New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-25
Conductor of German
Works Receives Loving
Cup and Jewel Wreath.
HAD BEEN 10 YEARS
WITH METROPOLITAN
Services in New York Began
During the Last Year OF Mr..
Grau's Management.
BY ii. +. kREHBIEL.

BY ii. T.. kREHBIEL.
At the conclusion of his thirteenth
year Of service at the Metropolitan
Opera House yesterday afternoon Al
fred Hertz, conductor OF German OPP
eras, babe farewell 20 that institution
and its patrons. The applause when
greeted his every entrance into the or
chestra was proof that he had host
of admirers in the audience, and at
the conclusion of the performance a
supplementary festive solemnity be-
hind the scenes demonstrated the good
will of the German contingent among
the artists and the directors OF the
Metropolitan Opera Company.
At the hands of the former he re-
ceived magnificent laurel wreath OF
gold and silver, at those of the latter
massive loving cup. What the givers
said to him and he to them belongs in
the story OF the closing scenes OF a
season of opera which he had helped
Mr.. Gatti and the directors to carry TO
a creditable conclusion in the face OF
musical difficulties. Our present con-
Germ is only with record OF Mr..
Hertz's services at the Metropolitan.
Those services began in the last year
of Mr.. Grau's management, continued
through the administration Of Mr.. Con-
ried and also through the seven sea-
sons during which Mr.. Gatti-Casazza
has been director of the institution.
Mr.. Herr, who is a native of Frank
fort, Germany, and who received his
musical education at the Raft Conser-
vatory, had been conductor for three
years each at the Hoftheater in AL
tenburg, Saxony, Stadttheater, Barmen-
Elberfeld, and the Stadttheater In
BreslaU when Mr.. Grau secured his
services for the Metropolitan Opera
House. He began his career in New
York with "Lohengrin" on November
rs. 1902, the singers being Mesdames
Gadski and Schumann-Heink and An
thes, Bispham, EdOuard de Reszke and
Muhlmann. The impression which he
made upon The Tribune's reviewer was
an extremely favorable one and was
set down in words which, with vari-
atoms, notifications and amplifications,
have been echoed scores of times in
these columns since. HE was much in
the public eye" said the writer thir-
teen years ago; too much, indeed
but considering the fact that all his
exertions were followed by results to
viously directed, it was easy for all to
look upon them leniently and to ascribe
some of the exaggerations to the ner-
vousness and excitement natural to
first appearance in a strange land. Ger
man musicians of the better class read
more than your Frenchman or Italian,
and Herr Hertz, il is safe TO say, began
his Office in New York with a very diff
ferent sense of its significance and re-
probabilities than did Signor Mas
cagni.
He spared no effort to put vitality
into Wagner's score, and succeeded not
only in doing this but also in Kidding
the performance of much Of the slack
perfunctoriness that has weighed upon
the Metropolitan performances for
years. His tempt were elastic, his nu-
ancos varied and intelligently, taste
fully and tactfully made. He had slug
gish material TO handle, for bad habits
have seized upon the Wagnerian per-
formances at our opera more vlclously
than upon any other, and the excel
lences Of last nights performance are
therefore to be reckoned highly in his
favor"
Mr.. Hertz's associates and colleagues
at the opera in l902-'03 were Signor
Mancineli and NJ Flors, who were re-
spectively in charge Of the Italian and
French lists. With a single exception,
all of the German operas in the roper
tory of the season belonged to the
Wagnerian list, which was already as
firmly established in popular favor at
that time as it is to-day. 1t has IN
deed received only one addition since.
but that one brought the conductor
into public notice more emphatlcally
than any incident in the operate an
nails of the country.
In Mr. Conrled's first season Mr..
Hertz conducted the first performance
outside of Bayreuth of "Parslfal,' and
he has conducted every performance
which that work has received at the
Metropolitan Opera House since. The
only new work brought forward by MN
in that season was Miss Ethel NJ.
Smyths "Der Wald," produced under
circumstances not altogether credIIaDle
to either composer or manager.
Mr.. Hertz's monopoly OF the herman
operas ceased when Mr.. Conrleds re-
gime began in the fall OF 1918. MI
CoDried engaged Felix Motif, who con-
Quoted the greater part OF the list,
leaving only Tristan" "Parslfal, the
"Rheingo.d' and "GOtterdammerung
to his associate This being the year
in which "ParslfaP had eleven repre-
sentations. however, Mr. Hertz enjoyed
a larger share of public attention tnan
did the celebrated newcomer. Mr..
Motif endured the conditions created
by Mir. Conried at the metropolitan
Opera House for only one season and
MIR. Hertz conducted all the German
operas in lgO4-l905, except Die File
dermaus," which Mr.. Conrled brought
forward at "Parsifal" figures Tor
his benefit and tried to make
a permanent feature Of his roper
tory. The only addition 70 the old
list conducted by Mr.. Hertz was
"Fidelio." In his fourth season ne
directed the revival of Goldmarks
"konigin Won Saba and the first Ger
man performance OF "HanseI una
Gretel" The NTH year of his activity
was marked by the Illustration or Mr..
Conried's attempt to place Richard
Strauss's "Salome" by the side of W ag-
ner's "Parsifal." Mr.. Hertz prepared
the unsavory opera and conducted the
one representation which the directors
nermitted for Mr.. Conried's beneht. 1t
was a season full OF excitement; II saw
the opening Of the Manhattan opera
House and the beginning OF the squad
HES with Mr.. Hammerstein which. with
only temporary lull. endured until
the beginning Of 1914. Throughout the
season of lyO7-'0S, the last OF Dir. Con-
ried's regime, Mr.. Hertz shared the
German list with Herr Mailer, who
was brought over as German director
from Vienna. lie began his labors on
January |, 1908, and to him were as
sicned pie Walkure," Tristan und
Isolde" "Siegfried" and "Fidello." The
Nognerian list was extended by the IN
cInsion of Der Fliegende Hollander,"
which Mr.. Hertz conducted, as well as
an Rbeingold," "Gotterdammeruns