New-York tribune., 1906-12-16
THE WEEKLY CALENDAR.

-Eunday.-Carnegie Hall. 3 D. m. concert of the
New York Symphony Orchestra, Walter
OF the Royal welsh Male Choir; Metro
politan Opera House. $50 p. m. popular
aperatic concert Manhattan Opera House,
p. m. popular operate concert Ar1on
Club house. p. m, private concert or the
Mannergesangverein Arion.
Neutrality-suspicious. Opera House. S p. m.
Italian opera la Boheme'; Manhattan
Opera House, p. m. Italian opera, Don
Giovanni
ruesday.-Mendelssohn Hall p. m, piano
forte recital by Miss Germaine Schntt2er.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Opera House. p. m,
German opera, "Lohengrin'; Manhattan
Opera House. p. m. Italian opera, Aida"
Hhursday.-Mendelssohn Hall. S:15 p. m, con-
cert Of chamber music by the Olive Mead
Quartet: Carnegie Hall, S:15 D. M, concert
kof the Russian Symphony Society; Associa-
ZION Hall. Brooklyn. s:13 p. m, concert Of
ihamber music by the Knejsel Quartet.
eriday.-Carnegie Hall. 2:30 p. m. third after
noon concert of the Philharmonic Society.
wassily Safonoff. conductor; Metropolitan
opera House . p m. halia9 opera Aoa
OPERA Lucia"
Eaturday.-Carnegie Hall, 2:15 p m. per-
formance Of Pierne's THE Children's Cru
SADIE: S:15 D. m, third evening concert Of
the Philharmonic Society; Manhattan Opera
House, D. m, Italian opera Aida;
p. m, French opera, Faust: Metropolitan
Opera House. p. m, French opera, LA
Domination de Faust p m. italian opera,
Lucia di Lammermoor."
Wagner will monopolize the programme at the
third afternoon and evening concerts OF tho
Philharmonic Society next Friday and Saturday.
but there viii be other music on the programme.
snd one composition which Is to the Phil
harmonic repertory. though it has been per-
formed at a concert Of the Russian Symphony
Society. THIS is suite by Rimsky- -Korsakoff.
called Christmas Eve The participation in
the concert of Mr.. Alloys Burgstaller is doubtless
responsible for the predominance OF music from
Wagner's dramas. He will sing the prize song
From die Meistersinger." and Siegmunds love
song from 'Die Walkiire-" The orchestral num-
bers Will be the overture TO 'Anacreon," by
CherubiDi the suite already mentioned, the
overture TO 'TannhAuser," prelude TO Act III of
sDie AIeistersinger," and the Ride OF the VAL
kyr1on. from die Walkdre.'
The suite Christmas Eve was arranged by
She composer for concert performance from an
opera Of the same name. written IN 1925, which
had fits first production at the Marie Theatre,
IN st Petersburg. December 10, 1895. The
excerpts. which follow each other without
pause. are made from the operas Incidental bal
aets ana the dissOlving views. which play iarge
part in Russian opera Ths fantastic story by
GogoL on which the opera is based, is one OF
the most popular Of all little Russian tales, and
mas served at least three other opera composers
besides hmsky- -korsakoff Tscha1kowsky made
setting OF il under the title, Smith Wakula"
which failed on its production in 1874, and was
Tenodeiled and called "TschereWitschki''; IL is
Glso known in the books as "OXana's Whirns"
but the efforts at Improvement were abortiya.
and the work remained one Of the composer's
many children Of sorrow. Other settings were
made by Solorioff and Lissenko Rimsky-Kor-
Se kofr was his own librettist, but Tscha ikoyYsy
called IN the help of poet; nevertheless thA
operas follow each other very closely All of
Cogofs tale, as has been utilized in the suite
1s concerned with one OF the adventures OF the
hero. young, handsome herculean and stout
hearted blacksmith, named Wakula, In an effort
20 win the hand Of a wilful and capricious dam
gel named Oxana; she commands him TO bring
Der the tschereWitschki (eInbroidered siippers
Or little shoes) OF the Empress Catherine the
l5real- To understand how he achieved this
Seat IL Is necessary to relate that his mother
f5solocna, Is mistress of the magic arts and
also q bu4oIn dame of amorous proclivfties who
counts among her four lovers not only the "a
of the whimsical Oxana, but the devil himself
One day, the day before Christmas her four
torers appear N her house In such rsnid snc
cession that she is obliged 10 hide them in sacks
Sne after another 10 prevent discovery Of the
numerous rivalry. She has iust disposed OF the
AAst when Walcula comes home and TO him she
gives The sacks (as containing so much coaO
fo carry away 10 various destinations Wakula
EhofIoers the three sacks (for in her haste the
dame has put two Of her lovers In onel and 90
Ea, TWO he drops In the street and the third
10 the edge OF the river, when ne stops 10 norder
Ahe question of suicide because of the ippossb bIe
demand made by his whimsical sweethesrt
Phen the devil discovers himself and leans upon
pis shoulders; but the strength. dexterity and
cunning OF the young blacksmith enable him 10
Hct the upper hand Of his satanic ma iestv whom
qe threatens 70 baptize unless he consent in
$Anter TO transport him TO St Petersburg and
neip MN get The Empress's slippers. Here the