New-York tribune., 1907-11-16

WIN another lover. In the next act the romancer-
musicians story of the violinist of Cremona is
"i Oi- NOW he is in love with a maiden who
mas inherited the gifts of a singer who had died
~ - 1OiNuihpuon Inherited her gifts and her doom
I1er idther' krespel, seeks to prevent her from
singing, to which her lover GHonmann again
urges her he. however. learning to share her
iathers fears. unites his petition TO that of
Spei- Dr' Alracle, the latest incarnation Of the
eVl principle in the drama uses his supernatrra1
Po"Ns " paralyze the opposition of the father
ana at the last, by evokine living voice ont Of
lle portrait or her dead mother induces her TO
sing hersef to death Then comes the epilogue
~ MLich hoHnanns muse conjures him to forget
earthly passion and remain faithful in her service
This the story
Let no one think that The production Of Les
Cohtes d Hohmann' is in any way analogous with
nc cPerfIla performances with which Mr Con-
REQ lowered the status of the MetronoIitan Onera
Ionse AVhen he performed Die Fledermaus' and
Der Zigeunerbaron'' at his benefits No serious
teauer OF the musical reviews which appear in
lilis IournaI VIII expect to in this place dis
praise or the genius Of Johann Strauss But the
WORKS mentioned are operetta in form and in
spirit while Les Contes d'Hoffmann'' was con-
ceived In an entirely different spirit and shows
the musician who composed it in a character that
no one would dream was his who knew him onlv
as the composer or the Bouffes Parisiennes 1t
is a pathetic but also u lovely document IN proof
of the fact that with all his frivoIitv he wanted
to die at least in the odor OF artistic sanctity
superficial
melodies of his musical farces wero perfect re-
hex OF the careless art-feeing of his day lust as
the farces themselves were admirably adjusted to
the taste OF the boulevardiers who basked in the
sunshine of Napoleon tho Little and laughed up-
roarously while their Emperor and their social
and domestic institutions were being castigated bv
me cynical German Jew and his lbrettsts He
was the Beethoven Of the sneer," said Emile
bergerat when Ofenbach died. and then. with a
fantastic pencil worthy of the caricaturist Hofr-
himself ha ,JF,,I
Onenbach and mis- times; of the mighty
HudIer heating time upon the well-hled goatskin
ana saving away across the strings. his mouth
"loened with a grin like some drunken concep-
uon Of Edgar Poe or some fantasy of Hoffman,"
whhe the startled birds few back to heaven the
moon split herself back to her ears and the stars
glggIed behind their cloud-fars. THE planetary
system only revolved TO frsky rhythms and the
earth herself like mad top. hummed comically
anout the Mortified En- dUdnt Ia ,nusique!
And the old edifce crumbled In dust all
around the musician" To Bergerat Ofenbach
was the great disillusonizer Of the age the
incarnation OF what he conceived the spirit Of the
nineteenth century. spirit that hated and con-
temned the past. Knocked at the things which the
simplicity Of preceding centuries held sacred. threw
r1dicue upon social sentiments rank, caste, cere-
monialism. learning and religion.
The composer OF Les Contes d'HoTmann" is
nothing OF this. The opera was the child
Of his old age He loved It and Iabored
over its score for years. II IS full OF lovely
melody Ghe barcaroIle OF the second act Will
exert as potent though lovelier influence than DR..
Miracle), fluent from beginning 10 end and rich in
dramatic characterization. No is likely to
listen to the trio at the elimination OF the third
act that dealing with the fate of the singers
daughter, without realizing what really admir-
able power Of expression that which Often
bach. for reasons explained by the spirit Of the
times and his own moral nature. chose to sQuander
so many years on his operas bouffes Frequently
the melodic line IN the opera rises to admirable
heights; always melody. harmony and orchestra
ton are refined, unless burlesque effect is Aimed
at as in the ballad Of Klein Zach" and NIco-
lausse's satirical song OF the doll
There is time 70 discuss the perform
ance in detail The list OF singing actors
has been printed; those who know the
powers Of NJ Renaud in the embodiment OF
supernatural characters can well rest for space
on their imagination AS for the representation as
a whole, it may be said that while the opera ad-
mits OF much greater finish than IT received last
night 1t was admirably forth in its matter and
an audience filling every portion of the house and
including many OF the numerous operate artists
now in the city, applauded IT the echo a score
Of times and called Mr. HamInerstein to the stage
TO receive its enthusiastic approval It will be
quite unaccountable If Les Contes dIoffmann'
should not provide Of the most vital and de-
lightful features Of the operatic season