New-York tribune., 1908-07-26

were discussed at the time. but have only re re-
STntyo, Vas made of the tendency Italian con-
ductors and singers. mpeied pH haIoldi hItisa to
nh1ebo1onze nj German composers-to substitute SEN
tnentaty and sweetness for vg0[ & F the good
red blood of Wagner let out by Signor iaiesi
be ano fracon hS Who are intimately acquainted With
German language are olscovgrang I1! 20 drama
went away when 1t was translated Yet we nave nave
aeen1ent the representations of last season were
as good as the best Italian representatives OF Iois
as suggested the idea TO the WritSr wh0 we nave
quoted that Iohengrin is chien9 Ia a d cjrcum
stance crowded with action and brilliant with
something more and il is the German artists now
with us Who are entitled to the credit Of having
made ms pan a ndGrs Of romanticsin and glowing
with the chTalressq%He s % gr5e Gdnh IN Europe
AS drama it does not take hold OF the % %nura.!
heart with the moving power Of "Tannhiuser:
for that is a drama based more directly on uni
versaI human feeling but 1t exerts, never ever iar
choiy loveiness of its one character and godtftke
serenity of another. and the manly vii:or OF
third: and the mystical tand perhaps mythcap
philosophy that pervades it. , ,o
by artists who are in sympathy with all the work
and merely with portions or II anu VIZ t.ge
such artists we have at the MetTopolltan
tehyori iybcb might he nooted and a few disap-
pointments which come from discrepancy pc
tween what the composer asks and the performerss
are able to give. We have 10 say that the shief
characters of the drama appear In theSe I
Scbott's Lohengrin iS the most commanding IN
element which is almost essential in truly great
drama There < no groWdn IN IT. nnG rnn Cn'S svn
n9t4tffec net naT and It is not fault Of the poet
Tohnngrin. a knight of the Grail. comes straigh!
from the Kingdom Of the Grail futlN equipped
for h IfnTior pc anTRuser type Of
hood struggling between me ana 1bnm
Wagner has shown US in his last "crk We are
eIevation; we know Lchengrin only as a seraphlc
soldier whose association with the other Charac-
teTs Of the dra far wbch che lisa IS our mediator
S9nde c-enon - +hn at+itnde in which he should ap-
TINS asGiTer .le w az now utterly failed are ali i'm
per rsonations tlat show the hero torn with petty
loftie.t and purest feelings What has he to fear?
So long as he maintains complete bodily integrity
he h dT Of % SO be enE IS Sure Of happnevs
the prosac people whom ne mas 5%ned @ Mhe Tioe me
The band Of my~tical knights whose king is his
man which gives them physical and spiritual sus
tenance. The character : a type ot perfect seren
IDEAL II deiermire, ri bearing his defamation.
his singing. his gestures TO give it expression
Wagner Dut al fde his decamatCry style in the
music Of the part end blended recit%tlyeS and
from the vioiins not unlike lhat wien eHtss me.
Wsttbaw PassiCn." The chaaze In tho manner of
benrrin" j. sSar9eT to lie imagined without a
demonstratio4 The aEn2iz5nT IN armtm '%Is er
marion in The former opera. which at times de-
parts entirely from what call singing, and be-
comes only intensified speech Is rot shown by 4
trace in his singing cf LohenFrins lines Here all
j. sustained reposefuL dignifed- All the lyrical
portions are treated with The utmost considera- era
lion with due regard - beauty or tone ana cor
rectnes< Of phra ing Yet GiStinCtne7s OF enuncia-
ton is not sacrificed. and his acting Is equally
smooth graceful many sided and truthful lie
seem really TO he borne on angels wings, and
yet TO embody in himself all the bravery and
physical strength of Ideal knighthood
His nobleness seems IKE protecting Shield over
the pllre minded. ecstatic Elsa OF Frau krauss,
whose inpersountfon of the heroine is almost
ideally beautiful Throughout the trst act she
sings and acts like in trance. innocence.
simplicity and t-uthfuness are echoed In her
fresh young voice, aud seem TO eims roGha una m ner
ond act the baneful influence OF Ortrud begins 70
work the fatal change. and the growth OF distrust
springing from mere curiosity lnstil!ed by the
wicked enchantress, is betrayed in action tone and
feature When finally the catastrophe comes she