New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-15
1WALKURE' At THE OPERA
Wagnerian Drama at a Matinee
with New Singers.

politan Opera House for this season came
| TO a conclusion yesterday afternoon with
| a representation of WaSner's "Walkure'
the first of the current series. Five
matinees have now seen the production
Of four German operas. one Italian (Which
shared the occasion with Germany and
one French. Moreover, OF the twenty
four representations given thus far in the
subscription season counting double bills
I'm fractions). ten have been devoted TO
German operas and fourteen to Italian
and French. Perhaps there Is signiii-
canoe in the fact which does not appear
upon the surface: whatever IL may be,
however, II was emphasized by the CIR
cumstance that two singers effected their
| first appearance for this season In yester-
days representation. and that two who
are vet to be heard also belong 10 the
| German contingent. The singers VINO
were heard yesterday were Mines. Matte
nauer and Cahier, neither one a stranger
| TO New York's music lovers, and both
representatives of that vocal genre which
lies between the real soprano and the
genuine cOntralto. SO long as these rep
| representatives sing music written for the
|
modern works., they are willing to be
called contraltos; but as soon as they
begin TO sing the dramatic roles Of Wag-
ner. in which the old distinctions are
| ignored, they refuse TO answer even TO
such designations as mezzo-contraito ana
mezzo- soprano, and insist on BEING called
| dramatic sopranos. The name doesn't
really signify. since the singers them
selves no longer recognize the fact that
! It is not range but hmbrc, which Is the
determining factor. but In connection with
Yesterdays representation of Die wal
kiire" Il is interesting. and also bit
curious TO note that, Nine. fremstad
having also taken part as Sieginde, 1t
was a day of triumph for the voice which
has long. If not always. been recognized
! as the finest vehicle for emotional eX-
preston in music.
Nine. Matzenauers opulent tones were
heard in the music allotted by Wagner
TO the utular character of the drama,
Nine. Fremstad's in that OF Siegindc and
Mime. Gathers In that Of Frlcka. Con
corning the first two artists no regular
patron OF the opera is likely TO ask mo-e
than to have Impressions made in the
past confirmed and decpcncd. There are
moments I'm Nine. Matzenauers imper-
sonation OF Brunnhlde IN which the light
hearted. joyous element IN the character
is missed and I'm which there Is feeling
that the limit Of her voice in it, upward
range had been reached. but IN music
like that OF the death proclamation, Hs
magnihcenco and throbbing vitality arc
all-compelling. II was in this scene. also.
as well as In the finale Of the 1rst act,
that Mr.. Hertz, who seemed sometimes
inclined TO hurry pcrfunctorily over less
lyric passages, evoked real eloquence
from his orchestra. There was less charm
I'm Mime. Gathers voice than her singing
recently I'm a recital OF songs may have
led her admirers 10 expect. Her concep-
ton Of the character OF FriCka seems TO
be that the spouse of the chief OF the
< ds was not much more than an ill-tcm-
percd little spitiirc. for IN this spirit she
detained her speeches Few women OF
the stage seem willing or able 20 DO jus
tlce TO the Teutonic Juno. II - easier
to see why they should be unable than
why they should be unwilling; Tor the
character has large potentialitIes WITHIN
II. and It's dramatic pursuance grows with
every disclosure or It's innate nobility as
the symbol OF law. To make her a shrow
or a termagant only belttlcs The charac-
ter OF Wotau. who, too. Often loses mis-
dignity because OF what shallow stu
dents conceive to be the meaning OF d.
vine anger and divine sorrow. Fortu
nately Mr. Griswold, who was the repre-
sentative OF Wotan yesterday, contentcd
himself with a beautiful and orotulj
enunciation OF the words and music OF
the part That Nine Cahier forced her
voice To the detriment OF it's quality and
past the point Of stcadiness AMI JUST
ness Of intonatlon was probably due TO the
mistaken impression that singers unfd-
mliar with the Metropolitan Opera House
arc prone TO have. that they must strive
for voluminous utterancc; whereas the
prime condition IS correctness Of vocal
emission, as any OF the old singers might
tell them.
As for the rest. the merits and de-
merits Of the representation were much
what they have been In the past. wren
Mr.. Burrian has challenged admiration
for his lyric climates and Mr.. Ruysddel
regret that he cannot, or viii not g.ve
stability to his ponderous bass as the
sinister Hundng. ii. Il. Is.