The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-05

hear the most important OF the -favorte
airs" and zee the most brilliant scenes.
| The house lights can be kept at least half
! up in such scenes, and society can see Itself
and he satisfied that IL Is seen by all those
haser creatures who are excluded from
lists OF those present.
| The name OF Wagner IL az aloes on the
| tongue OF this Tutoring world Of butter
| flies. A dramatist who puts the ballet
| Immediately after the rising Of the curtain
| in the first act, or does not give one at all,
who writes whole acts for darkened stage
and auditorium. who Is solemn, lugubrious
portentous tragic is not for them. So
Mr.. Conried was informed at the beginning
of the season that he would not be permitted
to give Wagner on Monday night, the
fashionable night Of the week.
He revenged himself nobly by perform
ing the Bayreuth drama to huge audiences
on Saturday nights. and by making Par
sifal- and the Ring specialties. Tha: part
of the public which has not yet risen to the
true conception of life, the conception
which finds its contamination of human
achievement in high living and plain think
ing. the conception which makes the highes;
society shut beyond its pale sculptors,
painters, poets. novelists. Admirals Gen
erals. statesmen and other such common
doors Of the worlds works, and admits only
bankers. brokers and railway mana gers,
with perhaps an occasional shopkeeper,
has supported tho director In bis presenta-
ton OF the Wagner drama and has encour-
aged him to look forward 10 a future In
which he can take all tho works OF this
composer entirely out Of the subscription
list.
1t Ia altogether within the possibilities
that Mr.. Conried will do this. He may
endeavor to make a little festival season
Of Wagner performances entirely outside
his regular series In the course OF time
Mozart and Beethoven may join Wagner
in this field OF specially, and we may have
season OF extra performances not unlike
that now offered at the Prince Regent
Theatre in Munich.
The repertory OF the season was generous.
In fifteen weeks the director brought for
ward thirty operas. 1t was originally his
intention to perform each opera four times,
offering it AT each of the subscription per-
formances Monday, Wednesday and Fri
day nights and Saturday afternoons-of
course not all in the same week. 1t was a
foregone conclusion that he would be I'M
able TO carry ont this plan. Every opera
would have to please as we'll as every other
in order TO make the scheme succeed. II
was impossible to perform every work
four times Others had to be given more
frequently. But Mr. Conried did succeed
In doing one thing that was an advance on
what Mr. Grau used to accomplish. He
brought out novelties early in the season.
la Gioconda- was produced in the second
week and ~Lucrezia Borga' in the third.
This was made possible by beginning choral
and other rehearsals before the opening
of the season Rehearsals began in October.
That was a V ry significant departure,
On the other hand some features Of the
season just ended were saddening. When
Mr. Conred took charge OF the Metropon-
tan he promised great reforms in scenic
presentation. in stage mounting, in details
and accessories. Our opera was no longer
to consist simply Of famous star singers
There was to be mise en- scene worthy
Of a metropolitan opera house.
In his first season he was compelled TO
bring to this city to prepare the production
OF the stolen -Parsifal' Carl Lautenschlager
and Anton Fuchs. two of the most skiful
Lautenschager was not needed and Mr.
Fuchs was engaged for only a short period
He went home early in the season, and Mr.
Conried undertook the supervision Of the
Nibelung dramas himself
The result was that these works were
never done with more slips. accidents
blunders and unsatisfactory illusion At
times they were made ridiculous In short
Wagner was treated once again precisely
as he was in the days OF Mr. Grau, who
said that it was unnecessary TO have new
scenery or fine stage effects for these works
because they would draw anyhow Mr.
Conred seemed inclined TO let them work
out their own salvation, and they did it.
But of course music lovers will not for
ever submit TO such slipshod stage mount
ing
The chorus was no longer 10 be set OF
wooden pins stuck in holes and unable TO
move II was TO be trained to action and
TO take part in the Illusion Of the drama
There was TO be a German chorus to sing
the German text and an Italian chorus TO
sing the Italian text No French chorus
was announced, but there we're intima-
tions that French words would be used
The chorus acts Just as well as ii used to.
II cannot even stand in n semi-circle with
out crowdng toward the centre Of the
stage and shutting OF the star singers
from the view OF people on the sides OF the
auditorium. As for the language. it might
as well be Choctaw for all that can be heard
of IL
The truth is that in the season just ended
Mr. Conred fell back upon his star singer
and paraded tenor and prima donna just
as industriously as Maurice Grau ever did
He staked his fortunes on Caruso, Sem
brich, Nordica, Eames, Saleza, Fremstad
Walker Planoon. Scott and the other
popular artists We have had outside # the
Wagnerian list star opera pure and simple.
Star casts have been the attraction, except
perhaps in so far as MI Caruso haS operated
as a single star in some operas
This. however, only serves TO make the
situation worse. II would be very I'M
fortunate indeed II we should retrograde
to the Maplesonian era. when one star and
wretched supporting company were
offered TO US. 1t is not at all likely
that this will come about now, but We
have to thank our Italian fellow citizens
for doing what they could in the course Of
the past season to effect such result