New-York tribune., 1908-07-26

i. crushed and helpless all possibility Of action tb Is
gone and she seems never 70 recover rom ron .orn ,r
blow The rest Is ser meFs n the terrible struggle
with herself in the chamber scene aor,aed ann = in
ortrud and Teramund chiefly in the former: aS for,
IKE maoba ell @ cRe sss hGRs
These two characters are uneaualiy represe.sb s bcr
dlc,1lt part the most thrilling dramatic character
in the piece, while Herr Blum while hss ,y
manner is dwarfed in the histrionic portion. an N
spe Of @ his s Il b;s side p Fraen Brandt
makes one realize the presence of wicked heather,
s eR n the ater her husband she does It with
tone # seorn that IL seems natural that ne snouo "a
start framhle Mt the sound. All ner sInzlns u
the accompaniment of weird and dlssonant narIno-
nen oo OF the her IS an example of
drously vivid chsracterizaton Sne Is an anu ~ q
ruling race: her bearing never permits that fact
to be forgotten. even when she appears 10 DE
crushed.
Nine Materna's first appearance January
was followed by a second January as Vaien-
tine in LES Huguenots," and third on January
IS In Halevy's La Juive." BY this time Dr. Dam
rosch ready with the first Of the large Wag-
merriam productions which were part OF the cream
which II was fated should be realized. not by him.
but by his successor. whose name was thereby
made illustrious in the operatic annals OF New
York On January 90 "Die Walkdre was per-
formed, with the following cast: Brdnnhilde
Materna.
linde Auguste Krauss; Segmund. Anton schott;
Wotan Josef Staudigl: Hunding. Josef KOegel
Gerhilde. Marianne Brandt Ortlipde. Frauielh
Stern: waltraute Fraulein Guitar: Schwertleite'
Fraulein Morse: Helmwige. Frau Robinson Sieg-
rune Fraulein Slach; Brimgerde, Frau kemhtz'
Rossweise. Frauein Brandt
die Walkire' had been presented before in New
York a so-called Wagner festival at the Acad-
emy of Music on April 2, 1871. under the directon
of Adolf Neuendorff the memories of that pro-
i,f, han rheE
and though much of the music of the Nibelung
trilogy had been heard in the concert room, this
was practically the first opportunity the people OF
New York had to learn from personal experience
what il was that Wagner meant BY a union OF
arts in the lyric drama. Dr. Damrosch had made
an earnest effort to meet the standard set by the
Bayreuth festivals. The original scenery and cos
tunes faithfully copied. except that for the
sake of increased picturesqueness Herr HOOK the
stage marager. had draperies replace the door IN
Hundinr-s hut which. shaking loose from their
fastenings fell just before Segmund began MS
love song and disclosed an expanse OF moon1I
background. In the third act, too there was d
greater variety of colors in the costumes Of the
vsIxvrior Fraulein Brandt again disclosed her
artistic devotion by enacting the part OF Fricka
and also leading the chorus Of Valkyror but Nine
Meterna was inspiration of the performance
1t was surprise to those who had already learned
to admire her TO see how in the character or
Rriinnbilde she lowered above herself tp other
roles Both of the strong sides OF the character
had perfect exempli1caton in her singing ana act
ing-the wild impetuous. exultant freedom OF voice
which proclaimed the valkyrias joy in living ana
doing until the catastrophe was reached and the
deep unSe1sh tender nature disclosed IN her SYM
pathy with fll-starred lovers and her fnrneasur
able love for Wotan Her complete absorption IN
the part fitted her out with new gamut OF ex-
preston. IF anything can establish sympathy
between US and the NEUROLOGICAL creatures OF Was-
ner's dramas 1 wrote at the time, that thlns Is
the acting and singing Of Materna the drama
made a tremendous impression and In the three
weeks which remained of the season Gnciudlng
some supplementary performances) Die " iiAuIe
had representations
The remaining incidents of the season may no"
be hurried to make room Tor record oI tIe
catastrophe which marked it's close BY the middle
of January it reported that the receipts were
double those of the corresponding period IN the
previous year. Notwithstanding that the price OF
admission had been reduced nearly one-nali- bE
this time too the board of directors had decldeo
to continue policy adopted at the sugseston OF
DR. Damrosch and engage him as director for the
,axt ,sar This decision had not been reached
however without consideration of other projects
Charles Mapeson. son OF the d1rector oi Tue
Academy of Music. and doubtless only his go-oe-
tueeD submitted proposition for the dictatorship
and 60 did Adolf Neueudorff man of indefatsahIe
energv and enterprise, who had given New YORK
IT'S first hearing of "Lohengrin' at the Stadt The-
stre in the Bowery. IN April. lSIl In January
there was also a strike of the chorus wnlch was
quickly settled, and all but the rliS4eaueis III '"'
| disturbance taken back into favor on signing an
| apology.
Reioicings over the success OF the enterprise
/ gave way 10 general grief and CONSERVATION with
| the unexpected death of DR.. Damrosch on February
! IL on Tuesday February 10. he contracted a cod
! from having thrown himself upon a bed IN coId
! room for a nap before dinner on returning from
/ -a,aarsaI AZ the opera house. He had neglected 70
| open the furnace register or cover himself ana
he avoke thoroughly chilled. After dinner he went
/ 70 a rehearsal Of the Oratorio Society Whlch was
nrepa ring Verdis Manzon Requiem for performance
the following week. Before the conclusion OF the
rehearsal he was i'll that he forced TO hurry
home in a carriage. The next morning IT was
found that pneumonia had set in. complicated by
nIeurisv and consultation Of physicians was held
Only one of the subscription performances at the
! METROPOLITAN Opera House remained 10 De gwen
! by, tbere was still before the director IN the way
| of operatic work five supplementary performances
and seasons at Boston Chicago and Cinchr-ati u
This naturally caused the sick man a great dea
of concern He deferred to the wishes OF his phFsi
clans and sent his Walter. in whose talent aho
skill he felt great confidence and pride 10 cod'lC
/ .t remaining subscription performance in the
| avenine hoping in the mean time TO secure suSt
good care as 10 enable him 70 be in his chalr 81
| Thursday evening. when Die Wa!kure was 10 ~
reneated In this hope, too, he was disappon'e'
and had to send his son second time 10 cohauc
| q norformance of the drama which had put th'
! canstone TO the astonishngly SUCCESSFUL seiSoi
which his zeal learning. skill, enterprise ana per
| severance had brought about AS on the previous
dav he went through the score with MS son am
! called his attention some of the details o
/ 49, osronsibIe and difficult task before him
Tho Young mans knowledge of the score an'
/ ATTITUDE in grasping the suggestions il'iue .
| him Comforted and quieJed the father ana III
! ranresentations at the Opera House went OK l.
q manner which caused complimentary comments
/ on Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon or
c,,,5ov Eebrra-v 15 at o'clock a m, chane'