New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-09
.rIyNHAEUSERn At THE OPERA.

..,,o =, rannhsuser at the Metropoh-
tan Opera House last night hao oii0 49,
seat,,re-remarkable especially for "s oeoi's va
Oh. nroblen which is so rapidly anu S"e"'"i'
nushing into the foreground that II WI, syn go,
- imperative demand for solution Inc auulerce
a. ,,ro~os o. !, was the most numerous of any
,. Mr. Damrosch's season began. except the
&C.. o,a GO attitude toward the performance was
almost as earnest and devout Inc iac' invites us
cusslon. especially IN view OF ,No '''"i "a -.
performance which approacheu 'iie e'a'iua'u '''"'
n,gh, ~ no associated with German opera only re-
,,o,c,v II such an audience can De gathereo 10
49, - - O performance OF "Tannhauser." an
- 40, hos never been absent from the local
- eor anv considerable period during tho last
,bir,v wears. Il would seem 10 appear as II there
u,ors q large element in the cnys population that
- ,o,,ra possessed OF the idea that there is
-. a. tho mere fact OF a German performance.
7, ran scarcely be urged that the representations
IT,, thus far held out a guarantee that the opera
would have a particularly brilliant performance
NJ Ayarys Tannhauser though not familiar
6p1,re here, was not unknown, and even those who
had never heard him in the character but knew
his manner OF singing. must have felt that It's
lyrical side would be far from satisfactory There
were moments in his work which invited admira-
ton but they were those. like the great scene in
the last act in which his eloquent de-
livery of the text and his picturesque
and dramatically truthful illustration of its contents
made amends for tie shortcomings OF his singing.
II is proper that his faults singer be kept in
mind lest the notion. already too widespread. that
Magnetism and bad singing are synonymous terms De
generally accepted With his natural gifts OF voice
and temperament. Mr.. -Alvary might have been an
ideal interpreter OF Wagnerian roles but 50 long as
he sings he does, long as ne insists Oh I'm ~
pelling his listeners TO hear the wnoIe SeInu,t
vowel sounds In long-sustained tone, ana mahI.e
his voice CHASTITY and hollow In quality. II VIII re-
main impossible to enjoy his singing ruby anu n
lily. Frauein C;adskis Elizabeth prolnlseu wen q,
the beginning because OF the natural s I M
beauty OF her voice. but her deviations from p!tch
were far from agreeable and indeed ineXcusaDle N
asn1uch as she seems to have studied singing MI;
FISCHER was the Landgrave of the occasion ana
again stood for most that was admirable IN inc
performance, his nearest companion, in respect OF
business OF information. being Herr Oberhauser
whose impersonaton of Wolfram, however, was
somewhat colorless. Fraulein Kutscherras Venus
was not fascinating. impressive or convincing,
though marked by that earnestness which pleads
so eloqueny and persistently for recognition at all
these German performances. Another instance OF
this merit the finest monument OF which, after all.
IS the simple fact of Mr.. Damroschs achievement
in giving this series OF sensations, under the
circumstances the employment of some of the
Mendelssohn Glee Clubs singers in the chorus be
hind the in the first act