New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-05
MUSIC.
THE NEW OPERA.

The Incidents which attended the FIRST represents
lions of Segfred" and Die Goetterdaemmeruns' at
the Metropolitan Opera House last season were re-
called last night when RhelrGold' the prologue TO
the Nibeung tetralogy had rs first performance on
this side OF the Atlantic. There the same largo
gathering, limited IN fact, only by the cspacity OK
the audience room, the evidences of excited IN
terest the thousands of faces, the same close
attention the words music aud action of the drama,
the same glad enthusiasm over the strkingly unique
and successful pictures the stage and, when The
opportunities arrived the hearty tokens OF grail
tude and appreciation for the pleasure afforded Be
cause Of its brevity the drama not begun TIL half
an hour after The usual time 1t lasted I'LL ten min
utes after IL o'clock \ quarter OF an hour OF This
time was given up in,ermlsson between the Sec
0nd and third Although Rhengoh' Is ihs
most trying Of the four N!belung dramas, there were
no evidences u WEAKNESS at the close OF The repre-
senation and the performers and Herr scidl were
recalled repeatedly at the end, they had been at
the inrermisson. The circumstance may be accepted
as evidence that the people Of ,New-fork are hhey
to give the generous treatment 10 the new WORK
that they gave last year to siegfried and Die Goe-
erdaemmerungu Such treatment will be no moro
than the drama and all concerned in its representation
deserve There IS time now to discuss
details either Of the performance or of the verbal
and musical structure, but It may be said compne-
hensiyely that measured by European standards tho
representation an excellent one. IL Is doubtful
whether better representatives for their paris 'han
Madame Moran Olden Fraeuleln Bettaque, Fraeulcin
Traubmann, Herr Fischer, Herr Beck and Herr sedl-
mayer could have been found in any operate ilst-
tuition of Germany. Herr Alvsry assumed the ex'
ceedingly difficult role of Loge, and he has been
omitted from the list Of those singled out Tor speca
praise only because his conception OF the nature OF
the Mephistophelian divinity, admirably realized In
his .inging and acting is so original that Its merits
will perhaps appear more obvious on further STUDY
"Rheingold- Is three fourths spectacle and II was
gratifying 10 find that much had been done TO meet
The requirements of the book in the matter OF scenc
dress The models were those Of Vienna, and Uuch
of the scenery also painted in that city The
structural pccarites of the stage OF the Opera iloue
colnrelled the omission OF the two unveiled trans.
foima,ons from the Wahalla scene to Nibelheiin and
back again. Instead new curtain, which opened
In The centre and drawn back In graceful folds.
was used This IS unfortunate, for the closing Of
tha CERTAIN disfiacts attention nom the between
scenes music, which IS highly descriptive and sig
niGcant 10 those who are familiar with Wagner's sys-
fem of composition. The drama will be repeated
his afternoon and Monday evening OF next week
For the sake OF the integrity OF the record. the iist
OF characters and their mpersonators Is appended