Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-03-25
METROPOLITAN MUSIC.

NEW YORK, March 23.-The recent revi-
val Of Beethoven's '.F'idelio'' at the Metro
politan has set the pens of all the musical
scribes to work, and "reminiscences and
former casts have been published at great
length. But notice that none of them have
mentioned the first American performs
ance of the classic, when it was producer
at local concert hall sandwiched in be-
tween an acrobatic performance, and a
scene in which "Naiad Queen disported
herself in numerous acts, under water. 1
Thus it seems that our forebears were
patrons of vaudeville and enjoyed Bee
thoven in their day as we do Cissie Lotus
in ours-taken as a part of an entertain
ment as varied as any now offered at the
continuous houses of modern fame.
An opera that has stood the test of
nearly a hundred years and still retains
a strong hold upon the public must possess
musical merit. 1t was ninety-seyen years
ago that Beethoven wrote his opera, and
although it found no public favor until
two years later, it has ever since been con-
sidefed necessary part of every serious
operate repertoire, and is nearly as great
a drawing card as any of the art works of
more recent times, and Notwithstanding its
undignifed premier in the new world, it
has come to be as well recognized favor
lite here as in its own German house, and,
this, despite the fact that it possesses none
of the popular attributes of the Italian
operate school, has no sentimental tenor
arias and no court intrigues, but is, in
stead, full of noble sentiment voiced in
noble song. Beethoven waited long for
his lbretto and spurned all others be-
cause of their unfitness to represent 1.-THE
best in man and woman" and ne no doubt
rejoices with US, from his seat among the
stars. at the vindication of his stern puri-
tanisn, so ably set in masterful musical
phrase. No one of his followers has dared
to rival him, either in the severity of his
story or the classic beauty of his music,
and this, his only contribution to the
operate stage, will ever remain what it is
and always has been-a realized ideal of
the king of idealists, the perfection of
classic operate beauty
At its revival last week there were many
points to censure and many to admire.
The released captives were of varied
nationahties who voiced their homage to
the sun god in a polyglot teutonic Italian,
that possibly bespoke their long incarcer-
alton as certainly as did their crude ges-
alton and meaningless posturlngs. But the
glory of the performance was Ternina,
and upon her fair shoulders the work was
carried to a complete and certain success.
For she embodied Beethoven,s heroine to
the life. And when she sang it was glor-
ious to hear her, and when she spoke we
wished the libretto were but one contin-
os monologe, and did she stand speeches.
and songless, she looked the brave woman
Beethoven would have us see as his ideal.
OF course the Leonore overture was sue
cessfully performed under Mr.. Paur's
baton and there were bits here and there
of excellent orchestral work, but the per-
Torrance as a whole lacked brilliancy and
the cast was not one of Mr.. Grau's best.
Speaking of casts, that given to Faust
on Saturday was as strong as any thus
far shown. Calves Marguerite is ever a
source of Kaleidoscope joy, for She is
never twice alike in the part but always
brings to it so much of all that is remark
able, that it is ever a delightful novelty.
Van Dyke was Faust and really acted the
part, and the role of Mephistopheles was
assigned to Mons. Piancon, who is, of all
the Satanic majesties who have in this
generation paraded on the mimic boards,
the most attractive and seductive. To me
there is no comparison between the two
devils as depicted by De Reaszke and
Piancon (although it be rank heresy to
admit it,. The one is powerful convincing
and almost heroic, while the other is sub
tie, graceful, insinuating. De Reaszke is
too direct. Plancon is as willy, as polished
and as covert as 1--WE picture) the demon
he represents. There is something SO
suaye so fascinating, so absolutely charm
ing about his Mephisto that we are not so
sure that we would not enjoy being in
Faust shoes, and be doomed with him to
spend a few thousand years in the COM
pany Of SO captivating host. Can any
thing be more charming than his serenade?
Can anything be more devilish than his
three cornered duel? Can anything ex-
coed the cunning with which he tries to
elude the certainty of the power of the
crossed sword hits and their sacred
symbol? If there be a personal devil
IN this final decade of our good century and
he should have CHANGED to stray into the
Metropolitan on Saturday and have seen
his earthly mimic self, 1 verify believe he
would have hung his horned head with
chagrin and boarded the first lueifer train
for home, content to leave so perfect a rep
resentation for at least the mimic warfare
of the day.
The double bill of Lucia" and "Cayel-
leria Rusticana' affords not only an OPP
portunit for hearing two great artists OF
wildly dissimilar talent in the persons of
Sembrich and Calve, but also an occasional
glimpse at Signor Bevignani, Mr.. Grau's
most modest conductor. To Herr Paur is
allotted the German music dramas and to
Mancinelli the heavier works Of the
French and Italian schools, but for Bevig-
mani is reserved the old fashioned, melo-
deus operas, and to them he brings the
grace, the TASTE the reverence of custom
and the hallowed Interpretation Of the
school TO which they belong. Neither of
the other conductors, younger and more
virile perhaps, could or would present
these operas with that loving care that
marks the work of their associate. Neither
of them could or would see and interpret
the beauties of the scores as he sees ard
interprets them. They are made for other
work-more modern-more noisy, If not
more advanced 81
This fitness of the conductor for the in
depreciation of the scare in hand was
never more plainly shown than in a per-
Torrance given some years ago on this
same Metropolitan stage. 1t was in the
days of German opera when SeidI and
Walter Daurosch alternately occupied the
conductors chair 'Trovatore" was the
opera chosen, and Mr.. Damrosch was, of
course, the announced conductor. But the
young conductors fancee had, at the last