The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-30
NIBELUNG DRAMAS
AT METROPOLITAN
"Das Rheingold" Gets It's An
nual Presentation With
New Scenes.
PERFORMANCE EXCELLENT
Improvements Made in the
Stage Management and
Lighting Effects.
"Dns acknowledgements Opera


The annual performances OF Wagners
Der Ring des Nibelungen' began at the
Metropolitan Opera House yesterday AFTER
noon. Owing TO the conditions now SUR
rounding the performance OF opera In TINS
town "Das Rheingold" has been relegatsd
to this series Of representations. The pro-
logue OF the tetralosy Is out OF the roper
to,re apparently for good. Fashionable
society will not sit through a work lasting
two hours and half without intermssion
and with the theatre dark all the umo
and other people will not pay 81 to hear
a one act opera.
Hence this one production OF "Das
Rhelngold" Is all We can have. This Is
always to be regretted. and especially
when the music drama has been prepared
as Il had for yesterdays matinee In the
first place entirely new scenery had been
painted for the work. and this occasionod
a advancement of the stage business and
the lighting scheme. All of this gave an
opportunity to DR.. Franz Hoerth, the Ger
man stage manager, to show what no
could do in the way OF rehearsing such a
difficult work as this Let It be said at
once that the results brought about ny
him commanded high praise. The action
was more cohesive and significant IMAM
IL has been for some seasons and the
lighting plan was admirable In Its gem
eral purpose and In its distribution or
details Perhaps the restoration OF the
age OF steam Is not Joy, but II has long
established authority behind II.
The late Heinrich Conrled once said IN
Speaking OF the prologue: Wagner writes
Allies versIngt' this costs me $4,000 -
There is no question that this is an ex-
pensiye prologue. The three new scenes
revealed yesterday Were trlumphs or the
scene painters art. To attempt COM
plete description OF them would occupy
too much space. The depths Of the Rhine
II ftF .4r.4 h
they used to be, though here some ett"n-
ton will have to be given 10 the trollcNs
on which the maidens swing. That the
ideas of Wagner In regard 10 the hcuoh
OF the swimming girls were Adequately
carried out cannot be said. but there was
| a great Improvement on what used to be.
The changes from one scene to another
were admirably done. The drops were
painted with much fancy and well directed
design. The Niebelheim scene was de-
signed SO as to give the Illusion OF bold
ness and depth without occupying too
much OF the stage. and by the employ ment
Of "A different backing the Walhalla OF the
las, scene was made more distinct and
imposing than that of tho first THIS
whole set is much better than It's pre-
decessor. II !s spacious, wild and rocky
and looks really like the sort OF country
inhabited taccordlng 30 the stories) by
Wotdn and his brood.
The cast brought together for the repre-
sen.a,lon would be called n festival cast
IN Europe. The summer representations
at Munich and Bayreuth cannot equal Il.
| This being the case. II may seem ungcn-
erous to note that Mr.. Gorltz has fallen
to OVERRIDING his Aibsrich. on the other
| hand Mr.. Jorn. who appeared rs Log" for
the first time here. gave "A very creditlhlo
performance The Metropolitan has known