New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-26
OPERA HOUSE CONCERT.
Il Wagner Programme. Including
NOUelty.

Wagner trtumphed the weather last night.
Tor one of the largest Sunday night audiences of
the season crowded into the Opera House to hear a
programme made up exclusively of his music and
sung by several of the leading artists of the Ger
man repertory. The programme began with the
prelude to Act III OF "Taunhauser" as originally
written. which is a novelty in this country. and
was so announced on the programme. This new
DIT of Wagneriana is not likely to have been Of
special interest to anybody except close students OF
Wagners scores and there are not many of those
In New-fork. The original prelude is longer
sion than the familiar introduction to the third act
OF TannhAuser." and since it's publication in score
by the Novelties. OF London. three years ago. has
been occasionally performed at concerts the
water under the title "Tannhausers Pilgrimage"
1t is relic of the first version of the opera, which
was subjected by the composer to more reyisons
than any of his other operas dramas. One OF
the changes made in either the earliest the sec
Cnd revision has several times been discussed IN
this journal II related to the funeral procession
OF Elizabeth. which interrupts the frenzed cries of
TannhAuser, who. after the condemnation of the
Pope, seeks again to return to the cave of Venus
Originally Wagner. with proper regard 10 the
dramatic uuities. indicated the death OF Elizabeth
at her home in the wartburg by the tong OF a
bell and the presence of Venus by red glow COM
ing up from the valley of the Horsel. Afterward he
seems to have felt that this credting the
theatre public with larger imaginative capacity
than it possessed and he brought Elizabeths corpse
upon the stage and presented a picture Of the
siren, though doing committed him to dramatic
absurdity. A similar feeling of doubt seems 10
have prompted him in his revision OF the intro
duction to the third act The revised form already
appears in the first printed edition of the opera,
and when Wagner. in 1852 issued his pamphlet
the proper performance of 'Tannhauser' for the
guidance of opera directors and performers he
commanded the use of the abbreviated form in the
following words
The abridged version of the long instrumental
contained the
scores revised for the theatres. is the 1 now
] allowed the subject of expression to betray me
ira; at the performance however felt that their
meaning might, well be Ineligible to myself, who
carried in my head the fancied picture OF the In
eidents thus Swallowed. but not to others.
Nothing specially striking and nothing new was
sacrificed in the abridgment of the piece. It is
tripartite in form, and the first and third parts
remain intact in the version with which opera
goers are familiar. The middle section. consist
ing of development of a hymn-like phrase, which
German analysts now call the "Gnadenthema, Is
however, much longer than in the revised version.
Altogether, the piece shortened from 155 TO 81
measures. and not only operatic introduction.
but concert number. the prelude gains by this
cut. certain monotony was evident last night IL
not quite a sense of grasping for the fancied
picture Wagner spoke of; the performance of the
version interesting experiment. but It
need hardly be repeated to justify Wagners
powers of self-criticism
Mr.. Knote was potent element OF the remainder
of the programme. singing the Prize Song from
die Meistersinger' and Segmund's Love Song.
Miss Fremstad and Anton Van Rooy followed the
overture.
The Flying Dutchman," with the duo from that
opera, and Miss Fremstad also closed the concert
with the Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde" On
I both occasions there were times when her beauty
| Of tone deserted her on the heights Miss Alien
| Nine. Jacoby, Knote. Reiss and Van Rooy sans
the quintet from Die Meistersinger,' and Miss
Rappold and the band made other contributions
Mr. Hertz conducted. and the audience furnished
abundant applause.