The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-09-27
THEY KISSED THE OPERA.
The JeunesSe DOrea Of Paris lnsulted
Composer Wagner.
"TIEEHGUSER'S" FIRST APPEARANCE.
Huge Keys ~ whistles Mad tho Air Hide
ous-The Acting Merely = Pantomime to
Those Who Behaved Themselves.


at the Grand Opera House in Paris during the
performances of "Lohengrin" are but repeti-
tons of the unjust treatment Wagnerreceiyed
when ~''Tannhauser' was first brought out IN
that gay capital. 1t was during the reign OF
Napoleon Ill. that the Princess de Metternich
persuaded the Emperor to have 1t performed
ut the old Grand Opera House.
Wagner was warned that il he introduced q
ballet in the second act, according to the
French custom. bis opera would be hlssed-
but he refused 70 interrupt the dramatic &C
ton of the piece by such an inappropriate
Interpolation. He attempted to make a COM
promise by celebrating the dance and panto-
Minis in the first act
the SWEETEST club in France-had never beer,
accustomed 10 enter the opera. house until
the second act. They determined to punish
the authOr-c composer for his audaclous oosti.
macy. On the first evening they laughed and
Kissed and blew whistles with huge keys while
the performance was gong on.
The Princesse dc Metternich sat in her box
dumbfounded with rage at the behavior ON
the part OF, the jeunesse doree of Paris. She
stamped her foot and shot angry daggers
from her eyes at the offenders, but they
needed her not. and continued TO )eer ana TO
hiss. In her fury the princess broke q beautl-
full Vatican fan she held IN her hand. ana the
incident was immortalized by Jules Janin,
in whose review OF the performance was con-
stantly repeated the lament.
"Oh, 10 bel eventual brisil
For three nights the uproar continued and
Wagner then withdrew his opera. Mr.. Id
ward III. House. who was studying music IN
Paris, gives O graphic description Oh the
scene. He has written a. follows:
II wan in my seat on the fated night and
watched attcntively the gathering OF the au-
dience. 1t did not appear to differ III char
acter from those | had seen at the rehear.als,
though It was slower in arriving. and when
the opening bars OF the overture SOUNDED
the house was only two-thirds filled. But
the adverse element WAS undoubtedly In
force from the beginning. Tho box habitu-
ally retained by the young turie5 or the
Jockey Club-close upon the stage at the lett
Of the spectators-was crowded. In earlier
years it had been known as la Ioge inter-
male, and on this evening 1T proudly sustain-
ed it's ancient character.
The overture was passed in silence, or at
least with so few manifestations OF dlsfayor
as to cause no interruption. Before ~ was
finished the vacant spaces were all occupied
and the assemblage ready for its work. The
curtain rose. and almost simultaneously with
the first notes that followed the assault be-
gan. Before the Introductory scene was half
through the uproar had reached such a height
that the actors upon the stage and the orches-
ira in front were alike inaudible. except to
those who sat nearest the prosceniun. There
was not even a pretense OF waiting to form
an opinion. The order OF battle was LAID out
on amOre destructive scale.
"'Tannhauser' was not to be deliberately
condemned: it was not to be endured. What
qualities il possessed, lofty or degraded, noble
| or vicious, the Parisians were not 10 learn.
IL any. by chance, desired to acquire that
knowledge. it was the. will OF the majority,
~ ~ I...1I mob do 90 And TINA tina
performance proceeded, or was supposed to
| proceed. revealing nothing but o succession
Of fine scenery and a mass Of picturesque COS
tune. While these passed In unintelliglble
show before the public eye, the pubic ear
received only a continuous ~cacophony OF
shrieks, bowls, shouts and groans. diversified
by limitations of wild beasts, which would have
biushed at the brutality of those who mi
| mioked their cries, and stimulated necessarily
by aristocratlc rufians In the conspicuous
| boxes. whose fayorite instruments OF ofense
were huge keys, by means OF which they hlled
the air with Kissing shrillness IKE SO many
whistling devils. 10 was a pltlable business,
infinitely more disgraceful TO those who &C:
| lively participated than 10 any who suffered
by il. The truth Is. the work was fore
doomed. condemned TO ignominy and out
| rage. because the composer was hated. Inc
rancor was 50 pronounced that believe the
victim would have suffered bodily injury as
well az y~icarious insult If the widest or the
| mob could have laid hands on him.
After the curtain had fallen / went out
| slowly with the crowd, and turned omeward,
taking a course which led me by the large
| court yard upon which the back of the
theatre opened. . / beheld the COM
| poser hastily crossing the area toward the
| cate by which stood. He opened the door
| of a vehicle in which a lady was already
| seated. but before entering turned sharply
around and held out his hand. which
| took without speaking a word. Deeply agi-
tated by Indignation aud compassion, knew
that my voice would fail me. He also was
| silent. but 10 my surprise betrayed no strong
emotion. nor was his expression perceptlbly
different from that which he had worn on the
other occasions of our meeting. As well as /
could observe. there was the same patient, en-
gazing smile with the air of partial abstraction,
which always conveyed the impression that
his Imagination was straying beyond or above
| the realities of the immediate hour"
Curiously enough during the thirty years
| that have elapsed-the first performance took
| plaee on March 81, 1sGl-'Tannhauser' Is the
only one of Wagner's operas that has been
produced at the Paris Grand Opera House
| until Iohengein was played last week.
The .Iannhauser OF the first performance
was Albert Niemann. who had been especially
| invited by Wagner 10 play the part. and who
sang in Die Walkure" IN the first festival at
Ravreuth.