The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-12
MUSIC AND DRAMA IN LONDON.
WAGNERS WORKS AS GIVEN AT
COVENT GARDEN.

~ WNW ~ NJ
Familiar to New York Appenr-Nfcs-
sager's Now Opera TaknnG-"The MAR
-ssse Of KITTY" an Attractive Play
Novelties Of tne season I'm London.
The London music world now takes its
Ring at Covent Garden al matter OF course.
Three seasons in succession have crystal
lized tho opinion that Bayreuth la no longer
a Mecca for musical pilgrims, but stuffy
and superfluous lit le village where bad
cooking and bad beds are charged for at
prohibitive prices. And this Ia the actual
truth The three cycles of the Ring OF the
Nibslungs in, London this year were about
az good and as bad az one usually finds
at Bayreuth. There was the inevitable
bad singing and the accustomed number
Of accidents. The interesting thing to a
seasoned observer was the audience. You
encounter persona who talk of the 1900 pro-
duction as some do in New York OF the
golden age OF 1885, 1883, when Lilli Lehman,
Marianne Brandt, Seidl, Emil Fischer. Me
mann gave us the real. not the modern
mock-turtle Wagner. Tone-deaf, brie A ,ss
bamisters calmly assure you in the absurd
little Hobbies Of Covent Garden that KTaus
10 . greater singer now than he was ten
ysars sgo--which may be the truth, though
TO be frank. there IL more roar than voice
left In the throat OF this man OF monstrous
sine. In word. London has it's Bayreuth.
and II Ia situated in Covent Garden. Fol-
low tho smell, sir" said policeman to one
induiring the way "and you'll soon reach
the opera 'ouse!"
But old Payreuth admirers who live hero
do not like the idea. Everything that
can be done In the way OF critical aspersion
is done Not pc rfofmance escapes.
Even Hans Richter does not conduct as
we'll as in Bayreuth-the unmusiGal atmos-
phsre, don't you know And the biggest
Joke OF all is that Andre Messenger, the
manager Of the syndicate. gets all the
credit OF the productions, when 1t is doubt
full II he knows the Rhine theme from the
magic fire music. He is French COM
poser OF light, graceful music and he has
conducted for years at the Opera Comicue.
Parts But what has that to do with Wag-
ner and Coysnt Garden? A manager OF
Wagnerian productions is made, not born
made by years Of intense application
and experience. doubt il Messenger is
more than an ornamental figurehead for
the syndicate. Mr.. Henry Higgins IA a
very earnest. Woodworking. well-mcaning
man-but does he know? Some Of the
casts were terrible to behold. Earl de
Grey and his moro famous spouse, Lady
do Grey, who is as tall az the mainmast
Of q schooner. are deeply interested in
tho welfare Of the establishment, but
the inevitable but-what can they know
Of the practical side OF operatic manage
ment1 Worst OF all. the house ia given
over 10 balls OF FOSTERING sort during
the winter and spring and the stage ia
seldom free for reheareals. II is a sad
state Of affairs, far worse than In New
York.
And what q house. what a stagel Only
a year or so ago 100000 were laid out to
make the stage Of Covent Gard n equal to
the Berlin, Budapest, Munich and Bay
reuth systems There is every device
imaginable In the varied scheme OF stag
machinery-everything but the right sort
OF stage. 1t 10 still eighteen inches or two
feet too low, in consequence Of which spec
tators stand up. or bob up to see what is
going on. This il illusion destroying.
The reason this defect was not rectified
is that with the stage elevated 30 az to
conform to the laws Of perspective it
would no longer serve as a dancing fOorl
Was ever British philistinism and obstinacy
displayed so concretely!
However. these unmusicaI folks are
getting OMIT 10 impossible not to assume
q patronising tone in speaking Of their
rna gnihcent ignorance Of things artistic.
The national self-complacency comes out
at its strongest when discussing music
Just as in Thackeray's days there were
English people who fancied they spoke
French without an accent, and the great
satirist made fun OF them. To-day he
would move about in Covent Garden dur
ing the entr'actes and note the delightful
air OF superiority imprinted on the stolid.
International British face. That these stone
cold temperaments should fancy the music
Of Wagner is one Of those tricks OF fate
which startle and provoke smile
Nature never intended the Briton 10
become an aesthetic animal. He plays the
role i'll at ease and without CLEAN Of humor
The casts OF the Ring" included names
for tho most part familiar otNew York:
Van Rooy, Reiss, Van Dyck, Kirkby Lunn.
Blass, Bauermeister, Meisslinger, Kraus,
Antilles, Ternina and others. There were
some new faces, and when they opened
6em we wished they had not done so.
Olive Fremstad, engaged by Mr.. Grau
before he resigned his office is easily the
hest singer and artist among the new
corners. Richter conducted-and Lohse
The latter 10 no better than he was when a
resident OF New York. He has no mag
netisn. no imagination and with the years
has become q phlegmatic time heater.
His wife, Frau Lohse, is also in the COM
pany shan't give you in detail the four
evenings OF the Ring 1Rheingold' was
not bad for London and the wonderful
DR.. Richter took all the tempt faster than
at Bayreuth Perhaps he was in hurry
to get through his task but the music
sounded beautifully. The band Is good
one, with Tirindelll OF Cincinnati concert
master. There is not much finish. the
strings lacking in luminous quality; the
brass is massive and the wood, especially
the oboe, OF an excellent character. And
secures! He does send you thrilling UP
In the wings of those sweeping cimaxes
Seidl could create (yea, the ghost Of Seidl
walked the lobbies several times during
the week., for Richter, who was once Seidl q