The evening world., 1909-01-23
70,N Makes q Good
FuSt Attear0nce as
WaA.7 80 Emmr De5-
hMn Scores Agam as
EOa.
BY SYLVESTER RA WILING.

Z tho direction OF Alfred Hertz,
- got fine presentation at the
Metropolitan opera. House last night be-
tore Il great audience, There have been
more imposing casts OF principal sing
ers, but few better all.round perform
ances The spirit Of Wagner's intel
lectua comic opera was faithfully dis
closed. Individually and collectively
there was loyal subordination to the con-
ductor's will. From tho opening service
In st. kathernes Church to the final
prize bestowing scene on the meadow OF
the Pegnitz the chorus sang sonorously
and acted naturally. Tho orchestra
played with distinction. There was
never a dull moment. as was proved by
tho fact that nearly everybody stayed
to see Hans Sachs acclaimed the great
est Of the mustsrslngsrs and the hero
Of the people.
Carl Jorn made his debut a. Walter.
and won immediate favor. He Is a
valuable acquisition to the company
and is doubly welcome because Of the
attractive personality, good stage pres.
ence and pleasing voice, he went
through the trying ordeal Of first
appearance successfully. singing the
prlzo-song mos, acceptably, He re-
minded the writer OF Mr.. Dippel when
the latter first appeared here as the
young Siegfried
Oestlnn a Lovely Eva.
Emmy Dest!nn was lovely Eva,
singing with taste and discretion and
ample power. acting with appropriate
emphasis and dressing as befitted the
daughter OF a provincial shopkeeper In
stead Of making her impersonation that
OF grand dame, as-well, as some
others have done. Louise Homer played
the part OF Magdalena also with proper
understanding Of the character Of Eva's
nurse. and she sang admirably.
Goritz's Beckmesser remains the best
that New York has seen II is an al
together 1T conception, full Of the hu.
NOR Of which there is no apparent con.
sc!ousness and sung In every mood
|
Pogner had tremulous utterance de.
spite Its sorority. Muhlmann and all
the other masterslngers were well with
| In the picture. Relss was delightful
as David. spontaneous In action, sing.
| Ing we'll and making the most Of the
restored lines which usually are cut
out
Feinhals as Hans Sachs.
After all, the protagonist Of "Dle
MeistersInger" Is Hans Sachs, and ref
erence to him has been reserved to the
last because the writer has great re-.
spect, both as singer and actor, for Fein.
halls, who protrayed the character last
night. The part Of the Nuremburg shoe
maker. who was at once mastersnger,
poet, philosopher and genial humorlst,
Is not easy to portray. Feinhals has not
yet grasped all of Us dramatic signin-
canCe and his voice seems hardly equal
/ TO the task OF carrying 1t through from
beginning to end with proper expression.
Much Of the power, as we'll rs the
pathos, was missing from the closing
| scene.
New York opera-goers are spoiled
| children In the matter OF singers. They
have been hearing the best OIke their
fathers and mothers and another gener-
alton beyond since they were out of
school. Some of them remember Emil
| Fischer, the ideal Hans Sachs. and
younger ones have known the concep-
ton OF Van Rooy. The latter was far
from ideal at first, but 1t grew steadily
In power and authority until 1t became
masterpiece So Feinhals may take
heart Everybody will be glad to watch
! his growth in the part.