New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-06
MUSIC
DAS RHEINGOLD.

Thew aa MANY things in the Nibelung tetralogy which
are exceedingly remote f,nm the mental and emotional
habits Of the nineteenth century. but nei'her DIG
Walkurer nor "Siegfficd' nor =" Die 'oe"eruSeh-
ner,nss strains these habits onehah so severely as
the drama designed as prologue to the tragedy as
whole Its theatre rs now the bottom OF the Rhne now
the home of the dwarfs who labor In the bowels OF
the earth and anon the habitation OF the gods ING
persons Of the play arc all fabulous creatures s'
dwarfs mikes and giants their impulses "lo ruo,
elemental passions Of period anterior 10 hs.or'oa,
morality The action OF the play moves with the ara
OF a most complex system OF supernatural maonnoi',
and at every step ore is confronted WIN some Wv "
naaical apparatus or some contradiction OF the laws
of nature No sooner has the listener become reco"
ced 10 the singing of the mikes under the wafer na
the feat Is repe ted by creature WHOSE aooao "
supposed TO be below the surface OF the ear,n 10"
from the element in which the mikes i've oh'S 'no
characters who are of little or no consequence ONO
uav mr. be other in the action, like Frea. Frcka ana
Froh fail 10 offend the modern sense OF moral nthess
The chefest of the gods Is liar, ropoer anu oon
fessed liberne The representative OF the hisn's' me-
ucsnce is also the representative of the evil principle
the cause OF all mischief is Its only cure. he' VIC "
asked TO look upon the drama introduced oS ma
Shalling of such elements as drama haNinh a p
foundly ethical purpose and to guard carefully inc
thin nar,isIon which the poet-composer has set up
between the sublime and the ridiculous IN the eon-
structon of his play ,.
There Is something paradoxcal about the a'tuuo VI
nearly all of waener's creations toward the meh'ai
habits of the time and not even mis- suohses' aa
mrers can escape the paradox as II presents se III
Das Rheingold'' Wagner himself conceded 's
when in introducing the Nibelung poem to the word
he argued that his works ought not TO be judged oy
reason but enjoyed through affection. CenulneN SIN
ccre and sufficient enjoyment of the tetraogy IN wcn
he sought symbolic the emancipation OF tue "ori
from the greed of power and the dawn oil the reign Vi
unselfsh love (somcthing like this seems 10 oe "o
ethical programme Of Der Ring des Nibciungeh 10
only TO be had by those who are willing 10 let cr',cdi
Judgment walt upon the fancy. This Wagner "ouiu
ave- admitted We Will 90 a step further: There are
times when even this un,ettered fancy must needs DO
as ingenious as the raised imagination" OF 'hari's
Lamb at his first play which TRANSFORMED Inc ghs'eI
Ing substance the pillars of Old Drury ih'o si'
fed sirar-candy.p This can be said without orinehS
into question the potential beauty OF the creations
thcnselves we can easily conceive OF meh'ai coh-
dition that would accept such chlidhKe re-
contivitv as the only mood In which an ar'-
work designed 10 appeal TO emotions when inc num-
drum routine of modern life leaves untouched oueh' u
be approached We need not argue our reanoIS '"',
make the demonstration for themselves they ",.a
only attend a representation Of Das khengou' "i"'
6xed resolve TO keep tight check line on the
rational faculty and give free rein to the msginao"
of co,se we are assuming that all serious mlhueo
nconle such as believe that works OF ART nave
letter mission than TO give only mOmehd'y uNoi'o'
For those otherwise disposed Das Rheineoiu mas 'ne
same species Of attactivencss as Christmas pan'o-
mime of the old kind, with it's fairy-fok and marvellous
pictures of Nomans land. ,,
The unioue charm which lies in WagnerS hheiir
coldp and bears its share Of the responsibility ior inc
raradox which has been discussed with we" OF
Indicating how best approach 1t, is Que 10 the
subtle union of painting pantomimc, poetry ana music
which the drama discloses LiAe all other WORKS oi
Wagner "Das Rheingoh" has moments In which each
Of these factors have individual and independent value
I'm, the highest potency OF each is found IN the uoh'
,s moments of absolute musical beauty were fairly
familiar in New-Yorh before the first production OF
the work last Friday evening. The whole OF The
first scene two episodes from the second CWotan
anosrophe to Wslhalla and Loge's reporn, ana inc
finale have been given several times al concerts VI
the Philharmonic and symphony societies. ana "cle
rr,upcd together by Mr.. Thomas at the music esNa i
In Nav 1852. Together these scenes Ill eighty-NNe
ont of tho oil pages of the simpfed panofor'e
score Scarcely any OF the scenes omitted IN mahhg
the concert selection. have enough absolute music"
bsautv TO cntitlc the Metropolitan representation
10 the credit of having added materially 10 the
public knowledge of Wagner as musician.
