Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-22
TRISTAN AND ISOLDE.
Superb Performance of Wagner's
Masterpiece at Bayreuth.
LOVES TRIUMPH OVER DEATH.
The Tragic Story of an Irish Princess Told
in Music.
WORK FULL OF DRAMATIC FORCE
IcoRREsPoSpENcE OF THE DIsPATcH.l

| tne direction OF FELIX Mottl, OF Carlsrune
probably the best choice in all Europe
The assignment of parts was as follows;
Tristan, Vogl; Isolde, Sucher; Mark, Gura
KurUendl, Betz; Melot, Grubb; Brangdene
Staudigl; The SteerSmdn, DIR. Gerhartz; The
Shepherd, Guggenbuhler. 1 think OF all
Wagner's works 1 had heard previous to
Bayreuth "Tristan" stirred me most. "Die
Meistersinger," even in the incomplete
manner in which it is presented in New
York, is delicious, the "Ring of the Nibe.
lung" extraordinary in conception and
execution, is unavoidably difuse, but
'Tristan" tells swiftly and with powerful
effect its tragic story. The legend which
served Wagner for the poetic basis of this
work is centuries old, and appears on the page
of poet and romancer of generations prior
to the rise of the Bayreuth prophet. Wag-
ner's pen, as was the case with the myth of
the Nibelungen, was given lasting contri-
button to literature while unifYing and
fashioning tale which before had its home
more in the imaginative verse of minstrel
bards than in the strict, coherent and con-
vincing mode of the drama.
The story of Wagner's "Tristan" begins
as Tristan, nephew of King Mark of Corn
wall, is journeyine from Ireland as escort to
Isolde, an Irish princess who comes to marry
the king. Tristan and Isolde had met be-
fore ireland had been conquered, for Tristan
when wounded had sought Isolde, who knew
the magic art of healing, and caring for
him aroused within her the passion of love.
Chagrined that he whom she had learned to
IN har hon
for another, she determined to end her own
existence and his by drinking with him
THE CUP OF ExPIATIoN
and reconciliation, namely, death. But
Brdngdene, Isolde'S maid, substitutes for the
intended fatal cup the love philter, the
draught of Iorgetfulness thus bringing upon
them the woe Isolde and Tristan, in their
honor, would fain have avoided. In drain
ing the love potion the past is forgotten,
they become insensible to any existence that
separates them from each other. The funda-
mental idea of the drama is the love potion.
Wagner ends the first act as Tristan
and Isolde are at the height of
their realization of mutual love; the
sailors glad shouts of Land hoI'
Brangdene'S warnings, pass unheeded,
enraptured in each others embrace they
are powerless to avert the catastrophe which
now with fast flying wings moves on to a
climax. The thrilling ending OF the first
act of "Tristan,' by reason Of its dramatic
force and musical impetuousness has no.
where been paralleled. The whole of the
second act is one long love duet. Isolde
awaits Tristdn's arrival, who comes to her
during tine absence of the King, who has
gone to the chase. Isolde is warned by
Brdngdene that the crafty and jealous
al @bo h-n al -,
tercept the lovers, but the warning does not
avail; she extinguishes the flaming toIch,
which is the signal lor Tristan, and as the
music in the orchestra mounts higher and
higher in passionate language falls into the
arms oil her lover. The great scene that
now ensues remember my inability to pic
ture after that memorable performance in
New York, with Niemann as Tristan and
Lilli Lehman as Isolde. Words fail as
completely now, not that Yesterdays per-
formance efaced the earlier one-no, the |
first rendering of the wondrous love music
1 heard was the greater-but because my
absorption in the music acts like band |
upon my tongue. The act ends with dread |
portentiousness. The lovers are surprised: |
King Mark wounded by what appears to be |
TriStdn's faithlessness chides him in long |
and beautiful scene, but Melot challenges
Tristan. They fight, and Tristan falls.
THE THIRD ACT
transpires In Brittany TriStan's ancestral
home, where, attended by the faithful
Kuruenal, the knight has come to die
Isolde has been sent for; she is expected.
Tristan dreams of her; in his delirium he
sees ship approach; now the Shepherd.
who has been watching the sea for sign of
sail, plays on his pipe a new glad melody,
which tells Kurvenal a ship is approach
ing. Tristan in ecstasy rises to his feet as
Isolde rushes to his arms. Only one word
can he utter: Isolde! Isolde! He dies in
her arms. Isolde dies as King Mark, who
had been made acquainted by Brangaene of
the use of the fatal love potion, enters,
the lovers.
the theater Tristan and Isolde" is dramat-
lcally pre-eminent; upon the occult work
lngs of the love potion revolves an intensely
moving tragedy. have always marveled
that Ludwig Nohl should stvle Tristan" as
genial. To me the work is a fame, a tor
rent of passion, soothed for the moment by
The delicious sensuousness of the love
music of the second act, only to break
,ut at the last with absorbing vehemence.
The music of Tristan and Isolde'-and we
nave it from Wagner's own hps-represents
lis most deliberate effort to be his unbridled
ielf; he discards utterly operatic conventions
giving his entire mind and strength. to
ashioning the new art that burned within
lin. The perfect unity which Christian"
it must be remembered that |
he work antedates the Nibelungen-has
lot been surpassed by any of the !
masters later writings, and it NAV we'll be
sked if there is elsewhere upon the Wac
Ter scroll so beautiful page as the second ;
ct of Christian" one so moving as the
iimax of the first act The third act,
speaking, is very intense, but
liter second hearing of the entire work 1
m inclined to think this portion more
trained than any other; but the noble death
ong of Isolde fully compensates.
A MAsTERIY INTERPRETATION.
The performance under the fery vet con-
rolled hand of Felix Mottl must be rated
ery high. He read the great finale of the ,
rst act with masterly skill. No less artis-
C was the entire second act, while the pit
Ills which are possible in the third from E
le slightest lapse were skillfuliy avoided,
he orchestra was immensely dramatic, vet
, beautifully controlled that no Just criti- !
sm can be brought against it. AS in
Parsifal''-think of the contrasting char
,ter Of the two works-the band did not
lgulf or override the voices, the union of !,
9TH was preserved, and thus the ideality of
le performance. Tristan" cannot be '
card 10 good advantage in large theater.
f the artists, first place belongs to Frau
ucher, whose equal as dramatic soprano Z
have never heard. I could not easily for Il
It Lehman, nor was it until the third act
at memory of the great American faYorite .