New-York tribune., 1909-12-24
MUSIC
GLUCK'S "ORFEO."
Il Classical ReTiUdl at the
Metro opOlifaH.


current list. The Oldest opera. but one
bearing a much needed lesson. which. IL is
greatly % De feared viii not be appre-
ciated ~ SIS fuu value hecause of the
perverted taste II Tie operatic public-tte
taste Tor music 90 highly sViced with dis
sonsnce and niongrcl tone that the original
mission 90 the art has been forgotten and
ats potency dissipated. the taste fo- pTu-
riency. lust and the sh7mhles Last night
there was nothing OF an tnis, but much
fovsliness of scenic spectacle. and much
besutlfrl music grateful 90 the ear, warm
iuE % the emotions and powerfully ap-
peslinE 20 tne Imagination. T. o. no eN-
trayaCance % speech 90 say that f7r the
first time tho present generation oi opera
FoCrs in NeW YORK was p-ivilegod 90 en-
Soy perfovmanre ~ the opera with which
the operatic reforms vhich eliminated il
WcCncl's works BEGAN. which was worth
of the poet tEe composer. the institution an
which it was presented ana also I'm a large
measure OF the beautiful oli lcge1d-in
short. an adequate performance.
Cd oneragoers in New York whose mem
ories 20 hack half century might be
able 70 recall not only all the representa-
ou- which "Orfeo" has had IN New
York hut also the very first Performance
feo" is The only one Of the composers
works that has ever been seen in the
theatre on this side OF the Atlantic. Time
and seoin especially tn the old DAYS OF
German opera at the Metropolitan opera
House. rherc WAS talk cf producing "Ar-
mida~ or one Of the "Iphicenias" but talk
was all that came OF e. Excerpts from
"Alceste" have been performed at the
music festivals M Cincinnati. but "Orteo'
has provided the only opportunities which
Americans have had 20 learn % the dra-
matte quality Of the artist who cut out
the path down which Wagner walked %
sl,ry- The first performance % "Orfeo'
vas I'm English. ard took place AZ the Win
te- Garden on May D. is3. Mile. Felicits
NestraH was the representative of the
mythical bard. and carl AnschJtz who
must stili live iu tho memory - hundreds
o. music lovers IN the metropolis wss the
CONDUCTOR. Tor tho details Of that per
formanoe THE reader must ~ referred 10
other sources they are outside the ken q
this writer. HIS knowledge. however. goes
lack o. = revival which. while it cannot
10 recalled without a smile at some 90 its
features. must set be remembered with
gratitude. on January : IsSS the Ameri-
can opera trUusuv produced tho opera
in English ~ the Academy 81 Music. and
between that date and the end - March
performed it ton times IN New York and
three times in BROOKLYN That D. a record
which ifs fondest admirers viii not expect
to see equallod ar the present revival
Nine. Helene HsStreitor Vas tho Orpheus
~ TIE American opera Comnsuv-s pcr-
forwanoeS Miss Emma ,uch the Eurydice
and Hfr. Theodore Thomas conducted. Tho
opera was tasrotuliv staged and a fine ia-
tefigenre marked an The scenes and tab
lesus uI to tin final ballet the culninat-
ing feature ~ which vas n Bacchir pro
cession sesminEiy coniurcd Up br orpheus
for The diversion Of the Genizeus OF EIys-
Iam-
This iurouEruitv vas forgotten. how
ever. On tho absurdities which marked tie
productions ~ the opera a. the Metropoii-
tan Opera House. Tho first ~ them took
place on December an. 1885,. when -Orfeo"
was given in Italian as a companion piece
20 "CavaIlcria Busticana. Here was con
uast with a venEeancr. But that was not
an. "Orfso's' stage furniture was the
most absurd jumnls uf ancient pagan and
mediRval Christian notions ever conceived
The underworld of tie Greeks was repre-
~eutcd bv tha hell ~ 'AsrarI" which had
come over 20 AiI. Abbey from tho German
rr-tuc A. the Academy OF Nusic We had
-cen Ixiou, TautaIus. Sisvphu7 and the
other fabled heroes Of TIadeS Slsnending
tleir Isbors while the song - Orpheus en-
riched the atmosphere of their prison
house. bat nov va. law only the flame ~
rho hou ~ MEDIEVAL treo10gians. the
ascending smoke of torment and scores Of
-aperiuE rcd devii=. The Elvsiau Fields
were the magical gardens of Merlin Dao--
rowed from tioidmark g ofersl. with their
q.
ous era. sea in the background and gold
on winged Cheru5im and Seraplim to
Keep company with Eurydice and her as
sociates of terpsi-Eorean rrorHvities. Who
expressed their whole Eamut Of emotions
10y standing on their toes. Tn. sister
GiuHa and Sophia RavoElL. Who in some
ineNplicahlo way had Won praise for their
Performance ia London were tho insp.r-
ing cause Of this revival 10 endured for
four repro -eutati0ns. largely because IL was
associated with Mascagni's ope.a. which
had been introduced 20 the stage Of tie
Metropolitan Opera House with IL.
Iu tho season of 1S33--af 'Orleor returned
20 the stage ~ the Metropolitan Opera
House iu the company o. another ferocious
little lyric drama which has since then
formed a lasting compeuionship with Mas
laFuIs. on December T. Is93. it was given
as curtain raiser for "PaEliacCi" Neither
stage manager nor ballet master disclosed
p piimmer OF intelligence touching the
opera. Now the underworld was a sort
~ modified Woifs Glen. with grluuinzs
skuus lighted up from within round about.
TIE TIysian Fields were iu cloudIaud and
the blessed shades were "a mixed compar-
~ Sunday school angels. Amazous from
Niblo's Garden aud short skited. be-
spanrlad dancers. an or whose emotions
vUr- also iu their toes Though Nine
Scaichi sang tire music of Orpheus. there
was bgt one performance. and that was
quite enough. as every ono agreed once
more Gluck's opera suffered the degrade
tiou Of being drafted % kill time before the
production ~ a Eoyelr,-this time Mas
senet's "Nayarraisc" ou b.cemher u. lss5.
Nm. B-ema appeared iu TIE fItular role
and Nine. CaIvs introduced tle sunpoWder
opera whteh Ead been written for her. la
Navarrais.- li.el through i've perform.
uures. but -Orfeo' died on the FIRST night.
Died and slept tie sleep 81 destL uutu its
lovely resurrection last night. For tHfs
resurrection th- thanks Of every sincere
lover of dramat- music are due Go the
management and Sisnor Toscan.ui There
was much Iu the r,pT--e ntatiou 20 call fsr
Iaufatsrv rommeut--1 mucu that dIscriul-
mating criticism. ought also 90 be- heard
a. greater length tlan time allows. The
scenic outnt wds beautiful and appropri-
-re ff -rsrraiv needed the affecting r.-f-f..