New-York tribune., 1896-11-19
MUSIC:
"I MAEsTR1 cANToR1 D1 NoRrMBERoA.

There various reasons for quoting the title az
last nights opera at the Metropolitan Opera House
In Italian II 1t 40 be that some devoted Wagneritc
shall fail to recognize in 1t the name OF wagner's
only comedy. so much the better. He would proba.
bly, also have failed to recognize the performance
had he looked the opera house several times n
the course Of the evening. The costumes might
have helped him a little, and also the scenery pro-
vded he had gone through the preliminary training
OF the last three years. But the stage MANAGEMENT
would have conveyed nothing to his perception and
he would frequently have heard the orchestra dis
coursing things which bore only remote resem.
blance to the music which Wagner put into his
score There Is no place for monotony In the
''Meisterslnger" There everything Is In delight.
ful lyrical ferment from beginning to end. Every.
thing sings, every moment every instrument ir
the orchestra, every man and woman the stage
has. or ought to have heartful Of melody eagerly
pushing fer utterance. II 1t does not out TIL
the very atmosphere is ravished and intoxicated
there Is no performance OF Die Mesterslnger"
Every moment must be buoyantly Joyful OF Its az.
istence. and publish It's gladness eloquently exu.
berantly. convincingly There dreary stretches
OF many moments last night, and the fault seemed
to be Signor Mancinellrs who may know what the
bills call IL Maestr Cantori" but which Is not 'Ds
Mestersinger," or, at least not last night
That is why the title ought to be quoted
In Italian.
There Is another reason which may be discussed
In a more amiable mood. There Is to ap-
prehend that the public growing fond. too
fond. indeed. of Wagners music. The house was
crowded. and desire to become enthusiastic.
which long suppressed by the performance
but forced expression at the end OF the second
act. and then grew freer, was plainly to be felt
But II the public acquire a taste for the Wag.
merriam meos uttered by lovely voices. will they
not eventually learn also TO admire the Wagnertan
drama and ask that 1t be made Ineligible by good
acting correct stage management and the use OF
the yernacular? What. then will become Of the
notion which is two centuries old. that the words
do not signify In opera? or TO have 4
houseful OF people revelling In dulcet tunes Of
Wagner. and when they weary Of his lascvious
pleasings. turning TO the peppery things OF the
young Italian school for excitement? Verify. things
operatic seem 10 be going awry, and shall
have to stop 'Orent ourselves" as the
Germans say. Then. again. 1t will be proper to
call Die Meistersinger" by its Italian title.
The sensuousy beautiful was sufficiently in ev.-
dence in the voices Of the principals in last nights
leepCesehnitdton was only the spirit OF the con-
the singers seemed willing and able to body forth
some OF the Wagnerian purpose. they sternl;
ness OF the orchestral flood which flows through
tho work only TO ioat the voices OF course. thert
were times when the lyric element broke through
all barriers. as In the quintet which was superbly
gwen a and had m as 70 be repeaed before the en!hu
yh which d"yelop o the story monot9ny vas preva.
% an' 'easn "n e.
tuneful and lovely ever. with freer and bette
vocaiization. and with almost an equal growth f.
that seriousness and unselflshness OF purpos, !,
which II she will but cultivate It. will surely make
her one OF the finest dramatic singers OF the mex;
deal Of interest Throughout, thsrvening. ard wa,
the best thought out. the most elastic and the
most convincing OF all the evenings in,persona-
tons II ls consistent in conception and execu.
his voice there were plenty o., reasons for "p prsc
ing his singing. lean de Reszke did not becom,
either himself or Walther until the third act bu,
then he was all-compellng. as usual Edouard ds
ResZke's Sachs was admirable only a voice-ot