New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-21
MUSIC.
"T1e Magic Flute" in italian.


49,. -eversion to Italian the language of Mo
- magic Flute the Metropolitan Opera
-arss last night resulted in a pretty general
&c in the principal singing forces and tTifiing
-e..n,eBt over the recent German performance
'Sicauy Unfortunately, il worked no material
.-,errnent In the stage management ms re-
ptnas slipshoa as before, blot on the artistic
's ~ The Opera House and Z sorry show as
'.o,od with any one OF a dozen inconsequential
ssa,trical representations az the Broadway play
souses OF the principals five who sang IN the
German representation sang also IN Italian. Ihey
-sre Nine Sembrich, OF course for IT IS her name
- that spells the possibility OF MoZarts opera;
.lso Nine Gadsh, who although more at ease In
German is equally eye and ear filing. whicheVer
. .he TWO languages she IS called on to sing; then
~ DippeI Mr. Reiss and Mr. Muhlmann Inc
sbsr,tutions occasioned by the lngual change were
M Plaucon in place OF Herr Kloerfe-. as Sarastro;
s,rnor Canpanari in place OF Herr Goritz as
1ssnaceuo: FanchOn Thompson. in place OF MISS
-Tgselbach as Papagena; Mime. Seygard and Nine
-1r,e- as two of the ladies In waiting. in place OF
1Sme Terrina and Miss Ralph; Miss Marguerite
lemon and Miss Van Dresser. as two Of the boys.
=, Mace of Miss Harris and Miss Moran: Messrs'
s,sioro and Dufriche the twc men IN arrnor'
=. mace OF Messrs. Rand and Ballard. VI the
,,or singers, Miss Bouton remained as one OF the
,s,as and Mrs. Mapleson as one or the boys MI
-rott conducted and adhered to his German tenlp"
.rh,cb as remarked last week are hrisker than the
.ns,ouary italian ones. Nevertheless. the play
moved more slowly. because of the employment o.
-ecitativo secco in place OF spoken dialogue
Also the old work again lost its huHor ano put On
,ts oId antic grand opera mood
We are not sure that discussion OF the relative
merits Of the German and Italian languages IN
.Sozart's last opera would appear either edifying
or entertaining to the majority OF the people VINO
saw the presentation or THE Magic Flute lasi
night To al and purposes IT Is only con-
cert with costumes ard stage pictures We douOA
rls
what their words signify. their acts are designed
70 accomplish. or II they even know whether they
ernbody benefcent OF malignant principles. IL Is
historical fact that circumstance wholly eXtrahe-
Gus led the author OF the book 20 change his plot
while writing. and make all his bad people good.
and his good people bad without taking the trouble
20 remodel scene or recast a hne already com
United to paper. The Queen OF Night was origi-
nzIIy conceived as representative or goodness
wronged by the wicked magician Sarastro. and "
this character she sings her air TO Tamino in the
FIRST act with it's heart-searching pathos. BY the
time that she reaches her second air she has been
rnetarnorphosed into an agent OF darkness and
evil and Sarastro has become a paragon OF virtue
The paradox seems TO have troubled Mozart as
,ittle as II did his brettist. Schickaneder Ihere
was sister-in-law at the old Viennese theatre who
had to be fitted with music which would exploit
her volube throat. and Mozart wrote 1t for her,
giving her rushing cascades OF notes and scinuani
staccati in which TO express both her tender love
as a neither and her murderous rage as memo
bent on the destruction Of the object Of her hatred
even at the sacrifice Of the daughter whose loss
she had so feelingly deplored There need be M
discussion Of the case yet the attitude of last
nights audience. compared with that OF last week
might be cited as proof that the opera is more
effective in German than in Italian For one thing,
there were more people who understood its humor,
which, despite its literary vulgaTity, provides a
relief which is absent from the Italian translation
End has its pretty counterpart in the music Of the
comic characters. with its echo OF felktones. The
more serious music too. that which was inspired
by the mystical ceremonies OF Sarastros temple.
sounds better in German because Of its truer decla-
,nsttou Beethoven is (whether rightly or wrong
~ we cannot say) credited with the remark that
1.-THE Magic Flute" MoZarts one German
onera IN right Of the style and solidity OF its music
The correctness of the dictum has been brought to
notice by the juxtapostion Of the two representa-
ttons this season. The opera IS German. In It's
employment OF the folksong spirit; the variety and
sloauence of orchestral part: the happy use OF
learned forms in the overture. and the figured
chorale performed in the trial scene: the splendid
concerted music for mems voices. and the sincerity
which permeates every bit Of its score.