Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-09-25
= 4.-ftTf
handing presence, soft voiced and with a
winning smile that attracted all who ap-

"a. B.
handing presence, soft voiced and with a
winning smile that attracted all who ap-
preached her.
While talking three trumpeters took
their position near the entrance. and soon
the bare of trumpets told us that the
moment had come to leave prOsaic, every
day life behind us and wander for the
next five days in the enchanted realm of
myth, inhabited by god-like men and
women. We hurried to our numbers and
stood looking curiously about. The seats
extend in a half circle across the theatre,
the rows are raised one above the other
with no aisles between but many en-
frances at either side of the building. In
a twinkling the lights were practically
turned off. and with loud clatter 1000
people or more for there was not one va
cant chair turned their seats and
dropped into their places. Not a musician
n far off trembling, quivering sound as Of
water. Yes, it was the Rhine. telling us
of gladness and mirth with now and then
an undertone o. sorrow, and as the cur
tain slowly parted we saw the river. and
the three Rhine daughters darling hither
and yon: for they guarded the treasure,
the Rheingold, that was seen glistening
from the rocky heights. Inc murmuring
music became gayer, as with bursts OF
laughter the nymphs circled and played
about the ugly dwarf, Alberich. who
longed at first to win them. but after
catching sight of the Rheingold, abjured
love and finally stole the treasure. For
hours without one fall of the curtain. one
beautiful scene melted into another be-
fore our eyes, and all the while ravishing
music told us the meaning. The Rhine
maidens. floating in their native element
as they lost their trust sank with despair
ing cries. and through mists We saw arise
the home of Wotan, which later with the
loss of Freya, goddess of youth, gave way
beneath dark clouds to the Nebelungen
cavern where burning fires melted and
moulded the stolen Rheingold into the
tarn helmet sword, and magic ring.
Heavy vapors then assembled shutting all
things from our sight and as they slowly
cleared, revealed Walhalla and the shin
ing rainbow bridge. ~
With long drawn signs of pleasure we
reached our abiding place and waited i'm
patient for the morrow. Wagner at Bay
reuth Is a most jealous master, and will
brook no halfway worship so We gave
ourselves wholly to his absorbing spell;
the only place we visited, save the the
atre. being Liszt's tomb which seemed
plain to barrenness. although the four
walls and floor were covered with faded
wreaths and emblems, sent from all parts
of the world but it so happened the few
cards we glanced at bore the word Amer
lea. There is glamour about the per-
formances at Bayreuth. which while one
is there will not allow a criticism. We
would not permit ourselves to see that
Sucher as Seglinda was too mature in
grace and spirit. For our taste she was
infinitely superior to her Sigmund, for
Vogl as that hero, was STACEY in walk
and gesture, falling far below our ideal in
his rendering of the love song-the most
perfect ever written. 1t goes without
saying that Die Walkure was as always,
magnificently staged. What person, how
ever unmusical, can listen without shiv-
ering to that wild weird exultant Ride
of the Valkyrie?' We gave vent to our
feelings on reaching number three and
'hayotohoed" till Humid howled and Bae-
dilah fed to the roof.
1t is the determined purpose of Frau
Wagner that the attraction of the repre-
sensations shall be entirely due to the
perfect whole rather than to any one or
more singers, however famous; and often
parts are assigned to vOcalists having lit
tie or no stage experience. as In that way
there are no precOnceived IDEAS to be
overcome, and every pose and gesture can
be insisted upon according to the Wagner
traditions. Burgstaller the Siegfried of
the last cycle was a prOtege of Madame
Wagners and until recent years was
matchmaker having had but a compara-
lively short time for study. He looked
the part admirably, and In the Forest
Scene especially where he cuts the whis-
tie with his sword, acted with vivacfty:
but was hardly impassioned enough. we
should think. to awaken the slumbering
Brunhilda. the nOblest, grandest of Wag-
ner's herOines. While every part Of "The
Ring" il attractive. some portions inev-
itably stand out more wildly than others.
The NOrnen scene In GOtter(lamerungf
was one Of the most impressive. It Il
rarely II ever. given outside of Bayreuth,
rs It adds greatly to the operas length,
hut no music II more characteristic Of
Wagner, and no effect more appealing to
the imagination. than when in the dim
light OF the stage, those three dread be-