The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-12

city precipitetely on the very morning Of the
ueS nc was announced TO appear as tho con-
oucuor OF some Of his moro important works.
Inc profound Impression created by the
sixth symphony after his death opened the way
Tor tho fifth, likewise for the familiar third
suite The nrst plano concerto-assuredly one
OF the masterpieces of modern plano literature
" added to the list, and now finally the eH-
elusive doors Of the Opera House have boon
thrown open and "Eueen onegin" has been ac-
Sia,med by press and public as worthy OF this
nonor; 10 be sure, this needed the advent OF q
new director, for In spite OF his openly avowed
advocate as TIr. Hans richter had not gained
admission for TschaHkowsky's stage works to
inc Jmpefial opera house. There were those who
engagements of this gifted conductor-for the
himself to Vienna by the terms Of his contract
n 3 h II IA, as possible. And SO 1t happens that
space Of time has become the dominant person.
AMY OF the Vienna. Opera House-conducting,
stage managing. reheersing uninterruptedlyy--
operate repertoire, and has taken every precau-
ton Ion as well g, made every effort, that "Eugen
be listened to with pleasure during the present
The poem, Of Puschkin, on which. as already
remarked, the lyric scenes" are founded, has
taken rank among tho masterpieces of the
worlds literature so ,unqucstionably that a GER
800 VIII N thhIh anu VIZ
sodes may be taken for granted. As presented
on the stage, we are. introduced in the first scene
Z Iar ii%2an ma and s1.o ot % i;h inc ti annIShi SeTo OF and AXIS bia
friend, the poet, Lcnski..
The latter is engaged to the younger sister;
the former to pair of with the elder, who is
of a dreamy, emotional disposition. and who
that the author sought to depict him as o GER
tain type Of Russian character. TatJand
writes to him, and the so-called letter scene,
which Is the gecOnd In the Opera. IL mugiCally
one Of the most touching and beautiful in the
score; The missive, however, leaves him cold.
renouncs his love. Possibly in order the more
and perhaps also because in spite of his words
the declaration Of the young girl has not ;eft
h him as h Sneoi mhG 3Srn as b as T sP,eSt,o ons TO TO t tSe
younger sister, whom at a ball he courts so os-
tentntiogsly that, he arouses her fance 5 iieal;;
and Oncgin has to flee. Several years elapse
before he returns to Russia, and in st. Peters.
burg he meets at a grand fete Tdtana, who has
become the vito OF. a wealthy aristocrat and
one OF the, queens Of society. Too late he now
d dnSi . ;ers- his love S,i for !, her be o,, She 70 grants spea foa him q 2
HIM forever, and the curtain falls on his grief
and modification. Not a very dramatic con.
itself in the poets mind with any Interior view
St the w SR1eTfa rat pS stsgS, h hnd Est b it w t%a aI faT o9
looking into the future. for, strange to say. a
very similar catasirophe TO that which termi,
hated the life OF the poet LenSki put an end to
the existence of his creator, the poet Puschkin.
1t is a strange chapter in the biographies of lit
erary men, a case, as IL were, of unconscious
premonition, for In his master work, One
gin" the author depicted how LenSki brought his
friend to the house Of his fancee in order that
he should fall in love with her sister. and how
a duel withfatal issue ensued because the friend
courted the one who was bound by previous
ties. IL. in place OF Lenski. We put the name of
Puschkin, and call Onegin Baron Heckeren. the
tale would be true as authentic biography, with
the sole difference that the Olga In real life as
not Puschkin's affianced bride. but his wife.
The division OF the opera INTO seven acts-for
such they are, with a fall of the curtain and an
intermission between-did much to disoncert
the public here. in addition TO the shortcomings
that have already been pointed out. In trans
ferring the poem to the stage every effort has
been made TO preserve as much OF the original
as possible, and so we find much in the dialogue
that would hardly pass muster, according to
the best accepted tenets Of opera librettos. On
the other hand, both in the opening scene,
wherein a gentle melancholy pervades the
picture of Russian country life. as well as in
the two ball scencs-one unpretentious and old
fashioned, the other brilliantly sumptuous and
festive-the composer has been more than usu.
ally happy in the local color which he sought to
introduce. In other respects there Is little cs-
sentially Slavic in the music, which goes back
to n time in Tschaikowsky's career as a true
poet ere he had discovered the secrets of bril-
liant and unusual orchestral tone coloring which
We find so frequently in his later works. On
the contrary. there are on certain pages of the
score of "Onegin" suggestions of musical in