The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-12
~EUGEN NEGIN'1NVIENNA
INSTANT SUCCESS WON M THE
OPERA OF TCHAIkOWsKY.

meiay 81 the Russian Composer IN ObtaiuiuE
Recognition at the Vienna Opera House
rrsehhtn's Poem In Dramatic F~orH-Fea-
lures or the Music and the Performance.
vienna, Nov. 20. -TschaIkowsky's "Eugen
Onegin' is the second opcratic novelty that Di-
rector Mailer has offered to the patrons OF the
Vienna Opera House. and in the choice Of tho
work, quite as much as in the manner Of its pro-
huction, he has sensibly strengthened tho ex-
ce1ent impression he had already made as con.
ductor and stage manager. In tho present
dearth OF valuable new works the various opera
houses are Obliged to 60 back to those OF older
date which, for one reason or another, have
been neglected; and In the present instance It
was, as results have proved. a happy thought
20 introduce to the music.loving public Of
Vienna one Of the best known operas of the
greatest Of Russian composers.
To be sure, 1t could not DO overlooked that,
whatever the merits OF tho score might be, tho
Ibretto, founded on the famous poem by Pusch.
kin, was not dramatic or specially well adapted
TO the ends It was intended to serve. In Russia,
TO be sure, where "Onegin" is as familiar ms
"Evangoline' with US. the shortcomings Of the
nbrettist were willingly condoncd, In the enjoy
ment OF seeing Puschkin's familiar figures on
tho stage, in the situations that every one knew
and no one needed to have explained. The
popularity of the poem helped materially the
popularity of the opera. or Lyric scenes" as the
work has, semi.apologctically. been termed.
Outside Of Russia, however. tho lack Of dra-
matte unity, and above all the unsatisfactory
ending to the story. could not but be regarded
as pitfalls on the road to enduring popularity.
This had been felt In Prague, in Hamburg and
in London, where Tschaikowsky's work disap-
peared from tho repertoire after comparatively
few performances. What ultimate fate is re-
served for it here cannot be predicted at the
present moment, for though its reception at the
initial performance was more than usually cor
dial. one might even say enthusiastic, it is diff.
cult to determine how much is to be credited to
the composer. how much to the individual eff.
forts OF the various artists.
There Is hardly q musical town where the
fame of Tscha1kowsky took SO long a time to be-
come established as in Vienna. At a time when
the greater number OF his larger and smaller
works had been heard in cities like Berlin, Lon.
don. and New York the public here had not got
beyond an acquaintance with the first string
quartet, the violin concerto. and the Romeo
and Juliet" fantasy. OF the last the omnipo,
tent DR.. Hanslick had none too delicately re-
marked that 1t belonged in the class Of ''putrid
music" and this fragrant dictum was sufficient
to Danish his works from the various concert
halls. 1t is probable, indeed, that such a state
OF affairs would have continued indeflnitely-the
old accepted stdtu quo being.tenaciously en- rogue
here-had it not been for the sensational success
achieved the world over by TschaIkowsky's
sublime swan song, the Symphonic Pathe-
tique." This was performed three years ago at
one of the Philharmonic concerts, and even the
most inveterate prejudices had to give way be-
fore the genius imprinted on every page of
this masterful score. His friends, to be sure,
could have wished that this appreciation had
been granted during his lifetime, for though
the most modest of composers the tribute OF
Viennese popularity could not but have been
especially gratifying. Indeed, how highly he
would have priced it may be gathered from the
fact that already in 1892 he made the long trip
from Moscow to Vienna at his own expense,
without the slightest prospect of remuneration,
to conduct a concert during the Music and Thea
tire Exposition, and had it not been Cor the dis
heartening experiences he had with an in
ferior orchestra and an entirely unworthy hall,
he would assuredly not have left the imperial