The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-09-29
MUNICH 4 SECOND BtyRETTHr
-
The Wagner Thesire and its Performances
In The HAWAIIAN lapltaI- NorIlca sing.

pleiely the strength and weakness ot 'he
new theatre One Of the most imposing
hooking and artistic opera ho1s"s ever
huilt. ther. are n~sverihrle~- fault- In 10
interior construction that are thus far a
serious drawback ~ ideal dramatic aud
musical representations The optatic war-
fare. more grim than merry. that j. now
being waged bet w'--n Bhvreuth and Munich
make the acou-tiCal deferis ~ the Prince
Regents Theatre all tn" more a hitter dis
Appointment for the MunChen"rs To such
lengths wa the hattie vagei last summer
that Mime 'o~imA " agncr refused ro engage
auv singer even remotely connected with
the new enterprise down IN tho city on the
IsM Printed announcements sent ont hy
tie Munich people were torn down bv
revolutionary small boys h. Bayr"uih. and
when the carefully guarded secret Of 'arl'y
acoustics leaked out after dress reheaf-al-
the JOY of Bayreuth and wahnfrie-h ~as
unconfned II Munich's much Wanted
Wagner Theatre hc'd several pa!pahle
echoes within its walls. why. thea II mu~i
not be mentioned a. n rival to Bavreuih
and its sanctihe-i Wagner theatre
A. frs, view the resemblance he' veen
the two theatres il unmistskablr But
there are impprtan' differences The Prince
Regents Theatre I. very much larger, -
magniicently built Of stone. marble and
iron and with It's vest'bule through which
the public enters al the front. it, frescoei
corridors and it, commodious aud hand
some interior. II easily outrivals Bayrsutb
Like the Wagner theatre II IL stationed on a
hin, quit" near the classic villa 81 the painter
Franz Stuck Rut the resemblance ceases
after the musical pilgrim arrives at IN.
top Of the vide Prinzregentenstras-e
There l. a crowd. hut, II l. ~ the earth.
earthy There are carriages circling about
the hem ~ the hill. but they are ordinary
Munich hsrrcs There H. a garden with a
restaurant into the incloSurc - which the
prufans may not penetrate Here at las
Munich rcore~ "A bloodlrS- victory over
Bayreuth. for through he eher Cafe. a.
every one kno~s. all Bayreuth. rleheian
and patrician, tranps, while the hungry
melomaniars feed between m" acts
After the Injurious exterior one rather
e~bT-~ts a larger auditorium and stage Ia
the Prince Regent Theatre Il l. even
smaller than II yreuth's. tho seal numbers
In the amphi,hea,ricallv shaped interior
only reaching ! .Osl. with a. In the boxes.
ROYAL and other wise - total Of i.ioo stalls
The stage spacs IL al~p slightly small"r
than a. Bayreuth. while the op-ning t.,-
tween the hood Of the orchestral shell and
the stage IL far too small for the body Of
tone which seeks To escape during a per
formanc~ Several Of the singers ad-
mii'ed 10 THH SrS's music reporter that
two echoes could 10 distinctly heard on
certain parts Of the stage In the audi
forum during IN" fret act II Tristan
and Isolde and after a heavy back canopy
had teen raised the echo Wa simply dis
trrsstuR 4 powerful orchestral fort"
reaches the audience slightly muddled
The male chorus Of sailors and the or
che-irn cams. 10 rs ia broken sccords and
tho general din was terrific Tho archi.
tect. ~ the hou-e have done all they could
to mend matters The shell Witch en-
yeloJes the orchestra has had rs lip
hea vilv padded. but to NO avail Their"
-eem Ia L. too much stone and bronze
used In tho construction Of the pro@cenium
and when a practical eNJ-r' sugge-,-d
that the fault Law IN the checking Of the
orchestral sound wavr-, which break m =
Wild. %granitic surface over the stage, tho
autho1,i.. here heca mo -,Ispiciously at
'filIlNt ~ NV ~NlIt'lt NV " " " w.
cramIed In lie emission from tlle orchestral
canopy reaches the top 81 the building It
meets a hard. square surface ~ stone and
II thus converted into disagr-'ahl" echo'-
A, Bayreuth The pro--niuin - not 50 deep
and important point ~ ~ curved Nor
du,A the stage -r' 49, deeply within the
proscenium frame a. u du-~ In Munich.
After q stone and bronze pruscsnium, stone
Asain inteTveDes before th" tone reaches
the audience And AZ Bsvrruth the open
ing betNarn stage and orchestral shell IL
wider hy far than here Bat the most
gnevnu- fault lies in the absence ~ curves
In the pruSGpuium top Until this j. altered
there il little hupa for = b~etterment 81 ia"
acoustic qualities Of tho new tt"atrr
L. IL not C~uriot. that where millions have
l--I spent. such 4 vital matter as hearing
IL .lurrrd over Nor do~- every
seat In the auditorium give an u~nimp'ned
view Of the stag- Al tho extreme slde~
clear Vision IL cu, IN The seating arrange
lments arr not ~ much to blanr~ for this
A. III" deeply enscened stage The frame
il too large. shove all too deep Dor the pct
,tr- hut Whist a charming picture II
presents a, times Tie productions are
I-eautiful notwithstanding minor flaws IN
lighting. and the usual rsWn"-s inevitable
IN = new building One site NOR" at ease,
Ion there h. none ~ the croWdlng Of stalls
~ ~ Bayreuih Then. too. the ventilation
j. hott.r. though s,ill insufficient for Anglo
lung. During the performance,
ih, auditorium - not 80 dark a. IN our
Metropolitan Oprrs House on a Wagner
pight Twelve candles on either side ~
he hpu~, throw iudubitshle riffs ~ light
IA the pruhle- Of the uulucky uncs seated
rear them. And there H. more converse
moro whispering. after the curtain
= up than would he tolerated Al Bayreuth
Ihe audiences are NOR. secular There
: none ~ the brsath-caichius hicratic
,~unhuggerv ~ the original Wa gner theatre
md though the doors are closed after th"
hird flourish 81 brass an idea copied
rom Rayrcuth u one !. ailing OF bored
way hes clear for retreat A knock
i the door and 10 cents will work wonders
Icast here tho danger from fr or panic
as l-.u miuimlYcd A few British and
americans don evening dress at I IN ~.
~ft.ruoon and y must 10 confessed hook
,il,y enough Ia 'h" glazing daylight
our mu~sic-iuviHg German slings opera
.lasss- AMI a top Cuat over HE shoulders