The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-12-09
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
The seidl Concerts.

|
withstanding the rain and slush, there
was much better matinee audience
than was expected. The orchestra
| played with the same artistic sense OF
their duty as if the house had been
crowded and the audience was thorough
ly appreciative. The feature of the
programme was Tschaikowsky' S
"Casse Noisette," OF the "Nutcracker, %
for the first time here. Its five move
ments are each brief, but extremely odd
and catchy, embracing miniature over
ture, a characteristic march, Russian
and Chinese dances, "d0nse des mirli-
tons and cosagne. The Chinese dance
was perhaps as striking and peculiar as
any of the movements. Then came four
movements from Moszkowskis opera of
'Boabdil," all Moorish in character,
brilliant with barbaric splendor as may
we'll be imagined from the name. The
fourth movement, the Moorish march,
played for the first time was the most
effective. The selections from Wagners
"Meistersinger, as was natural, from
the association of Mr.. Seidl with
the great composer, and the long
practice of the band in his music, were
full of the spirit of the occasion they
represented. The rich, full chorals, the
lively dance of the apprentices, the
pompous march of the mastersingers, in
fated with the glory and power of their
guild, received full expression. The
overture to Wagner's 'sFlying Dutch
man. was capital illustration of that
celebrated wanderer of the seas, and the
ballet music from the Strauss opera of
'sPazman," while reminiscent of 9th
Ell composers, was attractive. Mr.. Fisch-
er again aroused intense enthusiasm by
hsi superb rendering of Schubert, and
was twice recalled. Miss Fabris
came in fol- her share of applause and
was also recalled
If all music lovers could have heard
the admirable selections from the Wag-
ner operas, as arranged by Mr.. Seidl, for
the Wagner concert last evening, they
could not have failed to enjoy every
minute. 1t is one thing to hear Wagner
interpreted by a grand orchestra under
a conductor of celebrity and ability, who
was the close intimate of that great COM
poser and knew the meaning and feeling
Of every note of his dramas, and another
to hear the same authors works inter-
preted by an equally good, if not better
orchestra under great conductor, but
who never had the same relationship to
Wagner. For that reason we regret that
the audience was confined last evening
chiefly to skilled musicians.
The concert opened with the favorite
Tannhauser overture with the bacchan-
ale, with its wild orgies, into which the
overture leads. The number received
superb treatment and the contrast be-
tween the magnificent pilgrims chorus
and the revels presided over by Venus
was sharply drawn. In 'Elsa's Dream"
from 'tLohengrin," the soft tones of the
wood wind in accompaniment to Elsa's
words, the halo of sound which comes
from the divided violins intended to
symbolic the glory of the Holy Grail
and improperly called the ''Swan song"
and the bright militant melody of the
trumpet which publishes the character
of Lohengrin, were three things to be
specially noticed. Miss Fabris took the
character of Elsa finely. In the pre-
lude and death scene from "Tristram
and Isolde" the composer describes the
passion of love which only reaches the
attainment of its desire in death. The
sobbing and surging of grief, and the
final death scene were beautifully and
clearly given. The Vorspiel from the
sMeistersinger' closed the first part.
The second part devoted to scenes
from the operas of the Niebelungen Ring.
From Die Valkure, . "Wotan's Farewell
was taken, and Mr.. Fischer sang it
grandly. The audience could not bear
to part with him and twice recalled him.
Then came "Voices of the Forest" from
''Siegfried," whose title fully expresses
the nature of the selection, followed by
Siegfried's death from the '''Gotterdam-
mering,' and closing with the prelude
and glorifcation from ''Parsifal' All
of these could be dwelt upon if time and
space would permit. The audience was
exceedingly enthusiastic, applauded
every number heartily and Mr.. Seidl par
ticularly. The three performances have
been a musical festival indeed.
The White Squadron.
A new play, and one which has attract
ed considerable attention in New York
and Boston, appears at Portland Thea
tire on next Monday and Tuesday eve
nings. 1t is called 1.-THE White Squad
ron," and is by James w. Hark-
kins, Jr. The plot is taken from Incl
dents of the late CHILEAN difficulty, and
while it has a national tone the dramat-
ist has constructed play that appeals to
all theatre geers. One noticeable thing
about ''The White Squadron" is the
magnificent manner in which it is put
1non tho etaoa The cOmnanv carries