large vocal clubs. II thel
~ | ron oct the score There is even " mad-scene
d, in this opera with q very tender second part anS
L n most tunefu oboe solo
n Tn short, then. the opera Is TO be ranked
=, musicalv as a very agreeable not especially
- original work. which, if it had bearable plot
- wonld be occasionally heard on its own merits
Y Naturally its great attraction at present Is TN
curiosity Of the public TO hear the beginnings OF Tn
N oreat master The house was crowded from DIT Y
. dome and it was only with the greatest dlmcuIt
IL that 7 obtained a seat at all. So you see tina
&c tho Wagner fever is not confined 10 Bavreut
q alone / have now been through II from first
\ last stages, and only hope that have been adj
: TO inoculate THE TRIBUNEs readers with som
u of the same enthusiastic disease. L. T. T..