New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-10

J. F. Humme, OF the Mozarteum, and the or
chestra of necessity small, but still efficient was
a local body.
Whether or not German singers can do justice
to Mozart has always been question in my mind.
| am not insensibe to the fact that in all of the
genial masters WORKS there is something in
which the sincerity of German feeling is mani
fest and that it is largely this feeling which sup
plies the element that has preserved his operas
while those of his rivals have been forgotten
In The Marriage of Figaro" there is little play
room for honest sentiment, and Mozart's music is
as Hghthearted and careless as the play 1t is
musical champagne from beginning TO end, varied
by single draught of still wine at the beginning
of the second act-and that an Italian sweet
wine rather than a fragrant Hook {" Forge amor
In Don Giovanni the tragic spirit with which
Mozart infused the play in spite of Da Ponies
purpose that the butfa element should always be
in the foreground, gives German interpreters an
opportunity to exploit the side Of their artistic
nature which is essentially native TO them and in
which they excel They have felt with Mozart
while Italian singers have felt with his librettist
The fate of Don Juan has in it a tragic awfulness
which casts its shadow before for those of German
feeling; for the Italian stage artist 1T is only
a conclusion TO the play which enables Leporlo,
in hiding under the table, TO amuse the spec
tatOrs by an exhibition of cOwnish fear. Musical
comedy of the Italian type, whose loftiest
amples the Figaro operas of Mozart and Ros-
SIM, demands some things which seem almost i'm
possible to German singers. Even when they use
the Italian language they generally fall short Of
perfection, because of want of that nimbleness
of tongue which is easy TO the Latin. When an
opera composed to Italian words is sung IN Ger-
man the retention all OF it's comic spirit Is sim
ply impossible. The volatile utterance which is
so essential element in music OF this character
and of which there are many examples in Flgaro's
Marriage" is utterly foreign TO The German tongue
German DR.. Bartolo is inconceivahe. Even II
the translator should show due regard for the
bits of Characterization in which the pufa music
Of Mozart and Rossini abounds, and should have
the most perfect command OF his language, he
would inevitably make shipwrcck in scores of
places on the consonantal rocks which are strewed
all over the German lngual ocean
The finale Of the second act OF The Marriage
of Figaro IS model Of ensemble writing whlc ca
action run riot and race from BEGINNING TO
end, each accentuating the points made by the
other neither ever hindering, but both working
together toward dramatic climax which is ire
sisiblc in its effect. This finale sung in con-
cert style at the recent festival with which the
music hall was dedicated in New York. The per-
Torrance fell little short of being an outrage
on the names of Mozart for not once did the ln-
fictitious jolity of the music show itself. Without
change Of expression, without elasticity Of tempo,
without variation of tone color, orchestra and
singers reeled of the measures. And the public
wondered where they expected to find the
beauty which they had been told about. At this
festival performance, the finale sung with
vastly more vivacity than expected to find, the
gayety and hghtness Of temperament be-
longing TO the Austrian capital, but
there could be no escape from the letters
of language The air was thick with sluggish
consonante and lingering sbiants This lingual
clog retarded the merry food of music through
out and compelled the judicious to take refuge
in standard of Judgment recognizing the in-
surmountable difficulties of the German book.
From this new viewpoint there was much to
admire in the performance though the voices of
the singers deadened, deprived of all
by the stagnant atmosphere Of the theatre; The
honors were easily borne off by Frau Brandt
Forster, in the role of the Page, but as TO what
proportion of her success was due to her lovely
face and arch acting and what 10 her voice and
singing | shall not express opinion. Frau
Brandt-F orster is popular in Vienna. Artistcally,
am told she has not met the expectations Of
Director jain, who the expiration of her
first engagement manifested desire to let her
seek employment elsewhere. But the University
| students were enamored of her pretty face, and a
round robin signed by about 300 of them, brought
| Herr jain TO terms Which incident might fur
| nish text for a sermon on the influences which
sway the high priests in our art-temples, here as
elsewhere, if l am disposed 10 preach. But am
| not. II. Z. K.