New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-02
FIRST OPERAS OF
THE new YEAR
A Decade of "Parsifal"
at the metropolitan
Opera House.
AN EMBARGO LIFTED
Strong Contrasts in Operas and
Their Representation.
by ~. T.. kRFHHIEL.


Extremes met at the Metropolitan opera
House yesterday when Wagner's "Parsi-
fall" I'm the afternoon. was followed by
Verdis "Traviata' in the evening; after
the solemn preachment of asceticism the
glorifcation Of harlotry, or at least It's
palliation through the mediation Of
phthisis and sentimental attacks on the
lachrymal glands. There was a vast dii-
ference I'm the audiences which listened
To the two works. especially IA their at
titude toward art. and also vast differ
ence i'm the merit of the representations.
The performances of "Parsifal' have
taken on the character Of a periodical
function which partakes Of the soemnity
Of the Christmastde productions Of Han
ders Messiah and its audiences receive
IL in the same spirit. Verdfs opera. on
the contrary. remains as conventional as
II ever was and retreats farther ana
farther from the taste OF the time as the
vocal art which its proper Interpretation
demands depreciates.
An element Of interest entered into the
performance Of "Parsifal'-the second or
this season-because Of the fact that it
was probably the first in the world. in the
matter Of time. since the legal embargo
placed upon il by the copyright laws OF
Europe was lifted Within a few weeks
there will be scores OF first perform
anccs Of the solemn and beautiful drama
in European cities and there will be just
as many critical revaluations Mean
while New Workers will reflect, no doubt
with some complacency, that the work has
been in the repertory Of the Metropolitan
Opera House for ten years Though not
yet admitted to the subscription list), and
that in addition TO forty-four representa-
tions In German they have enjoyed 4
score or so in the vernacular.
There were three artists concerned IN
yesterdays performance who took part m
the first. on Christmas Eve, l9O3-Mr. Cor
itz CKlingsor). Mr.. Reiss CThird Esquire).
and Mr.. Bayer First Knight of the GraiD,
but the circumstance that it was the first
time that the work was given without
raising the question OF moral right was
more interesting to the few TO whose
minds the fact that "Parsfar' was now
free to the world presented itself When
Mr.. Conred announced his intention to
sgnalize his first season as manager Of
the Metropolitan Opera House by produc-
ing the work there was a great hullaba-
loo in Germany, and Nine. Wagner sought
10 prevent the production by appeal to
the courts The effort failed. as it had to,
since the work was not protected by law
against performance in the United States
but all the powers affiliated sentlmentally
or i'm a business way with Bayreuth
united in a condemnation of Mr.. Con-
ried. and. as this writer remarked
at the time, manifested a disposition
10 hold the American people as a whole
responsible not only for a Dissertation OF
something which they looked upon as =
little mere than sacrosanct but Of rob-
berry also. The mildest term. applied to
Mr.. Conried's act, for which there was no
defence in moral decency, was @hat IL was
"legalized theft" IL was not that. for
among civilized peoples thievery cannot
be made lawful il was simply an appro-
priatiOn OF property for which, owing TO
the absence of a convention between Ger
many and the United states touching dra-
matte performing rights neither law nor
equity provided means of hindrance or
/
forgotten now. but IL will always remain
an interesting fact in the history OF
"Parsifap that Mr.. Conried was able to
perform it eleven times in one season
and that the receipts for these perform
ances averaged nearly $1,000 each.
1t is not likely that the excitement
which the many European representa-
tons of "Parsifal" will create will have
an appreciate effect upon the New York
performances. The management has been
able to count on it for three profitable
holiday audiences ever since ii was in
cOrporated i'm the repertory of the Metro
politan. and the artistic zeal OF Mr.. Hertz
and the German contingent In the COM
pany has been a guarantee year after
year for admirable performances. Yester-
days differed from that of Thanksgiving
Day in that Mr.. Braun was the represen-
tatiye OF Gurnemanz. He proved TO be
the most capable representative, dramat-
ically and vocally, that the part has yet
had. In all its features the performance
occupied a high plane OF excellence.
The performance OF La Traviata" last
night rested chiefly on Nine. Hempel
and Signor Amato. Signor Cristalli. the
Alfredo of the occasion. was little else
than a clog on the excellent perform
ances OF the soprano and barytone. II
is a pleasure TO note the growth OF Miss
Hempel both in voice and skill, a growth
which promises u.s. should she remain at
the Metropolitan Opera House 2 few
years, the possession of an artist mature
in her art with a fresh and unworn voice.
The opera was dressed in the period OF
Dumass story, and Nine. Hempel con-
formed to the style and did not, as she
did last January. introduce the incon-
,v,,,t,. % a. yift exnurf, Of TO-DAY