New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-31
Supreme Achievement of
BeethOven'S Work Is Mat
Zenauer's Performance.
AUDIENCE IN SPELL
AT BIG MOMENT
Majority Of Artists Satisfactory,
Braun Being Excellent
as Rocco.
BY II. l.. kREHBIEL.


NAL condition was that OF suspended
animation. The same is true Of few
other works-NerdIs "Ballo In Mas
chera," for instance but the word mas
peculiar and unhappy significance IA
connection with the only opera OF the
greatest of German composers.
Other operas have their reeurrent
periods of somnolency because mana
gers wait for the coming of artists
whose personal popularity and limited
repertory compel or JUSTIFY their
awakening; "Fidelio" is revived pc
riodically because Of duty toward
the work which managers. artists and
the public feel ankle. After its hrst
season, when it had only three repre-
sensations in the city which saw
It's birth. and in which its com
poser concentrated The musical at
ientiop of the whole world, II
silent only one season, and was then
called back to life in a changed form
but after it's rejuvenation 1t fell "oh
sleep" again. and was heard Of no more
for seven years. Since then II mas
never been forgotten for long period
anywhere. but il has seemed as II some
incident out of the ordinary course OF
opcratic history must accompany each
fort at resurrection. At first the
French occupation OF Vienna inteflered
with the triumph which its merits ana
its composer's fame ought 20 nave
foreordained IL. But the foreigners
who filled the seats and boxes OF inc
Austrian royalty, nobility and citizenry
who had run away from them IN loV1
c,ore no less appreciativc than the au-
diences of 1906. and even in 1914, when
tho second Viennese revival TOOK
Mace. the Viennese were not German
enough TO appreciate the superiority
Of Beethoven over Rossini.
In New York the amusing lnclGeht
in connection with its first production
and it's run" Of fortnight IN English
was that to Tighten the gloom Oh l's
tor Nine. Giubilei and Paul Iagnognl
danced a p0s de dcur. Where PROP
ahlv in the last set. which seems 10
olfer the only possible opportunity Iot
co extraordinary a thing. Nhen "
7 oonold Damrosch revived 70 ln tne
g. German season at the Netropoh-
tan Opera House it made so Iameh-
tablo a financial fasco that Ny. stan
ION. when appealed 20 by some en-
fbusiastic lovers Of the opera. only
yielded on sentimental compulsion, eN-
nlaining that his predicament was
made douby great by the fact that Il
he cave il once he would have 10 give
/. tv.ico. because the opera was IN the
contract lists of both Frauleln Len
mann and Fraulein Brandt. lie gave
II once for each and had TO repeat IL
on an extra nigh. because OF the poPu-
lar demand for 1t. 1T.
Then a Berlin historian IN BerIih
felt called upon to say IN erect: see
YOU Germans, how the Americans ap,,
nreciate the opera which you ignore.
But i'm the same season an Iuio,'0
LAUGH from one Of the boxes at the
climacteric moment of the drama as
concerted Fraulein Brandt so greauy
that Conductor Seidl had to stop the or
chestra and start the duet, ~ nai"e"-
lose Freudei" a second time.
Yesterdays audience, which CROWDED
,he house. sat as if spel!bound when
that tremendous moment was reacheu'
Things have changed at our operas
since 1887. When Mr.. Abbey OuS.eu
German opera and restored the Ital'ail
regime he retained Vine. Lehlhailh ~ ~
re connanv and attempted 10 concur
40 tho German element among ms
natrors bv giving "Fidelio" and Die
Pfoistersinoer" in Italian; but the con-
secuences were in all respects WoIuI'
The opera had its usual long nap, "a
cont % Walter Damrosch nrdged u
into life. and then came inc Conl!eu
eo,sulsbip. Mr.. Mailer and new pct
ures. to say nothing OF new hlusioa'
ideas. from Vienna. Some OF the pIct-
,,ros and ideas were recalled by ye5ter-
Tay,s renresentation; some Mr.. Hertz
v,iSelv abandoned. We had the HrsI
scene divided into two, the FIRST snow
inc the latter Rocco's lodge, the sec,
ond the stupendous prison walls anu
because of this utterly unnecessary ar
ranpement we had the march accom-
nanving the entrance of the Governor
md his soldiery, played as EtWeeh-
ec,a music. The dungeon scene re-
NAMED as Mailer and Professor holier
,,ava il to US. and the last scene also
With a shifting and some alteration OF
tho nicture; matters of no consequence
whatever -...-. :,
r major played in commonplace
manner) a. a curtain raiser, ana INC
Great "Leonore" No. 3 as an inter
iude between the last two scenes. us
performance won q pronounced ovation
Tor Mr.. Hertz and his men. We diu
r,ot baar tho song in which Rocco tells
~ his love of money, but the only
regret. If any, aroused by that lac.
was caused by the circumstance tnaI
Mr. Braun. who ought 70 have sung H.
eapg all OF his music and did All MS
scting so supremely well that the more
he sang and did the greater was tue
Measure enjoyed. .
The supreme achievement OF 'he Ipp
reeentation was Nine. Matzenauers FL
delio-in song, IN speech tan uhusuaI
thing in opera, IN acton, she Wa
equally admirable. There nave Deeh
times this season when her vocal per
formances have been strenuous muoi
too strenuous. Ever since the time VI
Beethoven dramatic singers nave
shrunk from the terrible demands Oh
The role. especially in its great .sce,n9qi'
The operas first heroine, trauieih PM
der. 70 whom Haydn said Ny emu;
you have voice as big as noa. ~,
ouarrelled with the composer about TINS
music in 1905. and nine years laier'
when she had become the famous
Nilder-Hauptmann she compelled pee
thoven 10 modify the air 10 Drlhg
within her notions OF practicaoliity'
Nine. Matzenauer sang II supeTDly yes
terday. but threw no more tragic ieel-
inc into il than she did into the sim
plert measures which she had to sing
with Rocco. ,i;I
/, was from FIRST to last splendid
triumph Of lyrico-dramatic art; one qs-
serving 20 be specially noted IN tne
record OF the season. An admirable 4
companion in the dramatic cHmaHe'
wa. Mr.. Urlus (Florestanl. though MS I
tendency 10 sentimentalize was de-
plorable in the beginning Of his great .
scere in the dungeon, where pathetic .
vapor'ngs are particularly out OF place.
So far as we know there has NOT ye' 4
been a German singer equal TO the DE- I