New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-03
BETWEEN-ACT COMMENTS.
REFLECTIONS ON SOME opERATIc DorNGa

REFLECTIONS ON SOME OPERATE DOINGa
Two correspondents have lately called sttsntion.
in letters TO the Editor OF The Tribune. TO tho injury
done to the poetical ending OF the second act OF Die
Mcstersingerp IN the Metropolitan rcprescntafonss
for the sake Of little foolish farce Such letters are
gratifying sign Of the times The mob-scene which
follows Becessers serenade has often been cntcscd
because Of the difficulties which II presents 70 the
chorsters. and the German critic. Ehlert, even urged
exclusively pantommIc treatment OF IT, so far IS the
chorus is concerned but no has venturcd to
question the marvellous bcau-y Of wagners eoncep-
ton In bringing the curtain down on an empty stage
TO music soft the moonlight that battles the seems
yet haunted by bits Of tho melody Of the tumult and
Beckmessers song.
Why is It that the operate stagemansger fond
of exaggcratisnf Is IL because he Is an unpoetcal.
unlmagnative creature himself or because he thinks
that the pnbiics fancy can be excited only by sors
OF cumulative appealr Why should wotan,s spear
send out fame when segried's sword cuts the shaft
In twoa The effect Is not only wholly wfthous
motive, but compels exchange OF spears which 10
only too obvious, and an awkward handling OF tho
weapon which fobs the action OF all fts
energy. siegfried must demonstrate that in his
participation in the tragedy which grew out Of the
rape CT the Rhnegold he s q free agent 10 maks
this plain the poet has wo.an interposs the spear
which once had shattered the magic sword scross
the path leading to tho valkyra's rock. Now Moth
ing cuts through the spear and wotan returns with
the broken shaft TO wahalla where he sits with 10
lying bis knees waiting for the end of his
At the Metropolitan performances Of slegfred Herr
Fischer gingeriy picks up the spear which has been
leaning against rock, carefully lowers ii to angle
OF about forty Ave degrees las II It gun and he
intended shooting from the hip, Western fashion,,
dsentanges hs feet from the electric wires connected
with II and waits for Segrieds blow Just before the
blow falls the electric engineer fires the compound In
-. H.. .xI tl.ro hrHc
the sword has touched It. Herr Fischer then walks
toward the wing trailing the broken spear and
drops II when the electric wire warns him
that he can carry It no further The whole poetcal
plan spoiled for the sale of the absurd and improper
fire effect, which is supernuous anyhow, in the MIDST
OF so much steam and flame. Similar instances
might be multiplied. Herr Hook made The Flying
Dutchman1 laughing stock by substituting picture
Of fishing smack for the portrait Of VanderdecEen,
and png the mantels shelf with Aztec Jars and halfa
dozen more coffee pots. Why can not these mon
learn that the faithfully wagner's stage drec-
tons arc adhered 10 the better win DO the dramatic
and also the pictorial effects
great deal must be forgiven the stage manage
at the Metropolitan not only because of the nota
Bile excellence OF much Of the work done, but also be-
cause OF embarrassments provided by the awkwardiy
built stage But this forgiveness ought 10 be confined
10 sins Of omission. The "Meistersnger' and seg-
frled' bunders referred TO fruits Of desire TO dc
what is unnecessary and uncalled for The revival"
Of Tannhaeuser" last Wednesday evening brought
with It st fragrant instance Of the obfuscaton
Of poetca Idea in striving for spectacular effect
In the legend on which Wagners opera is based Tam
haeuser makes pilgrimage TO Rome TO ask absoutlon
from the Pope for his sojoun with Freya The Pope
holds IN his hand staff so dry that 10 has split
You Will no be absolved Of your sin than this
stan shall green,' in his harsh judgment Tsnnhaeu-
In deen fhrou bfrnee befO
altar and asks mercy OF Christ then rshes out into
the world. Three days later the Popes stat is found
covered with leaves The Pope sends out messen-
gers to seek the unhappy knight, but he has returned
to his enchaness The moral Of the tale is thus told
in the old German ballad
Drum sol klein Paff, klein Kardlnal
Klein Suender ME verdammen;
Dor suender mag sen gross vii,
Kann Gottes Knsd eriangen.
Wagner follows the old legend i'm all things except
that Tannhaeuser achieves salvation through the
dlatory death Of Elizabeth As ne sinks lifeless be-
side tho bier band Of younger pilgrims returning
rom Rome tells Of the poisoning of the Pope's star
Ono would think that this should suffice. but at the
Metropolitan Opera House the entire chorus IN tbs
last is armed with slaves bearing green twigs,
and messenger from the Pope enters with crosier
similarly decorated and lays It across the bier Herr
seidl is ford OF telling anecdotc which he heard
from Wagner to the effect that Reissiser. wasner's
predecessor n Dresden, complained TO him that
operas which had whole chorus Of hermits. when
old opera In the repertory was successful with
gle hermit isn't no repeating Reissger's blunder
in changing the Pope's stan into whole forest Of
budding slaves
Pope Urban's staf which bursts into green IA token
of Tannhaeuscrs forgiveness Is Of the most beaa
tful and pOetca relics of ancient folklore. 1t has
Its prototypes In the lances which sprou.ed into .
leay forest when planted by the warriors Of Charlie
magne on the eve OF the battle of the Holy Facun-
dus; In the staff which put on leaves in the hands
OF Joseph, wherefore the Virgin Mary gave him her
hand in marriage in the rod of Aaron which. laid up
among others In the Tabernacle. brought forth buds
and bloomed blossoms and yielded almcnds.'
Apropos Of the difficulties which the management
Of the German opera at tho Metropolitan have to con-
tend WITH incident TO mind which furnished
good deal Of amusement at the expense Of the stage
manager two seasons ago. TIE stage hands at our
Opera House are all Americans who hold over from
Mr.. Abbey's administration. With these men Mr..
Habelmann gets along fairly well because he talk
English. His predecessor Herr Won Hell, however.
knew but little English and TO confessng
the fact by employing translator when commune
eating with the painter or property man. Ono
day Herr Ven Hell prepared the second act OF Tho
Flying Dutchman' for benefit performance and
wanted a picture of u ship to hang up in Dslands
hut
Paint for a sheep" he said to Mr.. Hoyt and
Mr. Hoyt painted for him a sheep and placed IL on
easel in the hut. There 1t caught the stage man.
ayers eye Just as he was about to ring the curtain
The sight paralyzed him and he was metapborcally
strewing the stage with his blond hairs when Herr
sedi passed on his way into tho orchestra.
"See, Herr Capellmeister. how ! am treated,' said
Herr Won HELL who has lost all power Of action;
order sohlr and the man paints for me schats
You oEsiered IL In English suppose replied the
conductor. You said sheep oh Well, he's painted
you a sheep and served you right. Tell him In
German next times And Herr SsIdl seized the OBJ
noxious picture and hurled It into the Wings then
went to bis post
The education OF the public to take serious view
Of the opera is going on apace. Mr. Damrosch's
hat,e nd