The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-27
MANHATTAN'S FOURTH SEASON
WHAT Mr.. MANHATTAN MAS
OFFERED.


4 IIlberaI ami varied neper,slpe. WIN
French Wogks IN the Aseendent
-Tnirty operas ProaWeea la the
Coarse % the eeas~a Novelties.
Oscar Hammerstein 10 the most intsr-
esting figure In the operAtio world. He
10 without doubt the only man Who could
talk like a professional jester In a circua
and still contrivs 20 have himself taken
seriously. This peculiar combination
81 accomplishment rests upon the fIlnda-
msntal truth contained in the old saying.
Handsome 10 that handsome does.'
Mr.. Hammerstein may talk like jester.
bat he Offers serious Op@ratic entertain
ment. A. long a. he does that the pubic
will graciously permit him to prattla a.
he will
Mr. HammeFstein's fourth SEASON at
the Manhattan Opera House began On
November with the first performance
in this country Of Massenet's -HArodiade.
Il came To an end last night with Doni-
zetti's Lucia" In the course Of this
season the impresaFiO produced four
novelties. These were the work with
which the series began, the same COM
poser's -Sapho' and -Gris4lidis,' and
tho -Elcktra- of Richard Strauss.
He made also several revivals. some 81
which were included in the brief series OF
experiments in presenting opera boufe
and opera comiQue on -oG' nights. These
rcviVals were Les Dragons de VlllArs.'
Les Cloches do CorRsville.' la Mas-
cote and -IAkm@.- The last named
opera was mounted for q single night
to inject variety into the repertory Of
Nine. Tetraxxini.
Perhaps the performances OF Tam
hauser- in French might he act down a.
q novelty. Al any rate these were In
terestIng experiments. Their fate had
an especial meaning. IL was altogether
natural that Mr.. Hammersssin. whose
theatre has become recnsniz..d a. the
chief ABIDING place 81 French lyric art
in this country. should desire To ascertain
for himself whether the WAGnerian dramas
could he introduced into his scheme
without embarking On the hazardous
enterprise Of opposing the Older inssitu-
ton. where German opera In its original
history.
Possibly II he had fOreseen the Incl
dents Of the winter and thus been brought
to beIieve IL likely that the German works
might hereafter be lees conspicuous than
they were IN former years at the Metro
poIitan he would have dared to intro
duced them in Germsn. The inclusion
Of German opera IN Mr.. Hammerstein's
scheme might have robbed It Of some part
Of its distinctive character. The Man
haitian IL a French and Italian opera in
stitution and az such has q mission in the
art world.
The failure OF the -Tannhauser' per-
formances in French served to show that
in this city the Wagner dramas should
be given only in the original teXt-Or in
that still distant future when opera IL
all given in English. in the language Of
the country. This public has too long
been accustomed To- hearing the German
creations in the German tongue to accept
the enasculated French TRANSACTIONS.
Even the genius oi MI RenaId was not
great enough 10 make the illusion salts
factory The old operaGoer felt that
his WOIirdm was not a minneSinEeT Of the
Thuringian forests. bui q troubadour
from the valley Of the Midi And that
was no fault of Mr. Rensuds fine art
With the music dramas Of Richard
Strauss the case was altogether different.
-Flektra- had never been heard here IN
German -Salome- had been given IN
that language only once. Mr.. Hammer
stems French performances violated no
traditions and astonished no ears. II has
been noted already IN this journal that
the revival of -Saloms- served To con-
vince admirers 81 Strauss and even music
lovers who are not enthusiastic about
| hia works that the earlier opera ~ the
I better 81 the two. The further the arch
raalist oG Germany departs from the
ancient oanons % beauty the lees con-
vincinR no becomes In his orchestral
compositions in which he remains still
closer To fundamental principles. he ID
still more admirable than he 10 in these
two music dramas.
! The seven performances 81 -Elektra'
cannot be recorded as proof 81 a large
measure ~ popular success. The Tales Of
Hotfmann.- which IL much more familiar
to the PATRONS Of the Manhattan. had eight
representations and always before large
assemblies without doubt at a tims
when public interest in It was declining
new life was put into II 10y the advent Of
Lima Cavalier in the second act in a cos.
tune WHICH dtNlpeeu thoNt OF nrr eAcfileul
collection ot physical charms.
-Elektra- had q success % curiosity
II made no real stir in the world oT music
lovers. Nor can II fairly he said that
any 81 the other novelties ~ the season
aroused widespread interest -Herodi
ade- had the advantage Of being pro
duced on the opening night OF the season
and this gave abundant opportunity fol
repetition. Furthermore the work hat
the added attraction OF Miss Cavalieri'i
beauty and Of q glittering production.
-Sapho.- II may a. well be confessed.
fell fat and deservedly. The opera itself
contains little really important music
and its action lacks the elements thai
most charm an INDECENT public. Mis-.
Garden singularly misconceived the pos.
abilities OF the title roIe. and instead o
being fascinating was on the contrary
rather alarming.
-Gris6Iidis.- the other Maasenst noveIt,
OF the season. was on the whole vel