New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-02
MUSIC.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE"

81, r,rt are not so numerous with us that one OF
ven, can be passed by in silence The perform
roes Of Tristan und Isolde at the Metropolitan
Onsra House or last Wednesday evening ana Sat
urday afternoon were such. ana no apology Is
oossarv for this recurrence to them. Let 1t be
,,as however that the more earnest and
s.,, Tho consideration the greater the necessity
hat its purpose be not to give Voiumnous pub
,,,fv 70 the shortcoming OF artistic works and the
.aeouacy of their interpretations. but to help. II
,ossible 10 an appreciation of the value of both.
,. g a CRITICS duty, while separating excellence
-. acfect TO admire well TO find fault.
ri axioro is old but 1t is often forgotten. perhaps
- o,tcn by the readers of newspapers than by
hose who write for them.
oriv the CYNICAL. the wanton. the careless or the
s,snactlble can have closed their eyes TO the les
~. taught BY the representations OF Wasners
go tragedy which We're given last week at the
,,..-o,oItan Those lessons would be impressive
- che representations had been disappointing; the
RESERVATIONS having been successful in marked
degree the lessons rise almost to soemnity in the
yves OF all lovers OF the lyric drama That the
performances have been and will continue to be
discussed fippanty and afford target for pueriie
wit need cause no concern to those who know ana
feel their value a source OF present enjoyment
and a guarantee OF future achievement Every
body who cares TO know knows what the spoken
drama is come TO and how hollow is the shell OF
opera but. also everybody with brains enough 10
know and heart enough 10 feel knows and feels
that the drama spoken and sung, still lives ana
ever and anon asserts its righteous DOMINION Over
mankind. ,,,
one OF the merits of the representations Of Iris
tan md Isoloe" by Abbey & Graus singers -
likely 20 create at once a higher appreciation OF the
musical factor in Wagners tragedy and an rnoe-
served reprobation OF the artists VINO nave oOi"c
the burden OF such productions in the past. mere
Will be a feeling OF surprise that the music OF Wag-
ner can be so well sung it is by Nine. Nordica,
Y, zka nd Erpnd.
will perhaps Danish ignorant prejudice winch
is only too prevalent in the minds of opera-goers'
How often has II been said that Wagner mated
good singing? He did nothing OF the KIND; ne loved
il and hungered for it all the days of his life But
he did not sum up his conception Of good singing
IN the vocal style which is exemplifed In the norld
manner of Rossini and his predecessors. He knew
that this style lent itself naturally 10 the menuous
Italian tongue. and perfectly adapted to the
purely sensuous entertainment in which it was en-
ploved He also knew that II was Ill adapted
n the German language, and had no kinship with
Cerman ideals Least OF all could 1t be made
vehicle Of dramatic expression. And so he refused
- employ It; but in doing he yielded not a Jol
OF his appreciation and his demand TOT inus'cal
correctness and musical truth. He knew the snort
comings of many of the singers upon whom he
had ~ relv and he would have been most happy
had he found more interpreters Of his works than
he did who combined devotion TO his high dramauc
purpose land exemplihed that devotion IN ihlei!i-
eli
and defamation. with the perfect musical capacity
which is requisite for the publication OF the SEN
suous beauty of his dramas Outrages have fire.
quently been perpetrated on the public ear by Nas-
ner singers even In Bayreuth but they have been
lust as much outrages on Wagners music. some
have grown out of misconception OF his aims or
an ignorant exaggeration Of his methods las Tor
stance the Bayreuthian tendency 10 hunt down
every consonant to the DEATH, but others have Deen
he necessary consequence OF inherited and acquired
,,raduections Il is wrong. however, 10 say that
Wagners music has always been howled ana
barked II has been correctly and beautifully sung,
and It's best interpreters have been the best sing
ers-uoen and women firmly grounded in the prlh-
ciples and practice Of what without rhyme OF rea-
son is generally spoken Of as the Italian nethoo'
bu, also permeated through and through with the
intuitons and capacities which must exist II ora
matte song is 10 BE- expression OF feeIhg. Let
Nine Lehman and Herr Scara be nstanced
II may have been In a sense anomalous that the
four singers who have been mentioned should nave
published the beauty OF Wagners music more 60
quently than we have been wont TO near IL zone "
operatic organizations devoted TO performances ID
German but that is due 10 the fact that they are
admirable singers and conscientious artists VINO
realized the splendor OF the opportunity presented
10 them who were fun Of ardor for the task whch
the opportunity involved. and undertook It's per
formance in e spirit Of devotion and love. go
far as their nationalism had anything to 90 with
N. matter II was in Illustration that northern
blood is essential 10 perfec; performance OF Nas
ner as II is 10 a perfect appreciation OF MINI iheS
stand for best In vocalization at the Me'fopo"
Onera House and not Of them Is Italian either
in birth CT mode of thought ana fee.lhs' Miho'
%ordica j. an American. the brothers De Reszke
are Poles Miss Brema is half German by pare"'ase
and more than half German by pace o. pirth' cary
education and mental and emotional haolt. II Ous't
lot 10 be necessary TO say, since there Is reeoo
tending over many years to bear testimony 10 the
al has
Italian tongue or Italian singers. Let Ii be Joyfuly
proclaimed that II is Infinitely more euphoi'ous'
Infinitely better adapted to opera as cohtiSuis
,,rgr,sbsa from, the modern lyric drama (specih-
cauv Wagner's) than the German; but let II aso oe
remembered that the language of people ana Inc
h,sc,s which they choose for artistic representa-
ZION are signs of national character ana oe'eriihe
the manner of their srtistic utterance IL Tequ"eu
me best OF Abbey and Grau's singers 10 interpret
..Tris.sn und ISOLDE, because only among inc pes'
cou,d sympathy understanding and anecuoh loi
such an art-work be found. Had II been left 10 the
aroi.s ~ the Italian contingent. II could never
hovA h.en done for the simple and suhlcent reason
-ha, they do not possess either the art or 'ne ap
nreciation for such work 1t should not DC io'so'
ton in a discussion like this thst the "ois' H''s
arc In the Metropolitan conpany-those WHO 'io''
rarrantly exemplify the vices OF untuneiu'hess' u
.ai,ass ~ voice false afectaton OF sentiment
ena theatrical conventionality-are the Italians,
e. - Cor that Admiration has already been
expressed for the correct singing VIM"
,as these representations. Would that mat aui'
rat,on could be reiterated in worHs wmch Wou l,a
-. . ,noaicurn OF the moving power OF the music
n,nicb called II forth. But these REPRESENTATIVES.
ers no, necessary TO enforce The beauty and Vaiue
81 pure intonation in Wagner. That virtue mas a.
r.vs beep known to be essential to iu'I appreci-
lion Of Wagners beauty. Inc resso" io SPT'a
.,.uo. ~ NJ de Reszke and Nine. Nordica Hes
~ his that bv 80 charming the ear they saNed '"'
audience the irritation and discomfort whlch nave
5, often nerfered with enjoyment OF the drama a.
= whole. They won complete sympathy ioi 'ne
luckIess lovers and invited contemplation Oh 'ne'l
dramatic characters NJ dc hes%he +.."1,,.
- -. q co,nartson Of his work on wednesday
and saturday 10 be still in formative STATE. II
- - - -, trIbut. 10 his instincts and intell-