New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-26
MUSIU
wAusER's "GoETTERDAEMMERUNe.r

In their ignorance OF tho practca pars %
opera giving Thoro could DO no moro striking dem
onstraton Of tho energy, ambition and lofty zeal 81
tho management tho musical director and tho artists
than the production within less than three months Of
five such novelties as Slegfred,' Dor Trompetes
saekkingcn' "Euryantbo," "Ferdinand CortcS
and Die Goettcrdaommerung' and those who havs
clamorcd for better hst, longer list or mors
varied list OF operas have thereby only testified the
want OF appreciation OF the sacrifices that have peoh
made in their behalf To those who are familiar with
tho workings Of the lyric theatre tho achievements Of
the institution arc Simply phenomenal There Is hoth-
ing in the history Of tho stage like IT, and tho only
feeling outside of admiration and gratitude jushned oy
the facts regret that to meet the supposed DEMANDS
~ tho public It has boon necessary to tax the powers
OF all concerned 10 the limit OF endurance, and not
wIhstandng to hurry the operas to performance with
mt adeouate preparation when, In spite OF the
hurry and worry which have marked every day OF the
season since tho opening WORK OF stupenoous UNI
Guilty In every OF It's departments nBe Die "o'~
terdaemmerung" nevertheless DO Drought ior"aro
go startedIy and with such few defects as wsS inc
case last night the desire to point out defects IS over
wbelmed nv an appreciation OF the magnitude OF tho
achIevement md admiration for tho excelences OF
the representation
Tho drama itself In one OF Its phases exct"
warmer sympathy than any In the etralogy In IL tne
Human element becomes really active ior inc hrss
time This circumstance Herr Seldl has accch'uatoo
nv two excisOnS.
ners treatment OF the Segfried legend IS that no mas
ocrIacsd all ts historical elements In order to bring
into closer relationship with Morse mythology mas IN
fact made the fate If tho forgotten gods ana souuoo'
OF our ancestors the chief concern OF inc proosuo anu
succeeding dramas. There Is, IL must po 'o.i'e'
some force In the objection Like Honor III DIS in"i'
Wagner has celestial as we'll as terrestrial P'o' :"
his Ring Of the Nibung,' and the men ana women 10
It are but unconscious agents OF the gooo anu os
mowers typlfed In tho gods and the Nlblungs' IEo
criticism however, Is weaker here than In GERMANY
where ten or a dozen dramas lof when the cn'oi
Geibel's BrunhIld') well as the medieval epic
have accustomed the people to think OF the'r na'o'
hero with something like historical SURROUNDINGS In
these works the death Of SIegfred" Is brought about
by his alliance with the Burgundans' whose seat was
at Worms and the Gunther of the German legehu Is
easv identified with tho founder OF the Kingdom OF
DurCundy King Gundlkar who died A. II. 4oo "as-
nsr,s original draft Of Die GOetterdaemmeruhs TAU
independent drama, entitled "The Death OF sleeireu'
followed tho accepted neS, and II was not uh'h III"
tetralogy was planned that the mythoogcal eiemeh'S
from the Iceandc Eddas were drawn into the sche",
the theatre of the play changed its time pushed pacR
into prehistoric age and the death OF the nero h
IN bring about the destruction OF the Olu gouo
ragnarok Of the Icelandic tales. Tho conhecuoh uo
tween the death of Segfted' and tho fate OF tho
gods IS explained in the two scenes when nave ooo"
eliminated from the version given at the Metropolitan
Tho first scene Il the prologue in which the Norns Ior
,he Norniep as stlcklcrs for correct ofthography
would Write the word, the Fates OF Northern ihSior
ogv while weaving tho goldenstranded rope Vi 'n'
worlds destiny, tell of the signs OF the coin'ns
terdaemmel ung'that Is to say, OF the t"h'sie VI Wv
Gods Tho second IS an interview between Bruehn-
go, a 9waI,raute, one of the Vakyrlas e. Vol
Lvr,or u the stckcrs wish it again. who comes 10
urge her sister to avert the doom that threatens 'o
gods by restoring the ring to the Rhihe uauene9' D
scenes arc highly significant 10 tho plan OF inc No'A
as a whole and bOtn have profound beauties 10 'no''
who are steeLed in Magnetism. but public unfamiliar
with German and unconcerned about Wagners ueepcr
purposes can much more easily spare thah c"u"r'
them . III, - 81,
The play is full of action, and In the plne ND VI
scenic musical and dramatic effects II oVertops i'
predecessors In the tetralogy, and forms h'.'hs
climax and end to that wonderful creation Its chef
moment the murder Of Segfried," Is unquesnOnaDy
tbe most impressive scene ever created by wagner
An element OF naivete and most refreshing meodous
ness arc brought into the musical score by the recur
renee OF the music In the prologue associated Win ,ho
Rhine daughters. Besides this music, much OF "hIch
was familiar last night from performances In the con-
courtroom, there is a considerable draft on the eA
ouIsite orchestral yl which makes the second act OK
the preceding drama so charming (the socaled aid
webcn,) and three purely orchestral NUMBERS "hch
belong to the most beautiful and stupendous huSto
that the ctralogy boasts There are also TWO scenes
whose intrinsic musical beauty is none the less strk-
oxamnles OF Wagners method OF dramatic compost
tion The scenes are connected and in the third act
The centre Of a most attractive group, "slegnicu
tells the story OF his life set forth in the Wagneran
drama with which public last became acquainted
As tho hero talks the audience hears reorganization
OF the musical score Of slegfried" He starts up In
On oupurs Of enthusiasm no reaches the account OK
4. Bruennhde'sr awakening, which Is Interrupted by
the flight over his head OF " " oan's' ravens lie
turns to look after the departing birds when Hagen
plunccs a spear into his back We cannot recall an
other stage catastrophe presented with such appalling
power as Wagner has shown In this. Tho music
to which tho hero regainIng his memory nom When
he had been treacherously robbed, breathes out his
life Is that ecstasy in tones to which "segirieds
kiss inspires the orchestra and this gives way to tho
familiar death march, which from purely s'ruct'
ura point OF vIew is al eptome Of all that is salient
in the musical investiture OF the entire tera0gy YET
in spirit a veritale apotheoSs, marveously eio'
auent proclamation of antique grief and heroic sorrow
Ali that death march Where in the literature Oh
music shall look for its lkei Let the cold Dloodca
analyst dissect It, tell of the phrases out OF which IL
IA built and marvel that siegfreds' simple horn
call could be metamorphosed into so colossal hymn
as that which marks It's climax, ono may feel It's
beauty to the full without getting within this tech
meal sway. Such knowledge, indeed may add Keen
ness to appreciation, but without 1t we recognize
music which tells Of the death Of demi god and OF
his deeds We hear In it some Of the walls of modern
Weddings, In 1t no tears OF hopeless mourning
1t IS grief mixed with pride in the prowess of tho
dead We feel the excitement that fills the hearts or
strong men bearing the corpse Of a hero and with
theirs our blood leaps through its veins the fast
or, as It IS stirred by tho vehement rhythm of that
most thrilling of all orchestral uts. We forget tho
changed relations OF the present We glory In tho
ascent Of the hero to Walhalla there to quaf mead
with other heroes, who before him had received tho
death mark from Woden's wsh-madcns and sing
OF
LOdbrOks
We smoto with swords ~
There are two other instrumental numbers of great
beauty In the score of the Goeterdaemmerung' but
wo are spared a description Of them by the clrcum-
that they familiar and do not affect tho
ethical dramatic significance of the march. They
are the entr'acte known as "Siegfred's Rhine Jour