The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-21

eomery Theatre last night to hear
 Tannhaeuserp sung by the English Grand Opera Company of Henry w i. Savage, replied to this oft-repeated was an occasion. an event Tn the mp-
 sical and social history of Montgom-
 cry. No finer nor more representative
 audience has ever gathered In the
 playhouse and certainly no music or such quality has been rendered here at least in recent years.
 @'-rannhaeuser" has been given bet-
 ter productions and there r'ay have
 been cultured musicians in last nights audience who found false note here and there. but the great body of that cultured audience. expecting an extra ordinary performance was more than
 pleased. If was ds.- shted.
 One may not trifie ~ith masterpieces of music and there was no trifiing here. The scenic equipment was splendid. the company was large, the costuH1ing was correct and gorgeous and the orchestra was capable. No more complete presentation of Tam haeuser' may ever be expected in
 The book for .-Tannhaeuser." Is the fruitage of Wagner's intimate and low ing researches among the legends of the middle ages. It was gathered writer or poet, has shown so rare a gift for evoking the spirit of that pre- renaissance period when what are now mere dreams and superstitions were ing completed about 1S4s is necessari- ly a youthful, imperfect and even to many. an obscure work; yet 1t reminds at least Christendom believed in gods In accepting the Redeemer, they did not become atheists towards the gods that came before.
 This is particularly true of the early Germanic civilization, and this is the central idea of '"Fannahaeuser," it runs through ihe famous overture, and is the motive force of every episode. of Venus and the worship of the Saw for.
 The legerd of .Tannhaeuser" has tempted many poets. Heine dealt with it in bitter raillery: swinburne, with his 'Laus Veneris," made it the sub tect of one of the most beautiful poems in the English T.Sngue scores of minor men have treated 1t.
 Wagner shows himself all a poet. in his handling of the tale. We have the goddess of love driven from the Isles of Greece hidden in the recesses of the Hoerselberg. She has enchanted and kept there the knight-min Tannhaeuser. Under her spell year is but day. When the drama be- gins he is awakening from his long dream and wants to fly. He returns to the outer world from the mountains heart. Religious impulses sway him at the sight of the pilgrims going to Rome for absolution. The landgrave Of Thuringia holds gathering of the knight-minstrels.
 The theme on which they, are so who has resolved to devote himself to his former sweetheart, the Princess Elizabeth, feels the old spell of Venus come over him In his Improvisation. He his 'Laus vsneris" He is, in the eyes of his comrades. an outcast upon the earth He goes to Rome for ab- solution and Pope Urban tells him he and outworn. But Elizabeth. the faithful saint, has prayed for death that she might in Heaven intercede for him, and, her prayer being granted. is shown the withered staff. now yer dant, which the Pope has said would bear leaf and blossom sooner than ''Tannhaeuser'' should become purked of his great sin.
 The original book has been abridged to meet modern stage requirements. Some musicians cry out against this violation of the masters work, but 1t must be remembered that three hours is about all the time q busy public has to give to an opera nowadays. Little of the beauty of the story has been lost in the abridgement.
 As the opera IS great drama as well as great musical composition 1t taxes all Or the resOufceIuineSS or ac- tors and singers. The players of MT. Savage responded to the requirements and the audience was thrilled by the result.
 Mr. Sheehan gave us scholarly pre- sentation of "Tannehausere' One could easily believe that he devoted all of his time to this one part, which Is not the fact. It was a. reliable Tam hasuser." with poise and ease that won confidence. His bell-like tenor the audience and he gave finished portrayal of the acting side of the knight-minstrel. although he might have been more graceful.
 Of the male voices MT. Deane, as Wolfram, the baritone was the best. He was never unsteady and his enun- citation, even in the most difficult pas