New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-10
Past and Present in Nibe-
lung Representations at
Metropolitan.
OPERA FIRST HEARD
IN NEW YORK IN 1877
Mines. Gadski and FremStad,
Messrs. UrIrs and Braun Sing
in Excellent Production.

BY H. g. KREHEiEL.
Wagners .Walkure" had its second rep
resentation cor This season at the Metro
politan Opor. House last might Though
Wagnerites even the most perfect I'M
less they are along in years and have
tenacious memories. are not I'm the habit
OF thinking so. this fragment OF the
Nibelung tetralogy IS one Of the oldest ~
the local Wagncran list. As matter OF
fact. only "Tannhduser" and "Lohen-
grin" had been heard in New York when
Die Wakure" was performed In Nag-
merriam festival" at the Academy oil
Music in 1877. and Of its two predecessors
onlv "I.ohcncriu" had made itself familiar
at that time. and il in an italian version
"TannAauser" WIS never Romanized until
Mr.. Hammorstein made his futile and
foolish attempts 20 break into the Wag-
ner list with his French version rev
years ago. but the patrons OF the ola
Academy Of Music learned to hum the
tunes Of "Merce. bel cigno Gentii ana
.Liet fedel'' uhe wedding music to
which many Of them have walked up the
church aisles slnce) back in the '0s.
The operate ancients who saw the
"Walkiire" performances of thirty-seFen
wears ago are not likely To have anything
but vague or amused memories OF ITS IN
cidents. For the generation now prepst-
ing TO abandon the stage Die NauiKure
had It's beginning in January, leo0' uhoe'
the German regime at the Metropolitan
and since then il has been vital factor
in the city's operate life. There are no
operate recollections which can bring
warmer glow to the popular heart thah
those associated with the performances
of Briinnhilde by Mesdames Materna ana
Lehman. and the IDEAL Siegmund de-
parted from our stage with Albert Me-
mann in 1855 In him We saw the real
Volsung-a hero of gigantic figure with
the front of Jove himself" and large
ewes. Volsung eyes. full of luminosity
which. as the old legend goes could
pierce through the darkness and SEND
back in alright the assassin VINO fau
entered chamber at night with muir
derous intent.
Several things in this seasons repre-
| sensations OF Die Wakure' recall the
early ones under Or. Damrosch and An
ton Seidl The scenery is new, but In the
first act there has been restoration OF
device which seemed highly effective
thirty wears ago. Instead Of a gust of
wind blowing open the door and letting
spring and a flood of moonlight enter
| Hunding's hut we have tapestry cur
tain forming the greater portion OF the
rear wall. torn from it's fastenngs. Inc
picture is pretty. especially because OF
IT'S new background of waving shruopery'
tGffc
Wagner. a master of stagecraft, con-
! ceived-an effect which has reasonable
ness back Of it and might be made just
as beautiful? Wagner's IMAGINATION
sometimes led him to forget the possl-
bilities Of stage mechanism. but surely
not in this instance. How he would nave
marvelled and raved at the tree IN the
new Metropolitan setting of his drama
around which Hunding's hut is huilt. A
wonderful tree. almost as large In the
trunk above the two tremendous branches
which il has thrown out as it is below
them and bearing palm leaves under the
roof and nondescript deciduous foliage
above The Wagner dramas are growing
TO be what they were I'm the last years
Of the German regime. the strong prop
Of the Metropolitan repertory. why not
raturn TO the respectful treatment which
they received then? The device whlch
the aerial ballet suggested for the hrst
scene in "Das Rheingold' is beautitul
one and contains lovely possibilities. But
since. the river mixes swim on wires there
has been no agreement between their ac-
tons and the text and music. Clumsy ana
] Ia al
but with their help Wagner's purposes
were illustrated, at least.
The Metropolitan has also new scene
for the last act, but here most obvious
expectation is disappointed. Why can
not the acknowledgement solve the riddle
of the ride of the Nalkyrior? The old
! lantern slides were absurd, and had 10
he abandoned No effort has been made
! 10 supply their place. In Germany pup
pets on ponies. horses, cavalrymen, nave
heen tried without success. But there
is scarcely a moving picture play with
out its galloping horses. In Dle
Walkure" the effect is demanded by the
music. and 1t ought TO be easy TO sup
! plv il. The fact seems TO be that the
! Nibelung dramas are becoming mere the
! atre pieceS in even worse sense imam
| the oet-composer feared in the case OF
his earlier works. which are much nearer
the old type of opera. The principal art
J ists concerned I'm last nights perform
ance were Nine Gadski, who held her
place in respectful admiration for the
eloquence OF her death proclamation 10
Siegmund Nine Fremstad, whose I'M
personation of Sieglinde recalls the
beauty, pathos and dignity with when
/ Nine Lehman was wont 10 invest the
part in the classic era Of Wagner at the
/ METROPOLITAN: Mr. Urlus, stralehtior-
ward. always musical Siegmund' MI
Braun. a thoroughly admirable Wotan'
and Miss Robson. who does as well with
/ the ungracious part OF Fricka as most
OF her many predecessors nave done. Inc
excellence of the singing Of the chorus
Of Valkyrfor makes the deficiencies In the
nicture of their gathering the more de-
/ plorable.