The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-19
A new BRUENNHILDE HEARD
% tGNER'S "DIE WaLkf ERE
ar THE OPERA.
Lucy we,dt "a the Daughter ef woiAn
The Prvformanre enc ef Merit but
Not ef Unusual ESc~,ieuce- New
scenery Exhibit ed New Hunsiing.


scenery Exhibltesi--A New Hunding.
Nagne,'s Die Walk nre' was given at
the Metropolitan Opera House last night.
/ TIL" performance served To introduce two
new members of the company Lucy
Weidt a. BruHnhiids and Basil Ruysdasl
as HsHdiIg. III" other members OF the
cast had 1.an heard before IN the roles
assigned To- them last night. An ad-
ditional element IN the performance was
the disclosure Of some new scenery pro-
vided 10y Mr.. GattI-CasIa2Id- Altogether
there WAS sufficient material for discus
sion werr that essential To the prosperity
of local operaiic art.
Tn. new scene used IN the second act
was in It's general outline not unlike that
used at the Vienna opera but the Austrian
srcne ~ built. NOT made of profile. and thus
gains greatly IN massiyen.ss II appear
anc. But tn. new Metropolitan scene
showed new attempt TO oversome the
diffiCulrise- created by Wagner's concep-
ton OF the fight in the clouds The APP
p-aring Wo'an and tn. appearing and
disappearing Brurnhiid. have always
made trouble. and neither traps nor ele-
waiting platforms have ever solved the
problem.
Mr.. GattI-Cnsn zza : scene was designed
To simplify the matter 10y permitting the
two perSonag"- 10 step out IT alcoves IN
"a rocky pInnacl. IL may be said that
while tins did simplify III" action II uid
not max" III" illusion any better than II
was IN other settings The management
of lights in TIN, act always troublesome.
was better than usual last night. In the
first act - was not all that could be
desired
The performance a. vhol. did not rise
To a high level Of po-'tIc beauty This
might easily H. attributed 20 one OF sew
era causes. hut would better In credited
to the combination III them all. Mr..
Hertz permitted himself at times to burst
into his old fashioned eNuh"rlHCe. and
consequently there wer" moments when
tn" orchestra nbhterated important pas
saRes IN III" voice parts THIS was not
always the case for ~ the -annOunccm.nt
Of death sCpne III" orchestral support
was unCummonly beautiful
Mr. SOONER who ~ an excellent artist.
adhered To the rontsmporancous German
idea Of WOi1r and this calls for much
boistsrou- uticrauce and lad lack Of
nobility in the principal divinity OF the
Nor-. mythology When IN" orchestra
played too loudly and Mr SOONER -trove
10 project ms tones through the. mass Of
instrumental sound tn" results were not
pleasing in any sense
In" new BrnrnhIlis proved 10 he a well
trained and generally correct Interpreter
Of her r6l. Her VOICE - one Of good
quality but not 81 muoh depth or power
-. ~
consequently knows the traditions It the
Wagner drama and the approved reading
Of her phrase Their was great deal
so commend IN her impersonatIrn. but IT
l. lh"y that popular opinion will hardly
accord h"r that rank which has usually
been "nluv"d ~ IN" typical Brnrphiifss
" the Metropolitan opera Hou-s IN"
fitted we'll into n" general key nf last
night Performance" but IN" added no
distinction 20 IN" presentation
Mics Wickham sang Frlctr and again
caused regret that her arr was not the
Irer at her fine VoiC. Mr. RuysdaslS
HuRdirg was s"puichral. ejao Ulatory and
tr.mulous Mr. Burrlans SiogwuHd -
a familiar friend and II had all lts otal
war merits lasi nigh Iher" Were N
o. ,.oma pEslsag-S nf great iyrIc beauty.
such a. III" -Nun w..Iss' du. fraEend-
Frau an he first arr and the Who'll" of
IN. scene with BcUruh.ide IN tn" s.oond
Nine Mprrna gave. IA" superb rnp.rs"na-
ion of Sl.ghnf. but was not IN her h,.~i
yolce and did not sing as w u ~ sh.' can
In" only additional comment that
seems worthy oi place ~ that IN" choir
Of valkyr- was .fficien' and that Ia. au-
iI"nC. was decidedly cordial m lrs ap-
uro,ai ~ tn. Gloss. IL n" SECOND act
This afternoon Madame Butterfly Will
to- SUNG