New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-26
LONDON NOTES.
WAGNER AT COvFNT GARDEN WITHOUT
AN ADEQUATE STAGE SETIlN"-
SECRET MILITARY HISTORY.

he
lapse of the defective scenic arrangements
Nine Nordica and the orchestra not oh'S
saved Die G0tterdAmmerung' from failure but |
.,nferrcd upon it the prestige Of being the best |
Of the four performances. "Das RhcnsoId anu
sDje Walkiirc" had gone WELL Siegired' |
with NJ lean de Reszkc in the principal part had
narrowly escaped being Kissed. and "totter- !
dlmmerung" with Herr DIPPED compelled 10
take the great tenor's favoritc role az Few
hours notice seemed destined to have cold re-
ception. Nine NOrdiCa triuinphed over every
obstacle. acting with intense tragic power sing
ing In perfect voice and creating white neat
OF enthusiasm Seldom has London audience
been more profoundly stirred. NJ Jean de
Reszke's indispostion or MT OF sulks. was lot
given. the cuts in "Sicsfred' we're condohed
and the audience of two thousand dispersed IN
a frenzy Of delight.
with sober second thought the WaGneriteS
find themselves in critical mood over the per
Torrance Of the Cycle a whole They are
renewing this week their protest against the
mutilation Of the score Of "Siegfricd' by series
of nartistiC excsions. Since the management
had promised an integral performance or Der
Ring des Nibelungen" these cuts are condemned
as breaches Of contract The management mas
wisely placed the responsibility where it belongs
NJ Jean de- Reszke At the last moment declined
to sing unless the scor. was abridged. and his
Will prevailed He has stcrnly refused II be-
drawn into controversy in jhe newspapers but
it is announced that there will BE- no cxcisions
in "Siecfricd" during the second cycle. This.
indeed is necessary. for the Wagncrtes nave
m lde loud complaints against unfair treatment
and have demanded the engagement OF Herr
Eurestallcr for the leading part if NJ. Jean DC
I. In o.
line These agitators ought not. however. t. he
unhappy over the result They have contcnd"d
that the entire score is essential to adequate
understanding and enjoyment Of Wagncr's work
The performance Of the mu;ilatcd 'Sicsfricd
was 4 practical demonstration Of their claim. II
was the dullest and least satisfactory Of the
four Cycle performances.
Another Wagnerian claim has boon tested with
results which not equally decisive. The
Bayrcuth fanatics have assumed that different
artists ought not 10 be Identified with a." same
part in the Cycle At Covcnt a(irden there were
three Brunnhiides. two Wotans. two Siegirieds
and two Frickas. hut there was only ON" Eria
II cannot be truthfully said that the continuity
OF the series was interrupted or tn" dramatic
effect impaired by this distribution of leading
parts among artists The Erda not more
real because Frau Schumann IIcink alone i'm
personated the character. nor were IN" ORA
matte unitic9 sacrificed when the same artist
appeared both as Erda and Of tn Rhine
daughters in ''Das Rhcineold" and as Waltraute
and one Of the three Nornen in Die Goitcr-
ddmmcrung" Wagncrites become hypcrcriticaI
when they overnice and ncedlessy exact.
The music is the thing. personality counts for
little
one does not need to be a Wagneran fanatic
in order to sympathize with the destructive
criticism Of the staging If Der Ring dos ri
bclunecn" IT Covent Garden. IL has been utterly
Inadequate from beginning 10 end and the
closing night Incompetence eliminated in
series II catastrophcs. In the change Of scene
in the first act If Die GGtterdammcrung" work
men were exhibited in 4 full glare Of light while
hauling mp portions Of the painted canvas. and
twice in the cOurs. Of the third act two carpen-
ters i'm shirt sleeves wern disclosed scampering
across thr stage. At The moment Of Sicgfrieds
dcath-and the music made it a most solemn
and impressive ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ravens sup
piled an element Of broad farce. one Of them.
as big as eagle. when Jcrkrd by Invisible
hands iiittercd and wabblcd on a string across
the stage instead Of winging it's flight toward
VaIhalla The Gibchung's Hall burst asunder
and had - he prOppcd up and reconstructed
fully half an hour before the right moment for
its collapse There was a grotcsque transpar-
ency representa- the fall Of the gods. Hagen.
when his final exit occurred, took a promenade
with two If the Rhine maidens. instead OF being
drawn down into the depths The stage man
agement was most stupid and ignorant Yet
Covcnt Garden is the only opera house in the