The morning times., 1896-02-02
VAGNER'S ONLY COMEDY
1Die. .Meisteranger" a Brilliant End
to a Suscs4fal Season.
Mrs. cleveland An1 society in General
rosch at A3sns Opera House.

A hall week OF Wagnerian Festival,
| which concluded last night at the Grand
| Opera House, was a triumph in musical
Washington's favorable opinion.
| 'Die Meistersinger'' was the opera given
last night, and It attracted a notably ap
preciative eassemblage The house was cvm
| fortably filled, and 1t was an audience
| not backward in the demonstration OF the
| enthusasm!elt. Presidentand MIR Cleveland
occupied the lower rightbox next the stage,
and both Joined in the applarding clamor
for Walter Damroscli, at the end OF the
| first scene of the third act. NOtwith-
| standing The vociferous nature of the request
! Damrosch die not make a speech.
die Meistersinger'' is the only comic
| Wagnerian creation. While 1t is genuinely
| n.lrth provoking IL lacks none of those
I artistic elements which Will make the
memory of the maestro everlasting. 1t
| has been seven years since ii was rendered
| in Washington.
| Fraulien Johanna Gadski took the part
OF Eva, the principal soprano. Creditabie
| but mildly describes her success. She added
dramatic action to splendid vocaiization In
pOrtraying the troubles of maid in love.
In the third act she did her most effective
work, when opportunity was givenfor vocal
powers not hitherto unasked. There were
many times when those pretty mezzO
| tones were heard. Herr Barron Berthaidwas
! III thN vi w NuuSIs VI
| Eva, and the sweet harmony OF his bari
tone, as the prize he would win, seeming
| farther and farther away, founda responsive
echo among his hearers.
Herr Paul Lange and Herr Gerhard
| Stehman stamped themselves as genuine
comedians, and that is not an idea gen
| orally associated with Wagner, IN tire
respective characters of David and Sixtus
| Beckmesser. Lange's tenor is of tue clear,
inc 4. n In
| real music-lover.
Stehman sang as he always sings, and
acted as well. As a crusty old bachelor
| he is a dramatic success. The basso of
| Herr Emil Fischer as Hans Sachs was a
rare melodious achievement.
There could not he a more sentimental
| cbaperon than Fraulien Marie Maurer
| made "Magdaicne." Between her watch
| fuineSs OF Eva aud her love OF David, she
| did not exactly halt bet ween two opinions.
| but was surely equal to the dramatic
| possibilities afforded. as well wining
| praise for the real merit of her singing.
| Her soprano In the sOio parts was good, as
| il was in the famous qrintette-
| Herren, Merteas, Seliman. bertels, Put
| litZ, Geleng, Same. Bromberg, Hcrin, and
| Naumann made up class OF mcister-sing-
| crs unsurpassablc, who, with large and
| effective chorus, were fully equal to the
| several moving diInaxes. Herr Otto Rabege
| was really funny as the self-impOrtan nj
| ..Nacht- Wachter." 1tfS voice had the neces-
| sary power demanded by the part, and in
the comic choruSef shoemakers, taiiors, and
bakers was notHca bic. This chorus was
one of the features, baving with it. all the
force of the cerhplete orchestra.
In other buxcsssa aside from that occupied
by President ands Mr8i Cleveland, and scat
! tered through tn a3saience. were the fol-
lowing social 6gltEiries: Mrs. U. s.
Grant and Ms. SelIieGrant Sartoris, e&i-i
Justice Fuller and famiiy. Raron Max Won
| Thielunann and Boron Won lkettefef aud
ladies of the Gernan embassy; Miss Nc
Cauiey and Mis4 Taylor; George Pierce.
| Postmaster General Of jana ica, and Mrs.
Pierce: signor Mendonca.- Brazilian. Min
| lister and wife; Sir Julian Pauncefote and
tn. Miss ,Paanceypte; Yang yu and Ho
Yeng Shing. of the Chinese legation: Mrs.
(! Patenotre aRd otti6r ladies' of the French
legation; secretary Mrs. lamont: f
| Francis Riggs. SenRtor and Mrs. Davis
! Mrs NJ. S. Quay and Mrs. X. X. Quay,
Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Hague. Senator Cam
| eron. and Miss Rachel Cameron. Miss Sher-
| man. Mr.. Philips, Lieutenant Rogers. Dr.
+. Z. Chamberlain, Miss. NJ. T.. Gale.
4 Mr. and Mrs. Mercer, Miss Boardman,
| Colonel and Mrs. John Hos.
&c.
"sieefried' was the matinee opera at
the Grand yesterday afternoon. Herr Max
Alyary was In the title role and his sym
| pathetic tenor assisted materially in max
| ing the success the performance was.
| In this opera the most elaborate scenic
| effects were used than in any one given
| during this enga cement.
| Frauleiu Nina Schilling was the Forest
| Bird. and captivatcd with the charm and
| warmth OF her voice and acting. Brun
hide WAS Fraulien Louise Nulder, and was
| satisfactory Wilhelm Aerien's Alberlci
was especially good.
| The audience was large and enthusiastic
| as Washington audiences always are whei
| real merit is in evidence, as was certainly 81
| In the rendition OF f'SieGfried-
IT was a Payreuth performance.