New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-16
MUSIC.
sLoHENaRIN" AT THE GERMAN OPERA

'lOnENonlN hA AHH o6AsSAAS~ OSG6As
1t is an excellent thing. occasion like that
OF last night at the Metropolitan Opera House. TO
distinguish sharply between gossip, or news" In the
latter-day sense, and that criticism which possibly
still occupies position OF respect IN the minds Of
some opera-goers. strong inclination 70 indulge
in the have tugged at the hearfstrinss
OF nearly ali the writer's for the newspapers whose
duty took them to the Metropolitan Opera House
He must have been man Of small fancy. In
deed. who could avoid thinking OF the contrast
between the picture which the reports from Chicago
have called up. OF the scenes In the Auditorium
there, and that presented to his eyes at the inst!.
tuition in upper Broadway. when Nine. Nordlca APP
peared for the first time here in opera lusepa-
rabIy associated with such thought was OF COURSE
recollection Of the causes which led TO the anoma-
lous state OF affairs now prevailing and the con-
clusion that II there is satisfaction in conscious
ness OF vindlcation at the hands or the public,
Nine Nordica must have enjoyed q measure. fun
and overfowng, last night. But srch reflections,
however natural unamable, and It IL pleasant
10 shut them out and turn the attention 10 the
delights that were afforded by the performance
itself
The opera was "Tohengrin," and in addition to
Nine Nordcas impersonation OF Elsa. which did
rot differ materially from that with which she
made the New-YOrk public acquainted immediate
~ after she had received artistic regeneration
at Bayreuth the public were privileged 70 become
acquainted with Nine Lehman in a role. She
appeared Ortrud Under the old Italian dispen-
saton such announcement az this would nave
been set down fatty incredible. The prima
donna Chat is. the first lady OF an opera roupe)
singing a part which consorted her with the barry
tone instead OF the tenor, which compelled her TO
figure on the representation OF the evil principle Of
the drama and therefore TO end her evenings ca
reer Inundated defeated and even death-strcken'
All things must be out OF joint when such things
happen: yet this s what Nine. Lehmanns notions
OF Iyric-dramatic art led her 10 think desirable
thing How different from the notions Of Jenny
Lind for example, OF whom It is told, on unim-
peachable authority, that in Robert le Dtable'-
the opera in which she won her most emphatic
trlumphs-she compelled her manager TO make
such wholesale esions in the score that the char-
acer Of the Princess Isabella disappeared from IL
in order that no soprano should appear In rivalry
with her. Such petty jealouses have no place IN
a nature completely consecrated to art IKE Nine
Lehmann's. Consequently. there was an Elsa In
last nights 'Iohengrin," and when the auditors
carried away by the fine spirit with whicn the nrss
act sung and played burst over and over again
into paudts which told OF their grateful enthus'
asm, Nine. Lehman permitted her companion 70
gather the bulk Of the fragrant guerions To those
who have followed the growth OF Nine lNnmahhs
genius however there little TO cause surprise
I'm her choice OF the part OF Ortrud IL Is one which
has blood in IT," The character or Elsa H. ai'eF
all that OF a gentle sentimentalist. AT best she -
a sort of Dora who had she not been so weak AZ 70
yield 10 curiosity, would probably have spent her
DAYS in holding her lord and masters SWORD upon
her lap and polishing the swan-fgure upon MS
helmet IT, indeed. she had ever got over her pro-
nenstty for dreaming Ortrud Is different create
IRE so different indeed that even before the hrss
performance of the opera Wagner took the 'r'uOie
to write an exposition Of her character 10 Lls|t
In which he held hef up a type OF the Io'e'e''
woman. whom he considered the most awful thing
all. ~ cHa fG a 70
Of ancient paganism projected into a time whose
religious feelings found vent in such con-
cepton OF the worship as the Holy Gran ana
the creation OF cult which required an
organlzation of chfvaric knighthood for its mani
festation. Against a celestial soldier or TINS oaho
she is forced 10 battle. without the help OF one
throb OF sympathy from the other personages in
the story, seconded only by weakling. Here an
artist like Nine. Lehman recognized POSSIBLE
ties belonging the loftiest realm or art, ana she
threw her whole soul and all the plenitude OF ner
superb powers into their realization she was the
first Ortrud that has been seen and heard on our
stage since the departure of Nine. Marianne
Brandt and no admirer of that early associate OK
hers will take offence IL it is added that vocaly
she surpassed her and from dramatic point OK
view added elements not brought 10 notice by her.
Nothing but grateful praise ought TO be spoken
OF Nine Nordcas performance OF the part OK
Elsa in both its aspects Though she has acted
the same lovely understanding of its admixture OF
mysticism and tender affection, the same EXPOSE
ton OF love temporarily turned away by force OF
wicked circumstance. she never poured quite so
much OF her warm hearts blood into 1t as last
| night 1t was in all things lovely and lovabe
mpersonation. Mr.. Kraus. not feeling equal 10 al
the work laid for him this week yielded the
part of Lohengrin 10 Mr.. Kaiisch. who sang IN an
artistic manner (save In few passages when ne
was overtaken by excessive sentimentaiity) and
acted In manly and straightforward way
throughout. The others in the cast. Ike the stage
settings. were scarcely up to the standard set by
Mines Nordica and Lehman. Mr.. Stehmann as
King. though he sang we'll being deficient IN
voice: Mr. Mertens the Herald, afflicted with an
excess Of emotion wholly out OF place for one in
his position, and Mr. Somer while acting well as
| Telramurd not reaching the level on which ne
moved in 1.-The Flying Dutchman." Inc audience
Wed in numbers with that Of the most brilliant
of the Grau season.