New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-18
MUSIC.
THE CYCLIC "WALKuERE."

THE CYCLIC 'WALKUERE"
| The first performance Of wagners 'walklrS
at the Metropolitan Opera House last night. IN the
first Nibelung cycle. vas the fourth representation
| OF the drama this season. II differed from its
predecessors but little more than they differed
among themselves. barring the restoration OF three
| four excisions which will seem OF vast sig
nilcance to the radicals. who would Ike the world
| to believe, against Wagner's own testimony.
| that his dramas. unlike all that we're written
before and after them, are maltreated unless they
| are given in their integrity. and In more umi-
nous Interpretation OF the second act than II has
| ever received in America. Under certain cireum-
stances the proposition concerning the sbbrevia-
lions might pass without question; but the cireIm-
stances not such as obtain here or 10 Lohdon.
and It is greatly to be feared that the commouoa
| caused In London last summer by few gentlemen
| who And the Wagner agitation a means or keeping
in the public eye savored more OF anectation than
Of interest In the art works. Owen SUCH scenic
| outnt as the dramas demand, also such acting.
such singing, such an orchestra ana sucn an audi
ence-in short. such conditions as were TO DO found
a, Pavreuth I'm the early years CO the festival
plays--and the contention would scarcely be worth
while But Bayreuth conditions are found only 81
Bayreuth Wagner was we'll aware OF that fact
He himself Indicated tho cuts which were 10 %
made at various theatres. Nine Lucca not
long aso wrote a letter to German news
noet.composer In pianoforte score In her
poss ession and a book by julius stern. pup
lished a few weeks ago. telling the history
of the Hoftheater, In Vienna. during the last hfy
years contains letter which wagner wrote 10
Director Franz Jauner. which covers 'he case CON-
pletely and convincingly
1t was after the first performance at the Royal
Opera Of "Siegfried." True. ! know. wrote Was'
me-, "that the work can be performed In It's en-
trety only under such extraordinary circumstances
as created at Bayreuth Therefore, guided by the
commonsense Of the case. was the first who indi-
Gated Authorizations for ordinary theatricai use
only a short time ago for Die GotterdAmmeruns'
oh how well do know that the Wiener. par
tcularly re who sits In the parquet longs 70 eat
and drink something good at IL o'clock NO, mol
I understand that completely; and let US confess
to ourselves It is nonsensica to demand OF city
theatre public. even for Its own dedication,
strain to avoid which I conceived my festivals at
Bavreuth, The sheer at people who go to tho
theatre only to be amused Is there OF course ana
small blame to Wagner for INDUCING In H. out the
fact that he spoke CONSIDERABLY and wisely Is also
there. Time has modified the force Of his remarks
considerably and let 1t be written here In praise
NJ a public that has been more maligned than any
other on the face Of the earth (smply because
rdicule is easy and smartness has charm Tor
the insincere the shallow. thai II the conduct
Of last nights audience were to be taken as
criterion It might be said in sweet. sober. very
truth that New-York Is ripe for the seyerest
strain that wagners art-work in Its highest
and most uncompromisng aspect can put
upon It. The audience was me one III
point Of numbers and II listened 10 the
music and watched the play with q whole-nearte'
devotion a reverence, indeed. that has never been
surnassed at Bayreuth. For such audience there
was no harm IN restoring all OF Wotan's long re-
cial OF Brdnnhilde Of the contents o. the trageuys
prologue particularly as In It Herr van kooy placed
himself on the highest plane that he has yet
reached.
Such defamation, surcharged with the deep, SUB
tie pathetic emotions with which Wagner filled the
heart of the humanized god, such an exposition OK
the musical and dramatic contents OF hutchinson
derstood and therefore much-lampooned artistic
creation, have seldom fallen 10 the lot OK met
ropolitan audience. For such an audience. too. ths
revelation which Nine Schumann-HeinS gave
OF the character Of Fricka (another butt
for cheap humoD was delight OF the
highest order. And since the general discussion
has brought US into the presence OF this artist
let II be said that while the German seasons at
the Metropolitan Of ten and dozen years ago gava
many performances OF the other scenes In D'e
Walkure' that surpassed the representation OF
last night none has even remotely approached
the scene between Herr Van Rooy and Nine. Schu'
mann Heink as Wotan and Frcka, and In this the
goddess dominated emphatically as to illuminate
the character of the god II has never been lilun
mated before. Some day we may expect to near
Houston Chamberlain or some other satrap NJ
Wann1TleO,
that she sings too beautifully TO be true expo
uent OF Wagner, according to the revelation OF
Nine Cosima ct will be after she refuses to accept
all their counsels) but till them and 1t Is to 30
hoped long after, the people who love the music
of Wagner az we'll his poetry. will rejoice In
marvellous blending Of speech and song enriched
by a voice OF wonderful lusciousness and inspiring
power.
In these two approximations last nights repre-
sentation reached high-water mark There re-
mains much to be said about Herr Van Rooys
Wotan, but 1t be said better after his expo
sition OF the character has been made complete In
"Siegfried' next Thursday evening. There re-
mains. as a duty warm tribute for Miss Bremas
conception and Interpretation OF the part OF
Brinnhilde 1t has been here before. but never
under favorable surroundings. In IT, as In Herr Van
Rooys Wotan and NJ. Van Dycks Sesmund may
be read some OF the notions OF the Bayreuth OF
to-day; but the elements In her case are lovely
and calculated to win and hold the sympathy OF
the public. while the reverse is the case IN inc
tendency to theatricalism in her companions Ihis
tendency so marred NJ. Van Dyck's acting In the
first scene that there nothing TO extenuate MI
singing. which frequently outraged ears stin pariis'
to euphony and just intonation. Elasticity OF pose
and beauty Of presence the meriorous leal-
ures OF Nine Eames's Siegllnde. AS for the rest
the performance was like its predecessors this sea-
son. and in the management OF scenic effects IN
ferior to the representations Of the old German
regime.
HERR JOSEF WEISS.
pianist of altogether unconventional par"
made his first appearance in New-fork last even
ing In Mendelssohn Hall In an unconventional man
ner that In Itself had sources OF reireshmene !"
the habitual concert-goer. Herr Joseph Weiss came