The Portland daily press., 1893-03-20
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
An Evening with Wagner.

evening, but one not commensurate with
the character and expense of the under
taking. The great Metropolitan Orches-
ira, Anton Seidl conductor, Clifford
Schmidt concert master, with Victor
Herbert 'cellist, John Cheshire harper,
the leading American soprani, Emma
Juch and Amanda Fabbris, and the long
list of other talented soloists, should
have crowded the hall and offered an in
ducement to the performers to come
again, but while there was a large attend
ance of musical people there were many
vacant seats, though not as many as on
the occasion of the Wagner night given
by the same orchestra in the Stockbridge
course short time ago.
The programme Saturday evening was
made up, as a rule, from the program
mes given by the orchestra on the occa-
sion just referred to. When Mr.. Seidl's
band appeared here before, they gave
three concerts, the last being the So
called Wagner night. At that time the
PRESS gave IN eGtenso criticism of the
performances and description of the
works performed. What was said then
equally applies to those numbers that
were repeated at the Saturday night con-
cart. The same power and grandeur of
expression, the same beauty of tone, the
same delicacy and refinement of feeling,
the same rich coloring, pervaded the or
chestra's work. Whatever may be
thought of Wagner's writings-and mu-
sicians are largely divided on the subject
lit is certain that under the baton of
Mr.. Seidl the audience heard the most
faithful Interpretation of the great COM
poser's music dramas that it is possible
to obtain, for the great Wagner, "he
himself has said it."
sd The addition Of the vocal parts Satur-
day night, added a most important fea-
t,l1e that was absent at the other con-
certs. But what is particularly needed to
give the Wagner dramas the effect in
tended, is the gorgeous scenery, the
srmptuous costuming, the startling stage
effects, that characterized their produc-
ton under the eye of Bavaria's king at
,Baireuth, or even in London or New
York. With these little is left to the
imagination; without them much must
be taken for granted.
sisThe vocal feature of the evening was
Miss Juch's superb rendering of "Elsas
Dream from Lohengrin. 1t was admi-
rable musical defamation, and the audi
ence demanded a repetition. which Mr..
Seidl didn't grant. In the Meistersinger
quintette, female voice was substituted
for the tenor,a change that is never to the
advantage aof composition. The
grand scena from the "Wa1kure,' intro
duced ten female voices, the leading
characters of Brunhilde and Sieglinde
being taken respectively by Miss Riegg
and Miss Juch. The female Valkyries
are supposed to come, says Ktiebhiel,
from among the clouds. clad in mail
mounted on colossal horses, and bearing
slung across the saddle the dead bodies
of the warriors slain in battle. The
thenatic substance of the music is the
peculiar cry "Ho-yo-to-hor' with which
they salute each other, and the typical
melody of the Valkyrior, which, like the
line of Virgil familiar to every school
boy, ''quadrupedaaate putrene sonita qua
tet as,aguIa canapuna.' initiates the beat of
the horses hoofs, while the wood and
wind instruments give voice to the whin-
neyings of the impatient steeds. 1t is
in the duet between Brunhilde and Sieg-
linde, near the end of the scene, that the
prophetic use of typical phrases made
use of by Wagner is illustrated.
In place of 1.-THE Song of the Rhine
maidens," Mr.. Seidl gave LISTS sym
phonic poem of "Mazeppa," with its
odd barbaric splendor, and its novel eff
fects. Great musical writer's, however,
have complained that List, for
this form of musical writing, has always
chosen the most impractical subjects, and
that the want of form they exhibit is by
no means necessitated by the subject. 1t
is a strange contrast to the old-fashioned
suite protesting to mean something as a
whole without even expressing anything
eAearly and distinctly in detail.
The audience, all through the per-
Torrance Saturday evening was highly
appreciative and even enthusiastic. 1t
has been said by some that the concert
was given by the orchestra as benefit
for Mr.. Stockbridge. That is not SO. AS
the orchestra at the Stockbridge enter
tainments did not m Ike any money, Mr..
Stockbridge on this occasion gave his
time and did all the necessary prelimi-
nary work free of expense.
Yon Yonson.
.'Yon Yonson,'' as performed by Mr..
Heege and company, packed Portland
Theatre Saturday night The applause
was generous and the entertainment