II all belongs to the decamatory style in which the
dialogues of the Nibelungcn plays are carried on.
has always seemed to us, however, as II the music
Of as Rheingold" derived peculiar charm from The
fact that in this score the so-callcd leading motives,
or better typicaI themes, have their earliest use.
Wacn,r,s system of musico-dramatc composition
rests upon the development of these melodc themes
and il follows rs necessary coroary of that system
that as the passions and purposes of the tragedy
grows complex the musical texture into which the
themes, typical and representative of those passions
ard purposes eater must also become more com
MEX and Heterogeneous In Das Rhen-
gold" the phrases have sort Of
elemental simplicity and forcefuiness. III
is pleasant TO make such discovery, for through
II we learn that intrcaely convoluted brain
as wagncrs paid willing tribute to the universal law
of symmetry and order. The music associated win
Walhalia and with Wotan the lord OF "alhaila
with which he builds up the maenincent apostopHc
al the opening OF The second scene, IS case IN
Pssheme unite to form its melody and harmony so
the phrase in the orchestra which greets the FIRST
Of the sword (Which in wagners book is yet only
a Thought in the mind of wotan but
at ver tn Msp0 deporaDc D Of @asrasm
this composed of the tones or 'he coiil nd
point of E-nat with the simplest harmonlcs me DE
velopment to the climax reached In the song OF he
n4s and H TIM S Of the wavy
compartment Instances might easily be multiplied.
acT r1c one Iose and En significant that
person in the tetralogy is better characterized IN
the music than he 50 far as Two OF MS re snG be
spirit of mischief Wagner has accompanied ms en-,
frances, his speeches ana his movements WIFI a
cracking chromatic phrase, ftfu hickering, and
restless like the element he controls Unfortunately
Wagner has also represented him as
the type OF intellectually among the gods.
To find the loftest Intellectual attributes
given TO the spirit of evil Is not an uncommon thlhg
In mythologes and tales of folk lore but being hre
god, Logo must be in motion. Though his capcrs ana
capricoleS consOrt with his deswctiveness as sym
bozed by fire II is difficult TO reconcile them with the
activity of thought The character Is an exceedingly
difficult one TO understand, but still mon dihcult 10
Interpret and We do not wonder that Mr.. Avary'
not generally liked by those who have
studied the charac ter abroad Part Of the difficulty
comes from unhappy association CT his vocal styc
with that which our public has grown accus imed 70
EXPECT from the representatives of Beckmesser In Die
MestersiDger." u
II II cannot be said that the representation Of Das
Rheinco,dr has Increased the public knowledge OF
Wacner's beautiful music, neither can 1t be said thai
the drama will enhance his reputation as poet per Sc
AS a playwright however, and especially stage
macblnist our public will henccforward think of him
with augmented wonder and admiration. The opening
and closing scenes of the drama wonderfully daring
and beautiful, and In few effects of perspective
and in the manipulation of lights the decorations al
The Metropolitan are good those generally seer
An the theatres which set the operate fashions I'm Ger
many