New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-12
MUSIC THE--DRAMA.
GERMAN OPERA-vERDrS MASKED Rail-,

GERMAN OPERA-VEKDTS MASKED BALLS
Our Italian friends long ago accustomed us 10 Over,
look all those elements of verfsmiIluds which one.
upon time were supposed to be essential in drams,ls
composition. verdrs I'm Balo in Mascheras Ia.
been a potent influence in this direction with a,
ridiculous version OF the story OF the assassination NJ
a King of Sweden by AnkePstrom, made trebly ridden,
ous by the changes of scene, first TO Naples and thu,
TO Boston Fortunately there Is little IN the ooer,
TO tempt one seriousness Of inquiry as to either tina
or place OF action. The best Of Italian performances
generally leaves the fancy free in these PARTICULAR
and II Is most conducive TO compacency In connectlon
with the German representation last night to sud a.
virtue the Circumstance that by Of costumi,,
and the use Of It made the theatre OF the opera
No-man's-land and the time None-in .particua,
Nevertheless, Veriis music was performed with
the utmost seriousness, ana no one could
think aught else than that Madame Lehman Herr
Rechmann and Herr 5eid were heart and soul in the
work which the choice OF the opera put upon them
The two singers poured out their glorious voices with
the utmost lavishness, and The conductor labord a.
II he thought it pos sibe to nfuse real dramatic vitality
and eloquence into the score. The results more
over were emnenty satisfactory 10 the listeners WIN
were not so numerous the admirers Of Verdi would
have liked to see The significant lesson long rows
of vacant chairs In the upper part OF the house the
part In which the public pulse Is felt was there for
the edifcatlon of the management To Herr PerOta
the performance Of the opera was source OF Infinite
pleasure. His enjoyment Of the privilege Of singing
Verdis strains, especially In the quintet Of the first
act, was so naivey genuine and hearty that not 70
enter into It's spirit seemed churlish. The audiences
was not churhsh. and the tenor had
the satisfaction Of participating In
repetition, which so delighted him that he INDUCED IN
an admxue Of Italian, which, Of course, added to the
agreeable uncertainty to the time and theatre Of
the story. That the music temporarily a galner
by The lapse into the soft Tuscan tongue can De easily
imagined by those will Ivy 10 nj the notes written
for the tripping syl abes Ma come ia da ridec, da
ridere la lOr credua" 10 the mellihu0uS words ia
lachen mtss ich laut. Klein Kluger gaub daran' Had
Herr Reichmann been able 10 sink something OF his
al pOstOn TO decam dramatically and be simply and
merely A singer. he would perhaps have given more
general pleasure for he cut splendid figure on the
Stage and was magnifceny f0rcefuL His Fri tu'
was the triumph OF the evening and had 10 be repeated
Like Madame Lehmann's Amelia 1t was a striking
impersonatiOn Each new opera must Increase ones
admiration for Madame Lehman, an artist
all the time and great one whethef
or not the music IS of the kind that APP
meals 10 her sympathes. The other parts were
distributed as follows, and for each word OF praise
is due: Ulrica, Emmy SOnntagUhl; Oscar, Beuy
Frank: Tom Conrad Behrens sylvan, Albert Mitfe-
haeuser; samuel, Joseph Arden. In the ball scene
ballet was interpolated (the music from Massenees
" lie CmTlg which brought forward Mile CfDansks,
lovely of face and graceful IN movement; 10 denghs
the spectators On Friday william IelI' VIII DC
DeTfOrmed.