New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-06
MUSIC-THE DRAMA.
"FrDELIon AT THE METROPOLITAN

Tho singers at the Metropolitan Opera House last
night gave tho patrons OF the German opera al
artistic pleasure Of tho Highest order Beethoven4
"Fidcilo" the opera, and much TO the delight Il
| the lovers Of this deeply affecting work splendid
| audience had gathered 10 hear II. The gathering
distinctly musical one, as was evidenced not
only by tho rapt attention given to every note 81
the music but also by tho freQuen y expressed pro-
test against the disturbing noiso which occasionally
came from tho boxes For these acts Of appreciation
and respect they abundantly rewarded for the
representation was an admirable ono, not free from
| vocal deficiencies as can easily DO imagined, bat
permeated in all its departments with that lovely
earnestcss and devotion which mover fail to
the sympathy of the listeners In the drama the music
and the performers.
All tho words of praise that have been uttered
! about Frau Moranolden since her first APP
pearancc received manifold. justification by
her acting and singing as leonors
It was evident from the FIRST that, like every sincere
German artist Of her kind, she Is deeply In love with
the part and had worked conception Of it which
had features Of originality, though IL followed the
lines which have come down as tradition since taa
days Of the composer. II not until the dramsilc
climax reached in the dungeon scene. however.
that she disclosed the fall wealth Of her powers. Un
TO this point there steady growth, the grezs
air Of the first act being given with some restraints
so that the deepening and broadening and rpening OF
the dramatic element In the character might have
throwing light on her artistic nature. that as she
worked up to tho supreme moment Of the score. the
defects In vocazaton which have been pointed out
in this journal gradually disappeared and with them
all desire to think Of questions Of vocal emission and
method. "Fdclio' is in safe hands this season, and
II is to be hoped that the managC ment viii be en-
couraged to bring II forward frequently. Like a
BENSON after the slips Of intonatlon he beseng sin
Of German sngers Herr Fischer's perfect voice fell
upon tho all evening. and equally delightful to ths
eye the impersonaton of MarcellIna by Fraeuien
Bettaque. Her singing, too, was commendable az
was that of Herr Bech who only needed greater vums
of voice to make his Pizarro' tho finest that has
been heard here since the establishment Of German
opera For the part Of Florstan, Herr Alyary vas
fEcnS his tones he s as re geT @o! Of S3s
in tune He threw great feeling into the second part
Of his great air moreover, and thus helped TO develop
the splendid climax which followed. Herr sadelmays
was a tlneful Jequlno and showed talent actor.
Herr Grienauer was an efficient Minister. After tho
opera there was ballet
CAPTAIN SWIFT AT THE MADISON SQUARE.
lho Madison Square Theatre, Tuesday night, wac
! the scene of dramatic performance alike brilliant
In ability and remarkable in interest, and Mr. Palners
wise iud gment in the choice Of play that Is lEely
TO please his public again exemplfed. cap.
tain Swift, four-act drama by Mr. r. II. CHAMBERS,
OF London, had its first representation In this country:
II has been current IN London, at the HsymTkot
Theatre, since last September and Mr. Beerbohm Tres
has there obtained valuable DISTINCTION IN
character Here the part IS acted by Mr.. Malrice
barrymore. In the original piece the wrctched man
ends with suicide In this version he surrendcrs hi-
self to the law. 1t is pedcnt 70 weary the radeh
with details Of tie story Many years ago play
By George II. Lewes entitled Captain Bland" na"e
its appearance the London stage and was repeaea
in New-York at wallacks Theatre That and many
other old melodramas arc called TO mind In prospect
of this fresh illustration of the tragic disturbance wlch
may be created by She return of scamp TO the homo
of youth and the haunts Of the virtue against whh
he sinned There is nothing novel III the essen
al abre of this work. but there is true dramatic powes
in the exposition OF its theme, the treatment OF ia
characters the arrangement Of its incidents and the
DISPLAY OF its plot while its diction throughout ~
robust and tcrso and its serious aspect Is pleasantly
diversified with b. Of pretty sentiment ana merry
banter. The purpose was to portray fascinating
and reckless who has led usa
life but In whom there Is remnan,
of tho angel and who is redeemed by the celestial in
Auence Of woman's love- The pathos OF this mans
condition Is shown to be largely resultant nom ths
fact that In childhood he was abandoned by his
mother, and left to the chance OF fortune, "he 'ha
dramatic exposition Of his experienco-and OF hefs-
is obtained by bringing him into contact with her, ic
his mature years. That old story Of the poet Richare
SAY age might perhaps furnish lesson OF practcA
comment on the actual phases OF such comphcauon
as this. The spectators sympathy IS asked WIN
brave and good-hearted scoundrel, who has been q
bushranger and highwayman in Queensland, but "hS
has refrained from the blowing out Of brains, ana
who retains at the age Of twenty-five, the capacity
of falling I'm love with an uncommonly handsome girl
This amiable robber after being bated In attemps
| to marry good woman (and presumably, 10 maks
her share his lot OF precarous livelihood and hunted
crimnality) shows himself able to respect hs
mothers secret and to quit the scene without dfas-
ging down unfortunate and innocent persons to as
grace and misery. There is fine streak In thli
warped and partly vtated human ws.f and hs
serves to point the old and wellworn moral u
charity toward the nirmiues of the human race
The more important character IS that of the mother
She loves the whom She has abandoned het
gu lit is extenuated by knowledge Of her subservenca
to the stronger nature Of her sister There Is ms
exemplcaton Of this posture of affairs in the noy@
OF The Antquary,' ard in the opening OF WlAs
CoIins's novel of "The Dead Secret" euck
things undoubtedly. have happened and may
| again. Agnes Booth, who played MIS- seaoNoAr
entered deeply into the agony of this poor womaut
awful experience-a woman. the wife of worthy
man. by whom she is implicitly trusted. confronted
by the living embodiment of her past though never
diving SIN In one scene the mother IS compelled "a
behold her two sons. one the bastard the o'nei
legitimate, opposed in personal contention ana IH
rivalry for the love OF one and tho same girl Ia
another scene the mother herself to tho chile
she has so terribly wrongedand here Agnes Booth oy
her great intensity Of passion and by her extraordinary
| force of character and knowledge of clfconhict
touched every heart. Mr. Barrymore, though entirely
equal to the character of wdng In the level passages
in the traits of GOODNESS, hauteur. impudence ana
latent savagery created only impression of artihct
! In the scenes of passion and painfully unreal
and chaotic IN the Of the frustrated suicide.
wding at this crisis is hunted, hsggard, dcsperss
man. and HIS face ought TO declare his condition Ths
foolng with cigars and matches ct such moment,
albeit enioned by the mistaken text. is merely con-
tcmpble as art and stay the hand of the suicids
was weakly to sacrifice and defeat the natural, tho
legitimate the dramatic the inevitable ending OF ths
drama.