New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-19
MUSICAL COMMENT.

| ANECDOTE ABOUT AN OLD MUSICAL
CRITIC-vON BuLow AND MAS
CAGNI-sUNDAY NIGHT
CONCERTS.
Something more than tho volatile comments
which come few hours after the fall OF the
tain ought 10 he written when Mozdrts "Nozze III
Figaro Is performed in New-York Such per-
formance Is an artistic occurrence or more than
ordinary significance. Time when though
representations of tho open not numerous. IT
was yet close to the sympathes and understand
ing Of the public But that long ago Since
the Metropolitan opera House built The repre-
sensations have been extremely few. Fifteen years
have passed and in por' of educational influence
those fifteen years have been the equal OF any
previous generation. They have carried the local
public very far from standard Of taste and APP
probation which is necessary to the complete en-
| joymont Of the opera. The change has also
affected the performers. and II is indisputable that
It is more difficult for best operate singers to
sing Mozarts opera in the style which it exacts
than any other work in the current list. Don
Giovanni not excepted There was some ravish-
insly beautiful singing In the performance last
Saturday afternoon and we cannot believe that the
Canzonetta sui aria ever fell more transparency
from human lips than from those Of Mines. Sem
birch and Eames on that occasion; but for all that
and all through there moments when the
most enthusiastic devotee Of Mr.. Grau's songbirds
was compelled to admit-so hc was informed by
tradition and knowledge-that the opera was not az
! effervescent It ought to be. Some of this i'm
preston was caused ny an unsympathetic DISPOSE
tion OF some OF the parts. more by the heavy
! footed treatment which the seccO reciiaivo re-
ce!ved The contrast in this respect between the
performances Of Rossinps Barber and Mozarts
/ Figaro" most striking. and can only be OK
/ planned on the ground that the Rossinian work
has been kept the active list, while Mozarts has
been permitted fall somnoent. SO that each per-
Torrance IS in effect n hurried and incomplete re-
suscitation. In the performances OF THE Barber
/ Mr.. Graus people have given Us capital dramatic
/ approximations. all the singers were so familiar
with the words music and play that everything
| pushed fixed and sparkled like champagne In
MOzart's opera everything moved with leaden feet
until the set music pieces were reached-everythnS
except the things which it fell TO the lot OF Nine.
! Sembrich 10 do. But Nine. Sembrichs peripateuc
career in Europe has probably brought her more
frequent opportunities to sing in the opera than II
she had remained a member OF the Metropolitan
Opera House Company from 1855 till now.
Il IS pitiful that lie Nozze di Figaro" is per
formed so seldom. 1t wholly absent from the
list during the German regime; for which We do
repine. for q German representation OF the
musical COMEDY is less toerable than German
Don Giovanni" in which the serious side OF
Mozart could not be held back by theatrical con-
in Italian opera IN French, opera in German. opera
! Ia French and Italian mixed. ana opera In German
and Italian mixed. only recall q couple Of
representations In New-Y ork. on January 81. l%
Mesdames Eames Nordica and Arnodson and Mes
sieurs Ancona, Edouard de Reszke and Carbone
appeared in it, In the last hours Of the next sea-
son Nordca lanes. DE Lussan. Maurel Carbone
and Edouard de Reszke gave # to US but previous
10 those performances the only taste OF the de-
lghtfu music vouchsafed to us In many years
was at the festival which celebrated the dedication
OF Carnegie Hall. in May 1891 when Mesdames
Melke De We're and Ritter-Goetze and Messieurs
Dippei Rechmann. Fischer and Behrens gave
pcrornance of the finale Of the second act In con-
cert forn-an utterly futile undertaking. In Lon
don where our singers spend their time when they
are lot with us. the opportunities to sing the
work are no greater than here, and II IS no Won-
der that Il is no more familiar them than 10 the
public.
What a lovely thing ii would he II this master
piece could be brought close TO the sympaihies
OF the public Of to-day as Faust or 'Lohengrin
What A still lovelier thing II II could be 'yoked IN
all exercise Of noble end" with Rossinis Barber
and performed every season with II In sequence
and with such modification Of one the other or
both as would preserve the individuality Of the
performers and so help on the merriment OF Beau
marchais's play Such a modification would re-
Guire much rewriting, with which only syinpa-
l
be a decoration Of such masterpieces OF genius
which would nj them for the enjoyment OF a peopf'
grown away from their style Of expression. but
loving OF their contents Something would nave 70
be done with the recitativo. which Is double
| deadly IN room vast as that OF the Metro
pcl.tan opera House. and Tanspositlons would
haze - 10 made 20 keep Almaviva and Basil
co,sistcntl, either bass or tenor: but that task
would Brighten no composer Of to-day and the re-
sri, we are convinced. would be OF incalculabe
value 10 the musc-lovrg public. We should not
love Mozart or any old composer so platonicaly az
to wish him dead
To rever. to the performance of last Saturday
afternoon. Its delights from the singing and
acting OF Mime. Sembrich. Nine. Eames Miss De
Iussan Signor Campanar. and in a less degree
NJ Edouard de Reszkein less degree because
his style is much too pondcrous for the part whch
does not come in touch with either side Of NJ. De
Reszkes style rs humor or It's pathos. Nine
sembrlch as all might have known who heard her
sing Deb Vien" In her concerts last season IL az
much at home IN Mozarts pages as IN kosshi =
more so indeed. for her musical temperament Is
full Of ardor and feeling dominates even her vocal
embellishments As for Nine. Eames. besides sing
ing well and acting with most gracious ana pecoH-
ing dignity. she presented picture to the eye
which a whole gallery Of tho old masters OF por-
,raiture could no; parallel Miss De Lussan sang
more effectively than she acted and won an encore
with her "Voi che sapete." Cam9anari and car
bone would have carried on their parts In RIOS
sinrs opcra (Mozarts Is a continuation OF the
story had they been put into the proper spiIt by
more familiar surroundings. OF course the letter
duet was redomanded.
Apropos OF the warfare made against the nm
harmonic Society forty-ive years ago by The
,r-,,,r.,s musical critic and the late George +.
p-,s.o,y I'm behalf OF the American composer, an
amusing incident comes to mind Mr.. Dana gave 1t
runlicitv some years ago. when he devoted several
pages Of his newspaper. The sun 10 letters
written TO him when ne was Managing EDITOR OF
Two Trihune by Horace Greeley. Many Of these
Z 80 -. majority Of them indeed--vere de-