New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-01
THE BAYREUTH FESTIVAL
a1EDToCRE SINGERS AND DEFECTIVE
STAGE MASAGEMENT-RESPE
FOR THE COMPOSERS son.
Bayreuth, August =

Bayreuth, August y
The Wagner Festival is at its height here
The first cycle Of the Ring" has been con-
GUIDED. and now the performances Of -Parsifal'
are drawing music lovers from all countries and
focusing the rays of royalty. wealth and fash
ion on this little Bavarian city, which glo"s
with life and color.
In addition to "Parsifal" and the Ring.
feature has again been made this year OF Der
Flesende Hollander,' which has been presented
with more than customary care, both regards
the choice OF singers and the setting. The title
role has been sung by Bertram and Van Rooy,
whose work has been most favorably COM
rented on by every and which has GER
.ainly been marked by great and bril-
fancy. Emmy Destinn has taken the part of
senta and by her sweetness and charm, both
In voice and manner, has made for herself hun
dreds of new friends. Schumann- Heink has
sung Mary with her usual intensity and noWer,
while the part Of the steersnlan has been taken
hv BroZel. The Erik was TO have been sung
by Emil Borghmann at all Of the performances,
but this wonderful young tenor has started Tor
a five months tour of America, il is said, under
A guarantee CT 100000 marks The part has
therefore BEEN sung by Ernst hraus. who has
shared TO a large extent the honors accorded to
Burgstalier and Schmedes. the other two nota-
bic tenorS singing IN Bayreuth this year
SNo-N ~-0-O
have assisted IN the production Of the opera, it
cannot he said that it has been distinct sue
-ess It has not been attended by full houses.
and even now seats can be obtained for the
next performance. The reason for this is proea-
bly, that those who come to Bayreuth prefer 10
hear the dramas which manifest "aSners most
characteristic methods and his mature genius
rather than this earlier work. no matter no"
artistically It has been staged 1t would nave
been well if the same care which went INTO Tue
presentation Of Der FIiegende Holander' had
characterized tf1a other productions The Ring
felt the loss OF many singers who in former
years made the Bayreuth production OF these
dramas so unalioyed q delight. II Is true thaC
Bertram sang Wotan with perhaps a deeper
conception Of the part than ever before, ana
that both Burgstaller and hraus made favorable
impressions as Siegmund and Siefried. and also
that Schuma -Heink contributed almost per
feet work as Naltraute But it is also true
that some of the singing approached nearer TO
atediocrity than it is possible TO believe Of Bay
-euth At times Ellen Gulbranson does work
.hich is almost great in the role of Briinnhilde,
hut at other times her voice is stFikiHgly in
adequate and her dramatic work often borders
81, crudeness- She made n more favorable I'M
pression as Kundry. although even in that I'M
r,arsonarion her work was uneven, and often
lacking in that fra and passion which at other,
nd
Indicated as belonging to the character The
performances of "ParsIfal' this year we're GER
,ainiy below the standard. and strangely
enough 20 p large extent it the very singer
who MAS supposed to lend distinction TO the
work who was responsible for much ut the dis
annointruent which was felt. This singer vas
-rbaodnr Reichmann. who twenty years ago
created the role Of Amfortas under Wagners
own and constant supervision. Listening 10
his singing after his long alienation from the
housa of wahnfried. one wondered that only
twenty years could have elapsed since he was
in the glory Of his youth His voice is hard
and unsylnpathetic. his acting awkward, and
at times it has seemed as if the very business OF
the part were strange to him. The part OF
An1fortas was all that required Of him,
and he has already left he role i'm the hands
of Carl Perron and Hans schiitz, and gone to
Munich. where he is to appear at the Prlnz-
Regenten Theatre next week
But "ParsifaT this year has been notable
for the introduction Of comparatively new
tenor. Schmedes, whose work in the title role
has received the highest notice from European
critics and which Is certainly marked by so
much purity and brilliance that il amounts
almost to genius. His voice is really splendid
tenor under surprising command; and his
assumption of this difficult role is characterized
~ an unusual comhination-youthful exuber-
anCe and mature understanding although HE
himself is Vet far from his maturity Whether
he has been much faVorite with those who
live In Bayreuth or not Is doubtful Alois
Burgstaller, who also sang "Parsifal,' is the pet
of the city. where il is believed that he is the
great tenor Of the future. His voice is certainly
fun of charm and power while his manner Is
captivating but he lacks that fitness OF tone
and that breadth of understanding which mark
Schmedes's work. Another singer who made
a promising impression was Richard Mayr, a
young basso who has been studying for some
who made his debut as Hagen. His voice has
clearness of tone in the lower register sugges-
tive Of Edeuard de Reske's. and his entire
range, which is quite unusual is not
ably even in quality and under good command.
His acting lacks the confidence of experience,
but il is believed in Bayreuth that he has a
long and brilliant future before him.
Much interest is taken in the next perform
ance Of the Ring which begins Thursday, as
SieSfr1ed Wagner is TO direct 1t in person The
frst cycle WAS directed by DR.. Richter. Sieg-
Tried Wagner's personality is one which is COM
ing to have d deeper and deeper significance on
the production of the Bayreuth festival operas.
While Frau Cosna still exercises the most In
donltabe activity in supervising even minor
details, it is certain that the influence OF the
son is to be felt more and more each year. Al
though without the creative genius of his
father, he has undoubtedly inherited to a large
degree his fathers artistic perceptions, and in
Bayreuth he is regarded with q respect which
amounts almost to reverence. not only by the
peasants who stand aside with uncovered heads
when he passes, but also by musicians, who
see in him the embodiment OF his fathers high
ideals and deep insight into artistic perform
H., liz