The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-24
THE N~IBELUNGEY RING.
Welcome for It. Unaeridred Majesty.

To THE EDITOR OF THE suN-Sir: am glad
to read in to-day's sUN that New York opera
goers are to have an opportunity to hear Der
Ring des Nibelungen" in its entirety. It Is now
about fourteen years since the first adequate
local representation Of Die Walk1re" under
the direction OF DR.. Leopold Damrosch. and
nine years since the production Of "Das
RheinEold." and It certainly seems strange that
during that time no attempt should have been
made to perform the tetralogy in accordance
with the composers intention. We take our
opera, like many other things, too much in .
hurry. and the excelsior Of entire acts in IA
miliar works like "Faust' and Les Hugue-
nots," with the mutilation of such a classic
masterpiece as Gluck's "Orphee lin order that
"Cavalleria Rusticana'' may be given on the
Same eveninED have como to be regarded. not
only by opera habitues. but even by the critics,
as q necessity OF existing conditions.
In the case Of the Ring while no serious
objection can be offered to the omission or cur
tallment OF redundant passages. like the long
speeches OF WotaH in the second act of Die
Walknre." which are simply q recapitulation Of
antecedent events, involving a corresponding
repetition Of the various musical themes or
motives" Of "Das RheinRold." 1t is clearly q
great injustice to the author-composer to cut
out such a scene as that for BrlnnhiIde and her
sister WalrGute in Die G0tterdammerung."
which is not only very beautiful from a musical
point OF view. but also forms a dramatic climax.
and is absolutely essential to a proper under
standing of the plot In London one of the
great successes OF the present season has been
achieved by Frau Schumann-Heink as Val
traute. In addition to this role. four others are
always omitted in locai. representations OF the
three NoTas, or Tates, and AlIerick, though
the early. performances in 1888. The trouble
with Die GotterdAmmerung. Is that. even
with very brief intermissions, it takes over five
hours in performance. and, whatever repre-
carnations OF the entire work, may occur In
mem eS at $50 300 S' StH!ef; or Si thSerTe : %n. " ''".
Six years after, the original production OF
Der e n. RJqG G ds ! SSibse nHaPS Ts at B9yreq9bt6 nth d that
man impresario. formed a company to present
the work in the chief cities Of GERMANY. Eng
May and june at the I'D Her Maiesty,Is Theatre
Theatre now 'standsy, under, the direction Of
Messrs. Sehplz-Cqrtius and the prospectus
at 8:$9 =. M lna' Die ~ %a hIta&SreSSG and E2$%ieiar f RfSa"a
at 1880. and Die Gotterdammerung" at $3.50;
in9sr qsn Ss t Rft9 p2d pTinf'P Pims sinF Frau n S9rI Pc and ID
Frau ReicherIK iqdermSnn alternated the role
81 ISi,d Bl,aEg" FFaale dTaq kFa%ss lafter%aTd M Tas
SeldD, Fraulein Klafsky and Fraulein Schultze
the RhinedquOhters: Herr Yogi, L9ge and ,Steg-
} and Rf aSff niSa'i W9iia SIFY HER scbiosssr, Mine;
Her, ,schelper. A!Jerich; and Herr Miegand'
HututhV' AluDu Dtlul cOuuuSASb. ~ 49,
attic season OF 1882 was. perhaps. the greatest
that London has ever enjoyed, for. in addition
to the above company. there was another. with
Pollini as manager and DIR. Hans, Richter as
conductor, at .Drury, Lane, which produced
Die Meistersinger," - Tristan und Isolde
"Preciosa," Euryanthe," Re-. and included
such singers as Teresa Malten. Rosa Sucher
(both OF whom were then in their primeh. Mari.
anne Brandt. Schefsky, Winkelmann. Gura and
.others; while Patti. with the regular, Franco
Italian contingent, was at Coyent Garden.
The inability or dlsinclination OF n; Jean do
ResZkc 10 sing certain portions OF "Siegfried"
in London last month. has been excused by
some Of his American friends upon the ground
borne in mind, however, that as long ago as
last January II was announced that the Ring"
would positively be given without any cuts
whatsoever. and II NJ. de ResZke did not care 10
learn the passages in question he had ample
opportunity TO inform the management. VINO
could either have secured q substitute, or
changed the hour OF performance to something
less inconvenicnt than b o'clock in the after
noon. The FOrtlnbraS passages have very llttle
TO do with the plot OF Hamlet lin recent
years they have been retained only by S.ignor
Rossi, the Italian tragedian,. aud. Mr.. Forbes
Robertsonl, but team well be imagined how me
would Ii in itself be- sufficient 10 attract q large
number of shakespeare lovers who might not
otherwise feel disposed to attend. The LONDON
Times is authority for tho statement that me
only portion lof "Siegiried",I in, which tedlum
was felt was the only act in which extensive
cuts were made. and on no. previous occasion
has the length of the final drama been 80 little
felt as a hindrance to it's enjoyment"
NEW YORK. July II. 1898. A. r. u.