New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-09
MUSIC.
rr.r FAIRY OPERA.


1870 than likely that a great many music
nho went 10 Days Theatre last h'gn' 10
- .he first American performance oi ~
"a ora,sl, were slightly burdcned with al. "pp..
S.s,o, lest the audience should not oe sum -
a.,,,,ve Of the sweet childish simplicity oi '"e
.,n,v 70 90 Justice TO what they khe" OF
,ne onera to be- In one respect inns "a'ssl' 80
Wv. nrs,tv fat contradiction of the tendency OF 'he
60 FOR intellectual and emotionai pAa'o' az
So 20 highly savory things, such things DIS 'he
sr,,is,s who are fond of the haVor OF 'ne su''ei
,roduce nowadays, it must be aaih'''eu .a -
sel and Gretel' must seem particularly no. 60.
"a unavoidable" 1t excites no app enehSo "'
rosshjy the spectacle on the stage VIII heep p'Oe
- ,h. suggestions OF the text and the magma
lions Of the spectators to the Vioauo" ~ 'NV
~ nropriety which don with our SUNDAY o'o'"es'
- ,be curtain falls quickly. 1t is a nursery
80 nictured with almost holy simplicity, yet EN-
nlovine a refinement OF musical art Whch ID as "u-
,rahe as IL is in the scores OF the ope'" CUM
,osers OF the present generation IL was more 'ai
u,tle doubtful. that public to which II appeared
:. an almost unknown and certainly forgotten
,org,e would appreciate its merits The result was
ou,te unexpected and little bewildering. The au-
s,.a seemed TO have all the ingenious receptivity
n.essary 10 its enjoyment, but the majority or
those concerned in its production had none OF the
nayyete essential TO It's proper publication.
Tbanks 10 Mr.. Seidl and good orchestra many OF
the beauties Of the score were disclosed but so Tar
as the scenic department was concerned the per-
formance was as far distant from what the authors
intended IL TO be II instead Of a most POLITICALLY
o,o.i,.ad opera the thing had been a cheapy
.-ossed buresque designed 10 amuse children in
the Christmastide If any one fond OF prophecy
,hsu say that work which is unique In its excel
once as II is in its character which has excited the
admiration Of musical Germany supposed to be
80, nm with a love for musical bombast and ex
&c United
r,a,sa because its nature has been totally mis-
conceived By those responsible for its representa-
tim we fancy that those who know Hansel and
Srsiei" and were III Days Theatre last night, VIII
ny YET such is the pussant charm OF the work that
as much il fell short in music action, ana esps.
sally scenic outfit of what its creators designed 1t
10 be and what II is easy TO MAKE II, the puDnc
greeted II last night with almost )ubiiant acclaim
After the second fall of the curtain the cheering
vas loud and hearty and there was no cessation OF
The gladstone noise until the principal performers
Mr. Daly Sir Augustus Harris ana Mr.. Seidl had
len called TO the front and made to accept the
grateful gratulatons OF the audience Sir Augustus
,or the generous manner in which he had been re-
,eived on his first venture on the American stage
aincks opera and Herr Seidl, and all that he said
was graciously received by houseiul OF peU cope
ably gave no thou.-ht TO the disagreement almost
violent between the work as II exists In fact ana
- ii appeared IN the practica! translation Oh OH
Augustus and his people
has sufficiently discussed in this journal II Is
as beautiful II appeared from the printed page 10
the reviewer in last Sundays issue which Is another
way Of saying that II is more beautiful than the
performance permitted !. to appear last p 1isn,
Among the singers there were two VINO were known
10 the musical people OF New-iork one was Miss
Meissinger formerly Of the German opera ana a-er
Of Miss Juch's company, and the other Miss Jeanne
Douste who nine years ago figured on our concert
platforms a pianoforte player. Miss Messenger
has a good unders tanding Of the witchs part whcn
she played but she was witch with dialect and
that was little disturbing 70 perfect enjoyment
- wi facial EXPRESSION
graceful and unafec-ad in her action ana her Gre,e
was pleasing the eye but her voice Is somewhat
dull in timbre fault which doubtless en-
phasized by the acoustic shortcomings, so faT as
music is concerned OF the theatre She helped. but
not In the grevous degree of Miss Alice Gordon
who sang the part of the mother, 10 impress upon
the judlc0us the fact that In selecting his singers
Sir Augustus laborlng under the mistaken i'm
preston that the standard of excellence should be
that Of English comic opera instead Of that or opera
Of the best type.
The best Of the singers and actors, too. for that
matter was NJ. Jacques Bars. who was the broom
uaker though had she been closer 10 the standard
with her singing Miss Marie Eliza QianseD might
have passed the critical n'uster.