New-York tribune., 1911-02-03
MUSIC
YESTERDAY AT THE OPERA
The Prologue to the Nibelung
Trilogv and La Traviata.

! There was meeting OF eNUen AZ 'nN
OF era yesterday. when WagnerS "Rhsin-
gold" was performed IN the afternoon and
! Vcrdi's "Traviata" in the evening. 'pas
Vheingold" was presented so far as print
er's ink and accomplishing paper could
make II. as the prologue 10 q serial repre-
sertation Of THE Ring Of tho Nibelung
/ IN look upon 1t in this light will put SOM
/ thing Of u strain upon the Imagination q
/ the public. for not only is the prologue 10
/ tt separated from Die Walkdre' 10y
week. but the same time will elapsc between
/ the three subdivisions Of the dram a. there
viii be a different representative II Briin-
( hide each time and II would not be sur
pI.sinC II the natural theatre of the play
/ participated in the Metropolitan propensity
/ fcr change. such things have happened at
our opera house since it became the custom
/ a. sandwich the products Of Verdi. FuCcini.
/ Naecagni and others between the Nibelung
( dramas given in cycle" No doubt J largo
( element in the gathering which listened with
rapt attention To Yesterdays representation
! v!il find the doingS in the weekly interreg-
runs yenal. for the audience was as dis
! tiHc,ivo as Is that which gathers twice or
thrice year in the holiday season 10 at
/ tcnd the "Parsfal" function. Hut for tho
rest Of the public il might be best to take
each drama, no matter how pretty tho fic-
/ ton employed in tho announcement a.
/ thing by itself
As such Yesterdays representation Of
/ "DaS Rhemgold' had many admirable feat
Ures not all of which could be accepted as
o matter Of course. There were singers in
the cast who We're new 10 il. and the excel
lence Of their work was extremely credlta-
ble TO them, the conductor. Mr.. Herr and
Signor Gatti-Cas1zza. An opera which rs
performed only once or twice q wear can
scarcely be said - be a rcpertory opera.
anG considerable sclf-sacrihce is asked Of
those who are called on 10 learn parts
which they may sing once or twice, and
never again. So there ought TO be words OF
ccmmendatlon for Miss Alma Gluck, Nine.
Marsha Aldrich, William Hinshaw, Her
bert Witherspoon and Basil Ruysdaal. all
OF whom unless memory is at fault. took
part in 'DaS Rheineold' for the first time.
All Of them were not equally excellent, but
neither would they have been had they
sung in an opera familiar 70 them all Nine.
Aidrich made a Greek Juno out Of the
Teutouic Fricka. but this was nothing 10
her discredit for there is no reason why
the goddess, who is too carelessiy looked
upon as merely a termagant, should not be
teautfui-even beautiful on Greek lines.
Nine. Adrichs voice, too, disclosed itself
as adequate 10 the role but there was
little % help the drama i'm her acting.
Miss Gluck looked. sang and acted
Treia charmingy and had a delightful
companion in Glen Hall as Froh. But why
4
carry a spear Evidently not much study
is spent at the opera house on anything
except the music though there is something
besides music IN Wagner's tragedy. There
Is no use in protesting against the exhibit
ton Of the sword. which becomes OF such
l;rSe Importance in the dramas. but in the
prologue. as Wagner conceived il, existed
only in the mind of Wotau. That folly
has taken firm root even in Bayreuth. no
ono apparently sceirg the absurdity of IT'S
Icing made a part Of the Nibclung hoard,
discarded by the giant who represents the
principle Of force, in the Illustration Of
which such an implement might well he
employed. and taken MP 10y Wotan for cru-
ployment in q divine mission. But this is
discussion of kind which can Toe spared
when therc is so much indifference 10 great
eT things.
Familiar people in the cast were Nine
Homer, Mr.. Gorit1, Mr.. sooner, Mr. BUT
rian and Mr.. Roiss, the last Of whom must
again he singled out FOR special praise,
notwithstanding the tact tnat his Mime
has long been one Of tn brightest orna-
ments of our Wasnerian representations.
To him, Mr.. EUrri3n Nj Goritz. and
strangely eneough-to Miss Sparkes. an
English woman. all the rest of tho COM
Psuy might prohtaby SO for instruction
in German diction Nj Witherspoon
seems TO have done so. or TO have
made excellent studies elsewherc. for
he. On American. was much more
distinct in enuncisuon than Herr
Sooner. horn TO The German tongue But
operate diction is a thins Of mystery
Leonora ;parkos, Bella Alten anl Florence
Wickham w'r" as tuneful - trio of Rhine
daughters as oyer were heard at tho Metro
poitaD The cast in fun wss as follows.