New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-23

that the standard Of judgment which must pc
onplied in critclsmof the newest production az
these festivals is that SET by Bayrenth. liz CON-
harrison with oil other "TannEaeuser representa-
lions which | have been privileged to witness
save some of those in New-York, in respect OF tio
acting and singing of the principal performers
Il need only refer to Niemsnns Iannnaeuser'
! Iehmann's Venus Fiscber's Lnndgrsve, Recon-
mann's Wolfram, which have delighted ana eur
fled audiences at different times in the Metropoi-
itan Opera House,, the first performance mere was
superb. What must be condemned as an lheA-
cusable defect here might even be praised III the.
aires whose stage furnishings in "Tannhaeuser
are things of shreds and patches. This has
always been the case in New-York, wDere
"Tannhaeuser' has shared the fate Oh
all the other works Of Wagner tha'
were the most shabbily dressed, seemingly because
they attracted The largest audiences. New-iorN
has heard "Tannhaelser" better sung, and seen
it bettei acted in all except the ensemble SCENES
than Bayeuth; but New-York has never seen
a single picture of the drama as Wagner con-
ceived it, The statement is probably extaVa,
CANT, but il has been made On seemingly goou
authority, that the sum spent in staging Une
work here was over $4,000 Certain IL -
that the pictures in spite of defective details an"
features In questionable taste, are marveis oil 'Ho
scene-painter's art and the stage mechanism anu
light effects bewilderingly effective In Wow u
the alleged expenditure, and the care WIN "llcn
so much has been done, il is lncomprehchsi'i.'
however, that the scenic artist should nave pii d
bis approach 10 the Wartburg 80 tnat IL Wts %
necessary to show IL lchanged IN detail, pug p| ~,
fully recognizable nevertheleSS) already III tliG
Cave of Venus, that he should nave cohccii e.
the most aluring picture III the scene III M M
Venus makes her final effort 20 retain 1"n I!E
hacuser TO be o monstrous bed bedecked WlUn
gaudy tapestries and lace. IL was most aiiuo
ing, TOO, to observe that the evening star IecSiT
WOnram5 ap0Strophe by flashing sclluIi'. . =
smile and closed its eye directly the Sentiments
minstrel ceased his address in accordance WIci
Wagncr's direction the WartbuTg scene appeared
in three phases. In the first act The valley Wuo
decked with the fresh verdure OF spring. In the
last autumnal TINS had taken tile place ol My
green's The castle glowed IN the ilghIS u IA, d
lovely sunset when the action began. Inc Siado"s
on its towns and walls fell from the west; %
gradually that the steps of the chaDSe coulu Ioo
he observed the twilight deerened mo IlgI ~
Morning broke with the disappearance OF ule
apparti0n of Venus and the entrance OF ElHac
beth's funeral train. Now the sky was GEAR 0i
clouds and the shadows cast by the rising sun icL
from the east. The beauty OF these chaISes' que
TO the management of lights and the Iact InaI
three back drops, showing mountain, caSue anu
sky were used merited the Warmest prulse' S 1do
poured its benedctiOn on the performance luS
sensuous charm of the first picture, the NaVe OF
Venus, as composed by Wagner If0r IL was MS
genius that suggested every one OF Jus ueIaIlS eA
Wartburg) was realized TO the full, Just as 10
may be imagined from the stage directions
] have been told that the, settings
in Dresden are even more artistic ana IoVely Dn a
this seems scarcely possible. For the second ACT
the richly adorned banquet-hall Of the Verlttple
Wartburg copied with few variations tnaU
added to it's impressiyenesS instead OF 'te 81
called Hall of MinstIelsy, which TRADITION points
out as the room in which the mythical meeting
took place. .,,..
Through SOMEBODY'S carelessness or stupidity
= oh
Handling in drei Aufzuegen," was announced
on the programme of the first representation as
an "Oper in drei Aufzuegen.n In the plahoIorte
score of the revised version "Iannhaeuser wilntn
Wagner called an opera, is metamorphosed INTO
Handling" II singers, musicians, c9nuucCor
and stage manager were TO follow the directions
which Wagner gave touching inc periorll1i inj
Of the work. in O pamphlet printed tot thelI
guidance in 1852, "TannhaeuSer" would appear
as most serious drama, tragedy OF solemn
ethical beauty and great impresslyencss; Out-
wardly these directions we're followed at the iTst
festival performance III most particulars. me ne
Bacchanale was not ballet, but an orgie III
which the effects Of rampant lust moglned ana
ordered by the temperate spirit Of the traces
were illustrated In the handling of the choral
masses, however, the peculiarly sane and EN-
phatio protest Of Wagner TO avoid PROFESSIONS
was all but ignored The pilgrims on '9em WIZ way
Wartburg, which suggested that they had gone 10
the ant. studied its ways and become FOOLISH.
To climb over the Warbnrg hlli IN Graer 10 Z" 10
studied by Mark Twain, which crawled up one
side and down the other Of every blade OF grass
In its path instead Of walking around il. When
the pilgrims reached the foot of the nil they
passed around the shrine to the Virgin, IN so
orderly manner alternately two to the right
then two TO the left, hat the soul Of the young
military martinez who now is PLAYING at German
Fmperor would have been delighted. Al the gath
erng of the mobiles and their retai1ers, the Old
march in double file around the stage, against
which Wagner nveiGhed ano FIR which he pro,
posed that a march from Norma" or BcilSario
he played instead of his music, was avoided but
the plan adopted was quite, as fragrant a
violation of his wishes. Each group of
mobiles and rctainers formed platoon at the
entrance then walked down the middle of the
hall keeping step with the music. 1t required
but little stretch of the Imagination 70 hear the
Landgravc give the command at each division OF
fine march {: "Forwarl waertS, i'm I'aradeschrilt
Marsch. :" As for the ladies. they were received
by Elizabeth in tho modern drawlng-roOm style not
excepting the formal introdnctions and the few
moments Of gossip which Wagner forbade under
any and al circumstances. From the old-fash
ioncd operate point Of view, eyes and ears were
delighted with the first Bayreuth "Tannhoeuser. ="
hut Madame, Wagner has not changed the opera
into Handling" 1t is still an opera, fascnat-
ing in it's eXternas, impressive in it's teachings
lovely in much of its music, dramatically puissant
in everything H. H. IA