The sun., 1909-02-06
"TANNHAEUSEU" WELLGIYEN
MORENi AND BURRIiN MAKE
RE4PPEiR4NCES.
Much improvement shown In the stage
Pre3cntation OF NaGncr's Opera-Thc
Audience Large and Enthusiastic
TeiEhais for First Time as Wolfram.

Il
Prescntation OF hagncr's Opera The
Audience large and Enthusiastic
Teirhais for First Time as Wolfram.
| An admirable performance OF -Taun-
hauser" was given at the Metropolitan
Opera House last night. 1t was heard
and seen by one Of the largest audiences
OF the season and 1t wGs npplauded with
genuine heartitess. Berta Morcna, the
Munich so, raao, made her reentry, sing
ing Elizabeth, and Carl Burri.a, the Dres-
den tenor, rcaDr cared in the title role.
Both We're cordially welcomed. But the
interest Of those who love this great oaera
wss not wholly centred on the individual
inter- erpretations. The general rresenta-
| ton Of the worl; was most commenda5le
and showed that Improvement in sta5e
management which has been conspicuous
In all the German presentations this
season and for which Of course the pub
| lie is duly grateful to the ardent dey otees
Of Wagner brought from Milan.
| The bacchanale of Act l., for example
was neither 4 common nor garden dance
but riotouS rout Of romping nymphs
and saltatorial satyrs. II really had n
colorado resemblance To that impossible
choreographic display Of which Wagner
wrote so many hard German words.
The newly arranged setting of the scene
helped it and the exhibition Of the hazar-
dous pictures Of Europa and the bull
and Leda and her swan was as well man
aged as it well can be.
At the end of the first act cut was
restored and the finale made more efec-
tive by the playing of the passage for
horns on the stage, usually omitted.
An air Of artistic vcrisimilitude was in
parted to the closing Of the act by the
appearance of all the hounds of the
Monmouth County Hunt. They -ap-
peared TO like the drama.
The disposal OF the guests in the hall
OF song in the second act was also C1eo-
tive. In fact the treatment of the stage
pictures, the lighting and the groupings,
intelligence and regard for the dramatic
purposes Of the composer displayed
tarou ghout the opera. Much can be ac-
cornplished by the employment OF little
thou gllt and industry. 1t has taken years
to bring tho Metropolitan Wagner per-
tornances back To something liSo their
earle ,t state in the matter OF stage man
agenont
None Of the impersonations Of IT,"
evening were new 70 this public except
the Wolfram of Mr. Feinhas This i'm
peraonaton must To judged by the Ger
man ideals of to-day and measured by /,
that standard it rise, to an admirable /
height. Mr.. Fcinhals docs not sing with .
the c.cgant smoothne = Of a singer trained .
in the French or Il .liLn school, hut he .
would not Ec permitted t. do - in Ger
many. But he docs sing with musical
intel iSHace and with dramatic meaning.
He made Wolfram the sincere, sad and
noble feure designed by Wagner. h
Mine. MOrena was in superb vocal
condition and she sang with a plcntitude
of tore. richness of color and emo
tional expression altogether satisfying.
Let il bc added that her appearance was
not a small factor in the excellence Of her
Elizabeth. She il OF heroic stature and
has an eloquent face. Her interpreta-
ion of the role is conc, ived on II high
blame. This Elizabeth is sanity hut shs
$ intensely human: not "a disemhoSi"d
'pirit, hut throbhnG woman. Why
hould Elisabeth be carved of ice! That
= not in the ihretto
There was another woman worth look
ng at in last night = cast, Olive FrcmstaI
vas the Venus. and she was a Venus.
'lost fortunate fellow, that Tdnrhduser.
% be loved 10y two such women. Miss
'rems;ad as Venus is one Of the genuine.
'caItios of the stage. Also she can sing
he role, which is something to do She
ever furgcts that this was a Pagan god
less, a world figure Cf old mythology, an
nra nation Of an ideal. Nor docs she
all to realizh the precise significance
4 tho character aS n part Of Wagner's ,
cheme. Her contribution To last nights
performance was not new. but il was OF
h kind that docs not grow old,
Mr.. Burrian's TGnnhG9s'r was vocally I
much better than when it was last heard
lera. His voice was frCshcr and more (
eeonant and in the higher register de- !
'iicGly more musical. His treatment ,
,f the part vas most Commendablc and
NON him plenty Of applause. Robert
'lass repeated his familiar impcrSonation 4
If the Ldndgrdre Rermarp. M-. Hertz
conducted and at times in 'he first act !
eemed to be a trhe slow with his tempt,
,ut on the whole his reading had great !
merit. The orchestra must bc praised
or its general efficiency.