New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-26
4 GERMAN OPERA
IN A FRENCH GARb
., o RAM des VaChes" Sung
Nv the Philadelphia
cago Company.
eol KSONG AND REVOLUTION
su,;ss Melodies Played on the
Horn, Alpine Pastures and
Lowing Herds Suggested
in the Opera.

o., orera which the Philadelphia-Ch
onera Company produced at the
s..o,oIitan Opcra House last night after
-,o-n,inc il twice within four days in
S,u.de,phia. though sung in French and
~ French title. is a German work
a., rorhaps would have been happier
German sarb It's title is not mat
.s- OF large consequence. for neither lie
-. dos Vaches" nor Der Kuhreiger'
,,evs hint Of the style of the opera
40 story. The French and German
me are idcntiCal'in meaning and equal
= yarue as TO their origin They stand
-, tho melodies played in Switzerland on
sa Amino horn with which COWS arc
,usd from, the pastures, and in this sense
- ;rsnnlica,le. strictly sepaking. TO the
-,,c which provides the dramatic motive
far the opera in question. From them we
raeelye suggestions Of Alpine pastures
.,d lowing herds; in the opera we see
lives Of sans culottism and bloody po-
ll,ical revolution.
This story OF the opera was extracted
nv Richard Batka. a newspaper critic OF
prague. from German novelette, enu-
,l.a .Die kleine Blanchneure." written
~ Rudolf Hans Bartsch. Wilhelm KienI
rho has enjoved a wonderful degree
ot popular favor in Germany. because OF
an opera entitled Der EVangelimann'
ar several wears composed this new opera
,uo wears or so ago and for something
mare than a year IL has been sweeping
over the German stage like a.WLdilre. IL
,s 10 the credit OF Mr.. Dippcl that having
thought forward such novelties as the
french QUO Nadis?" and the Italian Il
Gio;eln della Madonna" and "Conchita.
he should also have presented German
rwelty. Der kuhreigen' Is not OF very
large significance artistically. but IL
serves an excellent purpose as balance
Wheel ana as a preservatlVe of good taste
In the lyric drama. Its success in Ger
many, in Philadelphia and here last night
IS at least handsome tribute TO the
bandicra ftsmanship of both librettist and
composer
The story Of the opera. its romance and
is revolution. revo,ves On the singing or
prohibited song by Swiss volunteer
In the French army! in the last decade
,t the eighteenth century. HistoricaliF
the story will not bear analysis. but 1t
has deep psychological foundation. Inc
story goes that the sounds Of the Alpine
horn used TO cause such hDmesickness ana
lead TO so many desertion IN the french
army that Bonaparte forbade the singing
IF the RAM des Naches' on penalty or
death. Whether the story is strictly true
,, not does not matter. II has a parallel
n the indubitable fact that songs which
appeal powerfully to The emotions OF u
people have frequently been Inc
subject Of political regulation. Thus.
the Austrian government has had
occasion 70 prohibit the performance
Of the "Rakoczy March" and coniiscate
the copies IN the music shops because or
lis effect upon patriotic Magyars; ana
10 cite only one other instance. the Scot
,ish tune Of "Lochaber 10 more was
taboo at the time of the SepOy mutiny
There is therefore, poeticai founda-
ton for the pretty romance utilized III
Kienzls opera. though it is more OF less
a pity tha- the novelist dranatist and
composer were not little more respect
fu 10 the verities in their choice OF ma
teriai The story Of the opera in brief is
this: \ Young Swiss volunteer III IN"
French army. overcome by nostalgia.
sings the prohibited song. which is called
RAM des Vaches The author Of
the romance being q German, the
Swiss arc made 20 represent that
idelity to duty typihed In the Lion of
Lucerne The singer mas QuarrclleG WITH
I French office because Of his tredcAcTE
% his commander. and the Frenchman
.seks revenge by dcnouncinS the SWISS
for singing the prohibited song. But the
sife or the commander intercedes with
he King and secures a pardon FOR the
singer She has looked with favor upon
1is comely face and figure and drcan-
pretty pastoral dream Of him playing
.hepherd 10 her shepherdess on her cs-
ates bot finds herself rcpulscd because Of
he fact that she IS married. Now the
evolutionary storm breaks. the aristocra-
&c comni1 DOer goes 10 the suiiiotine and
ne romantic wife is doomed 10 follow
aim. Circumstances throw the power 10
ave her into the hands Of the Swiss sol
Ter. now madly in love with her. but
Shen he suggests blissful. pea ceful life
inong the cows OF Appenzell the lady
mnks Il 50 sross mlsiit that she chooses
o 90 10 her doath after the favor Of
ninuet
There is dramatic blood IN the story aud
nows through the opera warm and un-
ihpeded II is too bad. OF course. that
ne song which Primus Thalier. the
swiss hero. sings is not a Swiss SONG, but
German one, which describes the fate Of
'sw'ss soldier who was led 10 desert the
french army by.the sounds Of the Alpine
norn The French translation does not
isguise il. II is that which all the Ger
nan world knows and which begins:
y strassburg auf der Schanz,
"a ging ,nein tr3uerr an;
oss Alphorn hort ich drubeD wohl an
Stimmcn.
ms Naterland musst ich hintbcr schwim-
men
Jas ging nicht an.
me song IS a paraphrasc Of an earlier
'ae. which was no doubt known in some
arts OF Germany At The time Of the
french Revolution; but IL was never
swiss song. and not a Eanz 0es Vaches,
Aorgh It refers 10 IL. The familiar mel
ny By Silcher was not composed pn'il
~ Wherefore. no doubt. Kicnzl wrote
me Of his own which il the "Leitmcdf
me opera, and ~ a most admirable
'"podimcnt OF the foiksong spirit In
ai'nony with II is the music which beau
.'oi'y echoes the melodies Of the Alpine
o'h' Which invites the Swiss soldier 10
~ offence, and which recurs whenever
Hson Of Alpine scenery IS invoked by