The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-26
THE DOWNFALL OF DE RESZKE.
The Voice of the Famous Tenor Evil
IDENTIFY ON the Wane.

Washington Post.
4 We were not unprepared to hear that
Jean De Reszke, the famous tenor, had
exhibited unmstakable evidences of vocal
decadence during his London engagement
The fact that he refused to give the whole
score Of Siegfried was not of itself to his
olscredlt. On the contrary truly sensitive
audience might we'll have thanked him for
emitting the larger part of one of the dullest
that has ever afflicted mankind. 1t is diff
cult to imagine anything more dismal than
the forest scene in "Siegfried," and it is
almost inconceivable that a sane person
would wish TO have it or any other similar
visitation prolonged. That the Wagner So
ciety should have insisted upon the whole
pound of flesh is, of course, possible, but
that the London public generally should
nave sustained the protest passes our COM
prehenSion.
All this, however, is neither here nor
there. The fact of Importance is that De
ReSZke cut the score and that Well-informed
opinion attributes his act to failing powers.
we say we were not unprepared for this. De.
Reszkes voice had begun to fail before he
leit TINS country. 1t had begun to lose some
tnlng OF that lneffable sweetness which made
MS singing so unutterably charming The
TACT that he had curtailed his repertoire in
the purely lyric opera, abandoning Gounod
and Meyerbeer for Wagner was proof
enough. His infinite art of vocalza ton, his
marvellous control of the splendid organ be-
slowed upon him by nature may have de-
ceiVed all save the most cultured and criti-
cal OF his admirers, but the spectacle of
Jean de Reszke turning aside from the
noWery paths of song in which he had been
so long without peer, and taking Wagner
ian roles in which all of his most exquisite
Vocal gifts were lost, showed plainly enough
tnat the freshness and beauty of his song
were on the wane. The comments of the
LONDON critics to-day only confirm our ap-
prenenslons of three years ago.
AFTER all, though, what else could we have
expected? Jean de Reszke has long passed
the unit OF the tenOr's perfect life He is
nearly hfty years old. Had his organ been of
tne pure tenor quality-metailic with
GEAR silver timbre-it would have degener-
dted long ago. 1t was not, however. It was
a voice manufactured in the head and
manufactured with almost incon-
celVaDle skill and managed with an art quite
past Denet, but an achievement of confec-
tlonery all the same He sang Faust RaouI
romeo, and roles of that description as no
one ever sang them before and no one ever
WIN again he was a polished and impas-
stoned actor, and his presence was the ideal
OF the romantic school. But, apart from his
uramatlc genius his physical beauty and
ms phenomenal art. he had no more place
IN the Wagnerian opera than Melba had
ana his attempt to invade that realm has
only FASTENED the deplorable contamination
which grim Father Time had already set in
motion. Jean de ResZke has blessed the gem
eratlon IN every gracious and delightful
way. The world owes him eternal gratitude
ana admiration. We could wish, though
that he had fallen among the flowers and
the melodies of music. rather than among
It's tempest and its rocks.