New-York tribune., 1909-11-21
MUSIC
THE OPERAS OF A SATURDAY.


be more impressive. but they are not likely
ever 20 be more varied and. i'm a way. IN
terestinE than they were yesterday The
list Is almost as Dsrti-colored as JOsephs
coat-"Lohs ngrin.'' '.Hsrosiiade. La Bo-
hsme." La Ellie De Madame AngCt-
Waznerisn sentiment superimposed On
rsfiseval romance. French sentiment
s'1perimpes.d on perverted Biblical legend.
modern musical verftism coiOring story
OF that Partisan artist life which parades
itself Bohemianism. and. finally. good
lusty. musical farce which had about II an
atmosphere Of freshness thar made al tne
other things which reached cut for large
art sound artificial There has already
been Discourse on the works Of Massenet
and Lscocq. Il only remains % menticn
matters necessary 70 keep the record com
piers and correct. and they are cqnfned 70
"Herodiade" tn which Miss Dorta replaced
Nine GervIiIe- RAache (vho was The orig
inal Herodias in New York.. ard VI Jean
DuTsult who was the lean Of the frst
performance on MT Hamnerstein' OPen-
ing nighu Both changes lowered The
excellence Of the performance. espe-
cially the elimination OF n Daimores.
who is one Of the most significant factors
in the sum OF ODeratic Hfe m New York al
the present time. even when his gifts are
put 20 such a petty use as they were IN
"Sapho'' on last Wednesday. There were
no changes in the cast 0f La File de
Madame Angot." and II is % be hoped
that Mr. Hammerstein will see his
way 90 many repetitions of the de-
Hghtful work so long as he can keep
Mile. Delormes in the part Of Clairette- i;
is .lnfortunats that a revival Of Lecocq's
4Tr~
an art which can be only memory To
those OF the generation which Is Just pass
ing away. but il is pleasant To hear an
echo. even IL II BE- but an echo. Of the
ingratiating tradition Awe-inspiring. dig
niaed. almost. was the performance of
'I.ohengrin'' at the Metropolitan Opera
House in the afternoon The stage pictures
were familiar enough in the memory from
the Conried regime when more or less Of
an effort was made 20 follow Bsyreuth in
setting back the period OF the opera
action 20 the tenth century. but an ener-
xetic and intelligent stage management put
a dramatic vitality into them unknown be-
fore This was done In harmony with Mr..
Hertz's determination 20 vftalize the per
forrnance by a rsstudy OF the entire work.
an an1pliHcation Of it's choral dimensions
BY restoring many measures which had
been cut out and a hetghtening OF its
instrumental splendors by the enlistment
OF as many trumpets as Wagner's score
called for. Mr. Hertz's pious zeal brought
it's reward: a move stirring performance of
'Lohengrin'' New York has never heard
though greater artists BY far than those
who sang yesterday have taken part in
the representation OF the opera at times
II was splendid illustration Of the value
of ensemble.
There was a change IN the cast which
came unexpectedly. Nine. Frenstad had
been announced TO inpcrsonate Elsa A
striking Illustration OF the singular and
fatuOus notion which has taken possession
OF female singers with deep voices few
of them are cOntraltosl. Years ago LII
Lehman then still Fraulein on the
bills, gaze vigorous expression 70 a de-
termination never 70 sing In "LOhengr grin
unless some management would permit her
10 sing the part Of OrtTud- There $
dramatic life in her. said she Elsa Is a
doll" Now comes dramatic mezzO con-
tralto who ignores the opportunities OF a
character ike the Tristan prisress and
sOrceress. WagneF's "lOvelsss woman" and
wants 20 appear as Elsa A kind prOvi-
dence intsrfered. and Nine Gadskt. who
has a voice and style most admirably
adapted to the character. acted it and sans
its music exquisitely while Nine. Homer.
never sinister enough or deeply enough
dyed in it's sinister cOlOrs. made OrtTud a
more than equally interesting character.
Mr.. J0rn was with Us last season, but
-'L0hengrin'' was not and so u was that
he had an opportunity 70 raise himself
largely in the good opinion OF the admirers
of German opera. And ne proved deserv-
ing. while Mr.. Hinckley. the King OF the
occasion. did not A King who has always
been SO sound in judgment and melodiOus
in his proclamation Of u as Henry the
Fowler ought not 10 be 50 unsteady OF
utterance as Mr.. Hincklsy. Nor ought so
fine bass Mr. WithergpOOn be asked TO
injure the part of the Herald by singing
barytOne phrases which are eaOt native 70
mis- voice. Mr.. John FOrseH was a new
conner as Frederick Won Telramund-a
satisfactory actor and singer. who gave
pleasure without disturbing The Impressions
made by several predecessors at the Metro
pOIitan opera House and Academy OF Mu-
sic. ''Lohengrin" which had an admirable
complement OF horses was performed with
the following cast:
Heinrich Ger vogier- ............. Allen HinckIey
LOhengrn ........ Carl J6ru
Elsa Brahant &c.. johanna Csaiskf
Friedrich Tslramund. .-...-. o.. John Forssll
tHis hrst appearance
OrrTud Louise Homer
Der HesrrufeT. ...........--- Herhert WffhersuOon
Herzog GOttfried- ...--....-- Helene Pechfeider
Wilhelm otto
- ,,..s. -, i Glenn Hall
VIZ N-''i0 --''--- anton LudWig e
Marcel Reiner
Lenora Sparkes
- r,-r Anna case
NieI I-7lAi1a's" --''----- Lillia Smelling
Henrietta Wakefield
Puccini's opera was given in the evening
There was an added touch Of sentiment 20
the musical setting OF the loves OF Mimi
and Musette loves innocent. indeed. com
pared 20 the Operatic doinEs OF various
flaming operatiC ladies' recently introduced
70 the admiring attention OF the New York
public. IN the return Of Miss Bella AIten.
and in the realization. of the fOndest wish
of a singer affectiondtely remembered as
one 81 the most popular OF former Ameri-
can comic opera sta-s-MIss Alice Nielsen.
Miss Nielsen was Mimi last night. and il
she efaced few memories she proved her
ambition has not been IN vain. that she
possesses voice that is clear and pleas
ing. and az least a routine conception Of
the part. That her stage presence Is at
t.active was proved wears sgo. And Miss
Alien can feel no regrets upon her return
The New York public remembers her and
testified To thar rannep1 hrarcs last rfgh,