New-York tribune., 1909-08-22

Venus herself II is this woman who appears TO
fierce devouring passion fires the blood in all mis-
veins; with irresistible constraint it thrusts him
canticle Of love triumphant, and now he sings II
smell Of his the wonders of the Venusberg unrou
their brightest fiji before him; tumultuous shouts
in drunken eiee bacchantes drive their raging
dance and drag Tannhauser 10 the warm caTesses
around the mortal drowned with bliss, and bears
him where no step dare tread 10 the realm OF
A sci,rry like the sound Of the wild hunt, and
stin pulses in the breeze wave Of weird volup
like the sensuous breath of unblest love,
stil sOughs above the spot where impious charms
had shed their raptures and over which the night
chant As this chant draws closer and closer.
and soushirg Of the airNwhich had erevhile
sounded like the eerie cry Of souls condemned -
chant IN ECSTASY TO All The world To- all
that lives and moves thereon. salvation won, this
Itself rwels out the tidinCs Of sublimest JOY;
from curse of implousness this crv We hear amid
the hymn Of God 50 wells and leaus each pulse oi
elements both soul and senses. God and nature,
unite in the atoning kiss Of hanowed love.
This description Of the poetical contents Of the
overture to "Tanrhauser" applies TO the ordinary
form Of the Introduction 10 the opera which
used Cand stin IS in the majority Of cases. until
Wagner revised the opera for performance IN Paris
a ballet In the third act. Wagner willing TO
yield 10 the desire for a ballet, but he could not
place wh-re the habits OF the opera going public
demanded II. Instead he rcmodeled the overture
and. sacrifivng the coda which brought back a
return Of the cantcle OF the pilgrims, he extended
the middle portion TO nj extended choreographic
scene and with il led into the opera without a
break. The neglect 10 provide a ballet in the usual
place led 10 tremendous disturbance in which the
Jockey Club took the lead. Wagner's purpose in
a..g ia.
"Bacchanale," may be read in his stage directions
for the scene.
The scene represents the interior Of the Venus
berg Horselberg) in the neighborhOod Of Eisenach.
tauce al turn 10 the right From cleft through
which the pale light OF day penetrates a green
length - tie cave. From the basin which receives
the water brook flows toward the background.
where il spreads out into a lake. in which naiads
are seen bathing and on the banks Of which sirens
rocky projections OF irregular form overgrovn with
singular coral-like tropical plants. Before an open
Ing extending upward on the left. from whicn a
rosy twilight enters, Venus lies upon a rich couch;
before her his head upon her lap. his harp by
ms side. naIt kneelng, reclines Tannhauser. Sur
rounding the couch IN fascinating embrace the
Three Three Graces; beside and behind the couch in
1ile aoIe sIeeplLS ainorettes IN attitudes OF wild
disorder. Ike children who had fallen asleep
weaTled with the eNeruons OF a struggle. The
tire foreground is illumined by a magical. ruddy
light shining upward from below, through which
foam, penetrates The distant background with
the shores Of the lake seems transhgured by
reclining on the rocky projections, answering the
beckonlngs OF the nymphs hurry down to them;
beside The basin OF the waterfall nyrnphs have
begun the dance designed to lure the youths 10
them They pair of; flight and chase enIiven the
dance.
From the distant background a procession Of
baccnantes approach, rushing through the rows of
the loving couples and stimulating them TO wilder
Pleasures. VITA gestures Of enthusiastic intoxica-
uon they tempt the lovers 10 growing reckessness.
Satyrs and fauns have appeared from the cleft of
the rocks and, dancing the while force their way
between the bacchantes and lovers, increasing the
disorder by chasing the nymphs. The tuulult
reaches us height wheTeupon the Graces rise in
hoFior and seek 10 put stop 10 the Wild conduct
or the dancing rout and drive the mad roisterers
from the scene. Fearful that they themselves
The sleeping anorettes and drive them aloft They
nutter about. then gather into ranks on high filling
Ihe upper spaces Of the cave. whence they send
down a han OF arrows upon the wild reyelIers
These. wounded by the arrows, filed with mighty
love longing. their dance and sink down ex-
hausted- The Graces capture the wounded and
SEEK, while separating The intoxicated ones into
pairs. 10 scatter them in the background Then
rtiu pursued by the flying amorettes the bac.
chantes. fauns satyrs, nymphs and youths deDart
IN various directions. A rosy mist, growing mora
and more dense, sinks down. hiding hrst the
amorettes and then the entire background so mat
manly only Venus, TannhAuser and the Graces re-
main visible. The Graces now turn their faces 10
The foreground; gracefully intertwined they an
IIoa'n venus. seemingly informing her OF the vic
tory they have won over the mad passions OF her
The dense mist in the background is sissinated
ana taDlthu' cloud picture, shows the rape OF
rated with flowers and led bv Tritons and Neretds
sails across the blue lake. CSong OF the sirens
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