New-York tribune., 1910-12-29
MUSIC
another First Production at the
Metropolitan Opera House.
u7MPERDINCK'S kOENIGS-
KINDER

hlNUEE.
o-.s r,non time a witch cast a spell
,.-,, 8 kings daughter and held her In
.s-vitude as s gooseherd- A prince found
- .n the forest and loved her. She loved
~, N return, and would gladly have
- swsv from her so-dfd surroundings
~s+h him. though she had spurned the
- which he had offered her in ex-
.he,re for her wreath OF flowers; but when
.,s ESCAPED from her sailer she found that
We could not break the charm which held
..- fu,prisoned in the forest Then the
--,,ce left the crown lying at her feet
.,s continued his wanderings. Scarcely
80 ne gone when there came to the hut
.. ire witch a broomnnaker and wood
,srouer. guided by a wandering minstrel
.zsv were ambassadors from the city of
uenabrunn which had been so long with
,,-- 2 king that its boorish burghers them
xsl--es felt the need Of a ruler in spite Of
.ssir hoorishness- To the wise man the
ambassadors PUT the questions: Who shall
te -hts ruler and by what sign shall they
--coeuize him? The witch tells them that
,het- sovereign shah BE- the first person
rho enters their gates after the bells have
---ng The noon hour or the morrow, which
!. -ha CAV OF the EeIla festival. Then
-11-SITSI CGlCfSS SlSlL pl Nlic lONSeS
Fcoseetrl. and through the prophetic gift
rossessed by poets he recognizes in her q
rsshtIv born princess for his people By
The power Of his art he is enabled 10 put
sside The threatening spells OF the witch
snd co-ap1l the bag TO deliver the maiden
q h5s care He persuades her 70 break
che e1chantment which had held her bound
hitherto and defy the wicked power.
-1,iSrN-T-
mes have befallen the prince. her lover
-5e has gone TO EeIlabrunu. and desiring
70 learn 70 serve in order that he might
r.er-e- know how TO rule. he had taken
service as 4 sTvineherd. The daughter Of
<he irnkeeper became enamoured Of the
srspe1v body Of the prince. whose proud
svf-ft she cannot understand. and who has
-enulsed her advances. His thoughts go
hack 70 the goosegiri whose wreath, with
fts fresh fragrance, reminds him Of his
duty de attempts 10 teach the burghers
sheir own worth, but the wench whose love
ne had repulsed accuses him Of theft and
he i about 10 be led OF TO prison when
the bells peal forth the festal hour.
JovfuIIy the watchmen throw open the
strong town gates and the multitude and
gathered councillors fall back to receive
+he!- king But through the doors enters
the Eooseherd, proudly wearing her crown
rrd followed by her flock and the min
,--sI The lovers fall into each other s
arms. but only the poet and little child
recognize them as Of royal blood The
Soorish citizens. who had fancied that their
king would appear in regal splendor.- drive
he youth and maiden out with coutumely.
burn the witch and cripple the minstrel
ny breaking one Of his legs On the wheel
Seeking his home. the prince and his love
lose their way III the forest during snow
storm and die Of = poisoned loaf made by
the witch. for which the prince had bar
-ered his broken crown, under the same
tree which had sheltered them on their
.irst meeting: but the children Of Hella-
t,-lI--. VINO had come out in search OF them.
guided by q bird, find their bodies buried
under The snow and give them royal ac-
claims and burial And the prescient min
etrel hymns their virtues
This IS the story Of ''Koni igskinder-
Professor Hurnperdinct's opera, which had
SIS first production at the metropolitan
Opera House last night Il touches the
heart in the mere telling, but to realize
how il affected last nights audience other
clements than those contained il the fan
cifuI story must be taken into considera-
Ion Primarily, as the world viii believe,
= WIS first performance on any stage
--ane premiere, as the French would put
&: eiHe JraafT tehrg5rg, as the Germans
you'd solenanly say Next. the story al
ready full Of poeticaI charm. was height
eaed OK exquisite scenic investments and
rs poetry and pathos narvellously inten-
r1-ed by music. To the fact Of first
-.erformance- Ee fancy. more Importance
--zx attached than the occasion warranted
except from = business point OF view,
pnd this was rfnimized IN comparison
with the recent production OF Signor Puc-
rini's latest opera by placing the German
work N the subscription list at the out
Sc, while the Italian was withheld for
Two special performances at double prices
Let Us forget that z valuable lesson was
conveyed TO the management in the treat
-7en- Of La FanciuIIa Gel West" by the
r.ublfc and commend II for fair dealing
n The case Of the German opera. AS
matter OF fact, il might hEve been better
- have permitted both operas to have
feea tried out elsewhere before present
.ng them here or course, We are speaking
from 2 purely artistic point Of view.
There would have been a truer standard
for judgment II respect OF Puccinis operg
rad q been compelled al the beginning OF
us career 70 forego the factitious advan-
rases Of the local popularity Of its subject,
sts original author and its singers; and
# ''h6nigskinder'' Il may ne said truth
fully that IT would have benefited had
s. been delayed till an equally sympa-
rle-ic representation teven had II not been
So good 3 one4 IN Berlin had demon
srrsted what last nights audience had 10
learn bv en6urance-that for the sake Of
-se drama as We'll as the music Il needs
considerable pruning.
There is treason in this. Of course.
Cpera We are told. is q potent element in
popular education. and IL so, first produc-
tions a. the Metropolitan ought 70 be
looked IIr,ou with more or less Of the awe
with which We fancy the tragedies cf
.EschvIGs. SophocIes, E1ripides and other
more or less talented dramatists used to
e regarded at Athens In fact We have
seea the proofs that opera is 2 great popu-
lar educator in the reception which local
opera met this season in Boston and Chi
cage. Do we not hear Attic rejoicings?
Boston hac scarcely begun 70 realize that
it had an opera all its own before some
of IS educational mouths proclaimed that
- operate academic. so 20 speak. was al
seady As good as. il not little better than.
1hat Of New YORK, which had endured
sisnty-fIve years and had sent its mission
ers steadily 70 the Hub. II required only
two performances by the new company in
FS-icz-a fa-hipn VAS far singers