New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-13
MUSIC.
FIRST PERFORMANCE OF MAssENErs


York performance at the Metropolitan Omar.
House last night. Its production was due 10 "
Jean de Reszke. who achieved OF his earles.
great In the work when II was ers,
brought forward the Paris Grand Opera eleven
years ago. Three Of the members Of the original
cast took part In last nights representation ap-
pearing in the parts which they created" az N.
French phrase has II. They VI. Jean De
Reszke Rodrigue). ". Edouard do Reszke don
Di6gne) and NJ PlancOn nc Comte dc GormaO
In consideration of the fact that II the first
New-York performance. which all concerned wers
anxious 10 make as brilliant az possible Mr. Las
sale assumed the role Of the King. which az the
original production was intrustcd 70 n barytone
who boosted Of the venerable and Biblical mama
Of Melchssedec The original Chmene was Nine
FIdes- Devries whose name IS brought 70 mind by
the circumstance that her Is a member 0, the
Metropolitan company. though he was not con-
cerned In last nights performance.
lie Cid" has not had a long or eventfIl history
II was first performed at the Academic National De
Musique on November 20, 1885. II was mounted
most sumptuously and belonging 70 the class 0, pa.
geantry operas dear to the hearts Of Parisans Il
achieved a sufficient popularity to give II perma-
ncnt place in the reper;ory OF the Academic. Out
side o. that Institution 1t has heen less fortunate
50 far recall. only Vienna and Milan OF
European cities. have heard II. This would place
New-York fourth In the list, for New orleans
brought 1t forward In its ambitious, but struggling
French opera some years ago. The Indifference %
managers to It Is quite as singular as the fact tina,
so popular subject. and one that has 4 -7inated
composers for nearly TWO centuries, should have but
one illustration in the whole list Of living operas
For this fact the carly death Of Blzet e probably
responsible. It is for many another deprivation
which the world has FELT ever since Carmen"
taught it the measure Of that briil.an, mans
genius. He had worked seriously on "Cld' opera
and left many sketches. but unhappy. they we're
all in an undeciphcrabc system Of musical short
hand which he had invented either as a convcnlsnc.
for himself or proven. others from crbblng his
ideas. II Is easy Ina CINE that had he With hls
fine dramatic instincts and his command q local
color. completed the work it would have been
masterpiece. such one in all probability would
have discouraged Massonet from undertaking any
thing in the same direction Weber was also In love
with the story, but alack. and alas he gave K I'd
for "Euryanthe" The "CId" operas that are IN
the limbo devoted 10 things that have been number
at least score ana German French and Italian COM
posers share almost equally in the record Whether
a single one Will ever the light again oCorne-
luss stands tho best chance fancyJ is extremely
doubtful. but there would be a quaint pleasure
after has Mr.. Jean de Reszke's pict-
uresQuely chvalric impcrsonaton Of the grca, hero
OF Spanish romance. in COMPUTING up A picture 0.
the Rodrigo in Handles first Italian opera whose
representative was a woman Of decidedly singular
character. She had contraltO voice OF wonderful
range and cultivated a penchant for male charac-
ters, going far practise bass parts In this
however. she POLITICALLY justified by the Old prln.
ciple that turn-about Is fair play In her day the
stage and choir lofts were stu struttng with sex
less men who sang soprano and contralto Handles
Julius Caesar a musico. and he had A numerous
companionship among the Agamemnons. Scpios
Hannibals and Cato who were the langushing
operate lovers Of the period Concerning La Test
ii is also OF record that she fell in love not only with
the music of Rodrigo but also its creator. and fol-
lowed him to Venice to be on hand when his second
Italian opera was produced.
Naturally enough. the Cd operas. whether called
"Cid' "Chimene" "Nimena' or Rodrigo" have
treated the story chosen by Massenet's librettiss
dEnnery. Gaet and Blau II is that 70 which
the French stage owes its tragedy by Corneile,
the German us plays and romances by Herder and
English literature the most charming of Lockarts
TRANSACTIONS Of the Spanish Romanceros and
Southey's delightful version Of the Chronicle OF
the Cid. The French librettists did not trouble
themselves with literary exploration. In their gen.
eral lines they followed Comedies tragedy, though
they claimed also to have borrowed some episode
matter from the much older Spanish play by Gull
len de Castro. The chief appeal which the opera
makes is to the eye. but underneath the pomp Of
scenery and costumes and the pageantry OF court
and there IS the story Of conflicting passions
based upon the circumstance that my lord the
champion" loves the daughter OF the whom
honor compes him 70 Stay 10 avenge an insult
put upon his aged father. Chimene loves the
Campeador. but hlial duty oompes her in turn 10
call for vengeance against the murderer OF her
father. And thus the conflict betwixt love ard
duty wages until the cid has again saved his
country from the ravages OF the Moors. and. re.
turning victorious offers his life as a sacrifice duo
to the love he had orphaned. At the last she re-
Tents and n'arries him instead OF Staying him
Such at least Is the outcome IL must be I'M
agined. for the concluding words Of the operate
text suggest II. and history teaches Il, Cor
nellie sends the Cid back TO the for another
year of probation Wnen MaSSanntS
given in Vienna the finale changed Instead
Of exclaming sire. je raime"' Chimene cried out
Hold. Death for me-" and stabbed herself The
old romances make Nimena a different sort Of
woman She is heroic enough In demanding the
death OF Rodrigo but while he is off to the wars.
her love overcomes her, and she goes 10 the King
and asks him as a gift;
MaSh h sS an" sad ' hd me- snail z arei well
She has not forgotten that Rodrigo slew her
Forgiveness is we'll pleasing IN cd our sayiou;s ye"
Rodrigo accepts the compromise quite as cheer.
fully. though ne makes plea in Justification:
In no disguise slew him man against man sod NJ.
There was some wrong between US ana Ga sAe1 ~
slew a man owe a man; fair LADY by Gods grace
An honored husband thou shalt have IN thy dead fA'F'
And the wedding was gorgeous-quite as gor.
geous. no doubt. as the gongs on on The Nero
politan stage last night when the cid was knight
ed, when he returned in triumph from the yi'oV
to which he was inspired by the vision OF spans
patron saint. not 10 mention the ballet scenes N
the second and fourth acts. THESE pictures. Ied''!
brilliant even If they did not pass the muster .,
those inclined TO be critical. The verable ca IS
reported once TO have kicked the Pope's chair 10
pieces because he saw that ot seven king' '9aWu.
placed near 1t one embazoned with the leur-de-ls
of France stood higher than another bearing tHe
Castle of Spain: vet some OF his followers we've
covered with the French Insignia last night But me
public as little inclined 10 quarrel with tas
performance on that ac cunt As they wiki me
singular dancing In the splendid ballet. with whose
characteristic coors ana rhythms frequent per
formanccS I'm the concert-room have made theiI
familiar This ballet music marks the high Toe
of Masscnct's accomplishment In the score Ihe'e
are voful stretches OF barrcnuess ir the opera
Nearly all the first act desert; only once does
the music stir the careless sterel. and then IL -
an extremely frank imitation OF Jean of Leydeh
PRAYER i'm Meyerheer's prophet" which does ne
feat Here IL is the Cid's song OF triumph whlca
he r,peats after he has been Chc,red by q VISION
OF St James in the fourth act Indeed Massfnet