The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-27

pleased with last sundays structures OH
the bad singing at the Metropolitan
opera House. The comments seem to
have been timely; but they might have
been that on any Sunday since the sea -
son began. People who know how news-
papers are made will not need to be
told that those comments were written
previous to the performance OF Wcber's
"Euryanthe" on Saturday afternoon.
After that representation, so admirable
in many Of its Sialitics. something more
might have been said about singing.
There were differences OF opinion APP
parently as to the artistic value OF Nine.
Ober's Byzantine. 1t is not the custom
Of this writer to discuss the, comments
~ his colleagues, chiefly for a reason
often given in these columns, TO wit.
that this writer does not care farth-
ing whether any one agrees with his
views or not, so long as the ether per-
son shows competency to form views
Of his own and to support them with
reasons.
Handing down ready made verdicts
for the use of people who cannot ar
rive at them for themselves Is the mean
est Office of criticism, It's better pur-
nose is to lead people to look upon art
as art. to examine 1t as art. and to
form their own conclusions about 1t.
Therefore il is not incumbent upon
THE SUNS observer Of musical d6lngs
to condemn his brother OF the Moon Tor
holding that Nine. Obers impersona-
ton OF Eglnntine was great dramatic
triumph. our brother Of the Noon saw
the tragic fury Of the thing and was
glad. He did not grieve because Weoers
music fell a moaning victim to that
ttNEn
temperamental tumult.
We'll and good. But here IL the start
ling point of an old quarrel with which
the present writer viii have no t-affic.
will YOU have fire and fury in such
role as Orfrud or Eolontine and no hne
singing. or the fine singing and only
cold ashes?
II is apparently a pertinent question,
hut the truth is that 1t Is an evasion Ii
rests upon the misleading premise that
YOU cannot have as much tragic power
o., is needed and have good singing at
tie same time.
Perhaps the swiftest, as II certainly
Is the most graphic. way To expose the
fallacy of this question is to ask an
other When does Nine. ODER sing
beautifully? II this temperamental ana
really interesting opera performer ever
in the moments Of her coolest artistic
polsc sang with the perfect beauty OF
fiawlcss vocal art we might be justi-
fed in concluding that the tempestuous
emotions of EgldHtinc's scenes over
set her.
on the other hand We may ask an
other question. Did any one ever actu-
ally sing this sort of music and sing II
we'll? This question may he answered
without going beyond the history Of tbs
Metropolitan Opera House. Every one
of the older generation of operagoe!s
has heard Lilli Lehman sing violen;
scenes. and some will recall her mag
nlfcent impersonation Of OTtrnd.
There is no forid music in the great
invocg ton of Wagner's wicked one, but
all the other elements Of musical de-
struction are. there. Nine Lehman
sang the scene overwhelmingly, but still
she sang It. She did not shrek II nor
shout 1t. As for the delivery OF the
peculiar kind of ford passages which
Beethoven employed for the expression
Of intense agitation. and in the Use of
which Weber Immediately followed him
Nine. Lehmann's treatment of them in
ABB cheulichcr" Cfrom "F'idelio'D and
Ocean, thou mighty monster ,fron
dramatic singing. Light may be thrown
upon this whole subject by reference t.
the advent here Of a representative Ger
man singer of prodigi us temperament
years ago. When Walter Damrosct
began his season of opera in German al
the Academy of Music in the spring oil
1896 he introduced Katherine Klafsk,
as LcoHorc In "ltdelio.". The present
chroniccr wrote on that occasion:
THE performance If viewed from the
standpoint of the German operag c er
was one of striking merit 1t must be
borne in mind that the German opera :
goer Is educated from his youth w
TO listen to some painful violations OF
the rules OF vocal art, and that in the
course of time he learns to regard a
tolerably poor article in the way of sing
ing as quite good enough for the most
fastidious. 1t is hardly necessary tC
say that last nights performance ex,
hibited all the familiar dement's OF
German singing; but as is customary
with German operate presentations. the
excellence of the dramatic work. III,
reVerent spirit in which everything was
undertaken and the sacrifice of indvid
uality to the general purpose Went IA.
toward overcoming the unpleasant
deviations from the pitch"
or Nine. Klafsky the writer said
Her voice is pure and powerful
dramatic soprano, of fine quality an,
good range The lower register is n
full and strong as that Of con;ialto
The middle register is round and solid
and the upper penetrating, though a
times somewhat thin in quality. Th
thinnes' probably the result Of ba,
product, II, for ii must be admtte
that the lady displayed more vigor thai
art in the emission of her tones. Sh
has the inevitable bad attack of tn
German singer and the scoopng' u
tone that seems equally certain to come
But aside from these purely technca
faults she is a dramatic singer Of nue.
power She has sufficient Temperament
TO equip two or three ordinary s.
aranos."
Contrast with this account of the frs
hearing Of Nine. Klafsky that of tn
trst hearing at the next performance q
Mr.. Damrosch's company Of the grea
artist who sang Elsa. Mika Ternin.
Here are the words written at the tim,
words demanded by an exhibition # res