The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-03-12
PRAGUES WAGNER CYCLUS.
DIRECTOR NEUafANy's REyIvAL OF
THE "N1BELUvaEN RIy0.n

PRAGUE, Feb. 15.-Director Angelo Neumann
has Just brought to q successful termination q
Wagner Csclus" Of twelve performances.
which In addition to the ten operas. rs familiar
In America as here. comprised fragments OF
"Parsifnl" md the production OF Die Feen"
1.-THE Fairiesh a youthful work that has hitherto
only been given In Munich. IL is not the first
time that the name OF Angelo has
been linked with that Of Richard Wagner. for
he 1t was who. in advance Of all other managers.
after the first iayreuth festival OF 1876. nrst
realized the money-making qualities inherent
In the "Nibelungen Ring" and after having
duly presented the totralogy In Leipsic. where
no was director at the time. undertook n to,rnce
that included q Roodly number OF the more
important European cities. Through his et-
forts the great work was made famil-
lar primarily throughout Germany. and
subsequently took its place in the repertoires
OF the various German and Austrian opera
houses. How the negotiations with Wagner
were begun and carried out is an interesting
story by itself: but, before recounting It. a
brief glimpse at the enterprising managers
latest achievement might not be amiss.
The present year marks the tenth since
Wagner's death in Venice: for Austrian law.
as 1t at present stands. marks likewise that
period OF time beyond which an authors
works become public property. How far
!" Parsifal." hitherto belonging exclusively to
Bayreuth. will be affected by this romans 10
be seen. The probabilities are. however. that
It will not for some time to come be presented
outside of the musical temple where first It
was consecrated. With Die Feen." however.
It Ia different. A few years ago the
Munich Opera House. relying principally
on q sumptuous mise-en-scene under
took to present the youthful work that
Ind mt haAn altar n, pfOI ou INV ctnva bafOra
The financial success. quite apart from any
consideration touching the artistic. was such.
and to the present day still continues to be.
that 1t was but natural any manager with SUI
fcient courage to make the necessary prelim-
mary outlay. should seize on the work as one
we'll worth acquisition. The rights OF per-
Torrance were. however. jealously guarded by
the Munich management. and nothing but the
intimate business relations OF Director Neu-
mann with the Wagner family could have Sc
| cured n share In the monopoly hitherto held
by the Bavarian capitaL
On the 9Th of Fcbruary'Die Feen was given
for tho first time in Prague. and with a sue
cess that promises well for its future career.
Musicians and critics from all parts of Ger
many were invited to tho premiere. and though
opinions may differ as to the relative value Of
the work as such. there Is but one view as to
the admirable and in every way worthy manner
in which Director Neumann has once more
done his duty toward the Wagnorinn cause.
Die Feen.' which goes back to the time of
Wagner's earliest beginnings, Is a work ny
which Its composer himself set but little
| store. He made some half-heartcd attempts
to have it performed. conducted the overture
on one occasion. but very soon lost NIL interest
In it or Its possible future fate. Indeed. In his
autobioGr arhical sketch and In his various
lattara thar, ie hor1lv n rafaranco r. tba ,vorl-
tho last occurring as far back as 1855. in a
letter which he wrote to his friend Fischer.
The idea OF having Feen" performed in
Paris suggested itself to him in tho beginning
OF his stay in the French capital. but it'll tho
birth OF "Rienzi" and the Flying Dutchman"
all thought Of their precursor had fed. Nor
could it we'll be otherwise. when 1t Is taken
into consideration how little this first venture
contains that would seem to express tho indi-
viduality which Is to be found more and more
in each succeeding effort. until it shall have
been renchsd IN ths post'"Lohenerin" period
o! ro WhSn eSmp ssslr't then. "Dte Feen" had lost its
i1t ere int at IN h e adGre ssSy t to 3d his n eo5tsn =. les
yorable circumstances. have appealed hut
q Mebaird. Wagner in tho tone World. TINT
pe Ind assH f" on the t%Hs' sren ten o or less aeeq rec
In which we care to busy ourselves with the
stier 9 qds sasiyy siiSinn iai:s to sp Ss re sl,H ? scare"
From a purely musical point Of. view. the
chief interest derived from a familiarity with
a aboSe ali. WonerN%h Io11VWi; Wagner nsa'I most c S%e.
most entirely a borrowed one. willis in the
treatment Of vocal or Instrumental, effects
!!h sisn IS h afatfSS ey it ONE to ea ns H2tIss ssrt tn %s'H Ss tee
ness that. far from forsakine him in later
sulsh IsdS and it it would le mpossible to deny myth the
or the q eapelia ensem nas' which. atthe time Of
tho production Of the work in Munich was
acclaimed as the one really beautiful musical
nbretto goes hand in hand with that Of the
aa er:S sMs 81 s0f Fiat th' ".?Et urrsn'hs." At and
to ob be- found Ps again Il IN StHhH tie m]aster's sG iat t,ru WorEa
Not. only In tho ~li,bretto and music is much
that is conventional m but; what is w 9Gt without Ib.ut
but few Wagnerian characteristics; a study Of
the most anpr99yed m% %hd af Of the ms, line can be
oit:approved tale Of marital devotion exposed
s r H.s' e ssSs sfsats srlai poot IL hf hs!sAht IS t thsn D0 ans
10 Be found IN the, ola English extraya-
ssnz Z %sIsa and tvd fairies oesos hss a ssmes:
y%alorous Knights perform deeds 81 proIess
that prove their devotion to the ladies OF their
heart: q waiting maid and an esquire are sup
posed to furnish the plot for the necessary
comic relief" while an apotheosis In tairyland
marks the course, Of true love. that after sur.
dry trials, has finally reached this smooth
waters Of unlimited calcium light and COM
The SUCCESS of tho FIRST performance in
Prague; at which many OF the most dlstin-
Guished German musicians and journalists
were present. was sufficiently encouraging to
forsshadow q number Of repetitions. and even
hold its place In thu repertoires Of such the
ners works their serious artistic aim, It 10.
however. only In connection with the later
oi"Dis Feen," can be maintained. and there
Wagnsrian aoauisitlon viii prove tina same sort
81 gold mine 70 Director Neumann that the
had. what seemed at the time. tho haTdlhood 20
viii qllnlG Drss.h tt: ibis 5Ish Fs.n Of p 1es ssfy" IL Some H IL
the principal German c%!ties.a visit TO foreign
Italian. Russian. and Belgian t%ourndes OF lSS2.
is not without the range OF probability. But
Its admirers will he cOmDOSed OF the limited