New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-12
MUSIC
Il ReUiral of der Freischatzs. /"

To quote the words of the louse bill
there was a revival OF "Der Freischiitz'
at the Metropolitan Opera House last night
Revival Is a much abused word in oper-
attic parlauce. III management Engages
a troupe of singers unable TO cope with an
opera. even though II be one familiar as a
household word. and t. for that or some
other reason. remains out of the repertory
OF the house for a few years it's production
Is always a revival" Weber's masterpiece
rsed to play part in German opera In New
York like that played in oratorio by The
Messiah Whenever ar opera company
was on the verge of bankruptcy it brought
forward Der Freischjitz" and was saved
BUT SUCH productions generation ago were
not set down as "revivals" In che sense.
however, the performance of DER Fret
schultz" was a new birth of the opera at
tiP Metropolitan; it had not Deen heard
there since the first year of the German
regime, when it's failure TO win popular ap-
prevail along with that of ''FideIio' almost
broke the heart of DIR. Leopold Damrosch.
1t has been heard elsewhere in New York
in the interim, but In the popular estimation
the performances did not signify
1t would not pay at this time TO discuss
all the reasons, though one of them was
made obvious again last night Spoken
dialogue is a bore In lyric drama. under
the best Of conditions. and is particularly
and most emphatically bore in a theatre
which has the dimensions of our principal
lyric theatre 1t may be that the use Of
recitative instead OF speech might serve
as a help out of the difficulty. but no Ger
man musician is willing to admit that
the music which Berlioz wrote to make
Weber's masterpiece conform to the re-
quirements of the Grand Opera in Paris
does anything but mar the work which is
In so especial a manner an emanation of
the German spirit. II was that conviction
which made Wagner condemn the Partisan
production under Berlioz after he had writ
ten striking essay for the purpose OF
preparing the French mind for it's appre-
citation. Moreover, the naive supernatu-
ralism of the opera has lost the power
over the public mind which once IL pos
sessed, and there was nothing more notice
able IN last nights beautiful representa-
ton of the scene in the VOLTS Glen than
the Indifference with which it was received
by the audience. 1t made one suspect that
even appreciation of the dramatic elo-
quence OF this portion of the score was
wanting in the judgment and taste OF the
audience.
the purely musical elements Of the rest OF
the old opera This was finely brought out
in the performance OF the orchestra under
Mr.. Hertz's direction, the chorus and the
principal singers. Mr. Jadlowker's Max had
too large an environment to be as effective
as his fine voice and equally fine lyric
style would have made it under more mod
crate conditions. and Mr.. Blass's vocal and
dramatic manner has too much bonhomie
in il ever to make the diabolical vicious
ness of the character of Caspar apparent:
but his singing is delight. as is that OF
Nine. Gadslli, while Miss Alien Is a most
gracious and winning embodiment, in both
song and action. of Aennchen. For Mr..
Hertz and the orchestra there can be moth
ing but enthusiastic praise. The opera was
given with the following distribution OF
parts: