The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1908-12-24
Homer's Brangaene Also Most
Effective-Mahler Gives a
Beautiful Exposition of
Wagner's Love Tragedy.
By SYLVESTER RAWLING.
xkTRIsTAN und Isolde" the great

TRISTAN und Isolde" the great
love tragedy which Wagner
L has immortalized In his music
drama. got a first hearing for the sea-
son at the Metropolitan Opera House
last night. There were obvious reasons
why the performance fell short OF ex-
pectation, In one particular 1t was dis
tinctly disappointing. In others 1t left
something to be desired. Nevertheless.
there was much in 1t for which to be
grateful
Gustav Mshler, for the first time this
season. conducted. He wns warmly
welcomed as he entered the orchestra
pit, and was called before the curtain
with the principal singers after each
act. Under his magnetic leadership the
orchestra played superbly, More than
once he ignored the singers as he
reached for stunning climax. But he
did not fail to do justice to the softer
passages. His nuances were delightful.
All the poetry and romance and tender
ness as well as the stress of passion
and the grim tragedy were exploited
The singers and the scenes might have
been overlooked in the enjoyment OF
they were exposed.
Fremstad Superb Isolde.
Olive Fremstad's Isolde has grown
both in power and in grace. She is not
only beautiful but regal. Al the height
of her passion, in the depths of her dis
tress, in the exalted mood preceding her
death, she Is always the Irish princess.
Much OF the music is too high for her,
AID the strain upon her vocal resource 5
Is great: but she overcomes the difiicul-
ties and she sings with a rich variety
of coloring suitable to the emotion
which controls her. On the ship her
moments of brood'ns were as eloquent
in their way as her complete abandon
msnt of restraint at the beginning OF
the second act, Throughout the love
duet she was enhancing. Her liebestod,
begun rather insfrectively, rose to great
heights, and the audience paid her trib-
ute FOR II by remaining to call her out
several times after the curtain.
Louise Homer made a splendid Bran
gaene. In voice and action she was
thoroughly satisfying. One Ia inclined
to think It her best impersonation I'M
III he recalls some other characters in
which also she excels. Her warning cry
from me tower was q lovely bit OF sing
ing,
schnnsdes Disappointing as Tristan.
Burgstsller had been announced as
Tristan, but in his place was Schmedes.
When tho drawn portieres disclosed him
AT tho stern of the ship he was COM
manding> figure, His costume was very
like the one Jean de Reszke used 10
wear Summoned before Isolde, he bore
himself with dignity and grace His
singing. too, Was better than any he has
done here. But when II came TO the
great love duet OF the second act his
voice and his method of using it were
as disappointing as ever, 1t is difficult
music to sing, but IL is meant 10 be
sung, and sometimes II has been sung
Eloriously upon that same stage What
treat IL would be to find German
tenor who could sing as The two Ameri-
can women sang in last nights cast!
There have been greater Rurwenals
than that of Feinhsls, nevertheless hl'
interpretation was sincere and earnest
and fairly we'll suns blass repeated his
familiar and excellent kins Marke, but
Was robbed OF his epiogue Nahler end
ing the tragedy with the liehestod Muhl-
mann. who 10 always a good Melot was
rather hoarse, Reiss was the shepherd
and Bayer the steersHan.
This boxes and stalls wers all oeeupied
and thsss were many stAndssS behind