New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-22
MUSIC.
END OF THE GERMAN OPERA.

go House came to close yesterday afternoon
~ opera was Wagner's Die Meistersngers the
G., ~ the latterday works Of Wagner produced here
'ssr tbe direction of Mr. Scidl, who for ten weeks
n, has been the recipient of such tributes as never
~ opera conductor received before. 1t was happy
go n for no other than the one which Is 10
~ mad in that fact but its happiness was accentuated
" tho circumstances that the opera has swelling
"a triumphant close which introduces all the person
- in the last scene and that the last words which
&c hero ut,ers had received a peculiar Significance
I'm the determination of the directors Of the Metro
sron Opera House to make an end of German
80 and revert the careless artistic pabulum of
- that is past in countries Of the highest cviliza-
49,, The singer Of these words, Herr Fischer, was
hs obect Of special marks OF distinction yesterday at
49, hands of an audience that crowded the Opera House
- Amor to ceiling. After each act he and his colleagues
"a Mr. seld were called and recalled before the cur
,ain But all this time the audience was simply
ornr for the scenes which were to follow the per
finance. Evidently Observation-Disclosures Of the multi
.a ta,t impressed with Of obligation to con-
.n the directors OF the Opera House sense OF
~ appreciation Of the form Of art which those
,,.,ors had cast aside with an indifference to the
us NJ their patrons and q disregard OF the tendency
y, The times that are simply phenomenal so
~. widest concluding of former sea-
Wv. we're discounted. For over half all hour.
,aosd until laborers appeared upon the stage to
ave IL for concert in the evening that
itude remained in the audiencerOom and called FOR
~ after another Of the persons who have contributed
- mnch to their pleasure for years that they might
bov their regard for the art which those persons rep
.,ted The greatest bursts of enthusiasm were those
b;cb greeted Mr.. stanton, Mr. Seidl and Mr. Flscher
hough Mr.. Damrosch, Mr. llabelmann, Mr. Dppel
rraeulen Jain and the other singers who took part
II the afternoons representation were not neglected.
Nv s,antOns unwilngness to receive the distinctions
which the audience plainly wished to shower upon hi
WAS good deal of a disappointment obviously 'ne
sssemblage wanted to hear speech, but MI stanton
kent himself 50 persstently in the background 'l"'
nothng was to be hoped for In that direction fihay
after an unusual outburst for Herr Fischer, that noble
basso came forward, carrying giSahuc "Fea'h d-i'
half a dozen bouquets. and said:
Ladies' and Gentlemen 1t is impossible for me 70
e,prcss what | feel for your kindness ana loNe anu
hope it is not the last time mere hat
Of phudlts interrupted the speaker Tor sPagcI oaa
shall sing for you here, on THIS stage Ill "ei"""
Had one been able to explode ton of dynamite
when Mr.. Fischer concluded il would nave been ac
eepted by that audience only fitting amount VI
approbative noise Twenty minutes later, the au
dience still clamOring for words, Mr. Seldl came LOT
ward. for perhaps the twentieth tme and spoke as
follows:
Believe me, ladies and gentlemen, undcrstana inc
meaning Of this great demonstration fOr ny Ill o
orchestra and the Others of the company 'hah you"
Amidst such scenes Of gladstone excitement ''o
seventh season Of opera in German at the Metro
poltan Opera House was brought to close of al
the seasons il was the most prolific OF sgnlncat anu
startling occurrences. When Mr.. stanton went 10
Germany in the spring Of 500 to engage a company
he carried with him definite policy formulated Dy
the directors for the sake of sentimental passion
which some of them felt toward the aIniaole ltaiah
muse. Feeling that performances by artists OF the
Italian stage were impraccabe, they conceived what
they thought would be a happy compromise-theS
would continue the use OF the German tongue ouU
would make marked change in the repertoTy Wagner
practically to be shelved except so far as some Oh
his earlier works concerned and the season was
TO be rich in new works OF the italian and French
schools With this plan In view Mr. Stanton engaged
his company and the season was opened on November
% IN a manner that looked like a bold stroke In
behalf of the new policy. I" Asrael,' an opera oy an
Italian composer which had evoked considerable COM
ment in Europe, was given With good deal OF
sumptuousness in stage attire Musical amateurs and
the reviewers for the newspapers much interested
in the novelty and recognized at once that the COM
pany was in some respects the strongest as whole
that had been gathered together since the notable
Italian troupe that opened the house and all but
bankrupted Mr.. Abbey In the season OF 1sa3-1ss4
For six weeks Mr. stanton followed the lines Of policy
which had been adopted. bringing forward within
that time three Of the novelties which had been
promised among the additions to the Metropolitan list
Flanchetti's "Asrael," Smareglia's "Nasall Won
Szigeth," and the Duke of Saxe-Coburg's Diana
Won solanee," besides wagner's "Tannhaeuscr, .
"LOhengrin' and "Flyng Dutohman," Meyer
beers " Huguenots" and Prophet" and BeethOven's
Fdelio." Already in the third week Of the season,
however, it became manifest that the policy Of the
directors did not meet with the appreciation Of the
public. One result OF the German representations in
the preceding six years had been to develop class
Of opera patrons with intelligent and fixed tastes
large fraction Of this class had become season sub
scribers and among these dissatisfaction with the
current cpertOry growing daily. 1t may be that
the pancky feeling in financial circles had something
to do with the falling OFF in general attendance at tho
opening of the season, but is not TO reconcile
such claim with the fact that the advance subscrp
ton amounted TO $4,000 and that though the
novelties would not draw, the three Wagneran works
proved TO be attractive ever they had been The
significance of the popular attitude obvious enough
though the directors chose 10 close their ears and eyes
to it, indeed ii so obvious that The
Tribune did not hesitate to predict tremendous
success for FideO' when il announced for 80 one
performance only on December go, and TO assert in
advance Of this performance that would have TO be
repeated To satisfy the demand for good dramatic
music which had grown up because Of the Wagner
cult and been wletted by the neglect Of Mr. stanton
TO put on the stage few works imbued with the
modern dramatic spirit Two epetltions Of Beethoven's
opera attested the sOundness of The Tbunes diagnosis
Of the situation.
BY singular coincidence on the night Of the first
representation Of one Of the latterday works OF Wagner
which, had the directors chosen TO read the signs OF
the times Alright and be guided by them. might have
usheFed in the era Of prosperity which they were sigh
Ing for yet repeng by their course, the decision was
reached 70 the establishment next season to
Ar. Abbey for performances In Italian and French
these words aIe quoted for future reference
The date January II. Since 1t VIII be
frequently referred 10 hereafter in the operate history
1t deserves to be mentioned with emphasis. Mr..
Ruskln, were he writing this retrospect would want
10 print 1t In red significant Of the blood letting TO
which the directors in their blind Pllstinsm resolved
to subject noble art for the qualification Of their
egosm. far as the patrons OF the opera are con
eened the action OF the directors nothing less than
the elimination OF conspiracy to set back the clock
musical progress in this community a