New-York tribune., 1913-12-25
Mr.. Urlus Taken III After
the Second Act, but Man
ages to Continue.
ODER, AS BRANGAENE.
SCORES A SUCCESS
Splendid Performance Of Wag-
ncr'S Master Work Under the
Baton Of Mr.. Toscaniri.

Tristan und Isolde" was sung last
night at the Metropolitan opera House
with Mime olive Frcmstad as Isolde.
Jacques r'us as Tristan. cart Braun as
King Mark. and Hermann We'll - kur-
wcnsl. Arturo Toscanini directed the or
chestra. Suc< was the cast which Giulio
Gatti-Casszza chose to present Wagner's
greatest music drama. and it was 4 cast
that could no; he cqualled on the lyric
stage to-day. OF all Mr. Gatt-Casazza
has accomplished during his cousulship at
the Metropolitan. his various presen;a-
tions Of Tristan" have reached a height
equslled by few others and excelled by
none. II is not too much TO say that last
night performance was equal to any
given in New York Stree the days Of
Milha Ternina.
Two factors have been Of supreme inn
portance iu all tho great performances OF
this work in recent vears-the presence of
Nine. Olive Fremstad in the character
OF the Irish Princess and that OF Arturo
Toscanini i'm the conductors stand. Nine.
Fremstad's Isolde has grown steadily In
power, in beauty and In tragic poignancy.
To praise her impersondtion has long ago
exhausted the vocabulary OF superlatives.
Il is enough 10 say once more that hers
is y figure OF superb majesty; dueenly.
tender and loving 4 character conceived
and executed IN the grand manner as
all Wagneran heroincs must be, woman
whose consuming passion is only the
more supreme because Of her infinite re-
pose. Never has she acted the opening
scene with more elemental power than
she did last night. never vas her sur
render more eXquisitely delineated, never
did abe sing IN the love duet with more
delicate shading or greater feeling. She
set for herself mark she will hnd IT
Difficult. to surpass.
~ for Mr Toscanui. his spirit was
abroad not only in the orchestra. but
VITA the singers on the stage. His read
ing OF the score is one in which he strives
always for beauty Of line. FOR form. for
grace Of contour. and yet. in spite OF all.
he never sacrifices strength Of passion or
the sense OF impending doom. His is
universal rather than a Latin Tristan
for Tristan is after all. a work for
which the Rhine is no true boundary. and
in the love music in particular Teutonic
force is only sublimated by being re-
strained by a fine Italian hand. Such
hand is Arturo Toscaninis.
The Tristan was Jacques Urlus. Mr..
urlus has had misfortUnes in this part.
as AZ his debut In the opera last season he
suddenlv lost his voice. Last night he
suffered another mishap in being assailed
by a severe attack Of indigestion after the
second act. The wait was unusually
long. and for a time il seemed as If he
would be unable TO continue. He was at
tended by physician however. and
finally William Gard. press representa-
tive. stepped before the curtain AMI an
uounced that despite the attack Mr.. Urlus
would try 10 continue the opera. He did
So and on the whole succeeded very well.
During the opening acts he had sung un-
usually we'll and his Tristan proved
again. what it was acknowledged last
year. q remarkably able impersonation.
There was one new member in the cast.
and those who have already heard Nine
NarEarete Ober knew that her Brangaene
could not fail Nine. Obers serving
maid was worthy Of her mistress. and
both I'm action and IN song equalled
either hcr Ortrud or her Octavian. Her
handling Of the two potions in the open
ing act was charged with n significance
il has rarely attained OF recent years.
Mr. Wells Kurwenal was as ever a
worthy II uninspred impersonation, and
Mr.. BraUn's Mark was every inch n king.
with the black flag that floats i'm the
las, act of Tristan" Wagner wrote he
would cover himself to die. II was 10
be. and so it proved. the signal Of his
supreme triumph. That flag hoated high
last night. and among the columns of his
own Walhalla the great Richard must
have thrilled with pride and happiness.