New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-16
Goetz Opera Shakespear-
ian Only in It's
EXternals.
MUSIC SUBMERGES
COMEDY'S VITALITY
New Speeches Invented for Book
and Characteristic Scenes
Alone Used.
By Fl. F. BREHBIEI-

Nlktor Widmann. the music bv Her
man Goetz, was performed az the
metropolitan Opera House last night
Il was new TO the vast majority Of
those who attended the representation,
though it had had five performances in
English at the Academy Of Music a
little more than thirty years ago.
something was said about the histori-
cal aspect Of the incident and a suffi-
cient exposition given Of the dramatic
structure Of the opera in this journal
last Sunday 70 warrant us in passing
over those points in the present record
and discussion. one matter, however,
is opposite for observation IN this year
Of Shakespearlsn celebrations. In -
operate form the comedy was first
given here In an English translation
and the wish must have lain close 10
many minds last night that the YER
nacular might have been used IN the
revival. II was with the purpose Of
helping opera 70 emancipate itself
from its Tuscan trammels that the
American Opera Company Was called
into being thirty years ago, and that
This work and NicOlaI's Merry Wives
Of Windsor" were incorporated into its
repertory. The promoters Of the enter
prise, which started out bravely but
came 10 = woful end in a short time,
believed that the time was come 70 put
aside an old afectation and do honor
IL l. Il Coo 4
expression in the creation OF the IN
stItLtlon which was 20 strive % hGbll-
itate the English language Oh the
operate stage, and % do for the
United States the national work that
France. Germany and Russia had &C
cOmpllshed for themselves. To this end
nothing seemed 10 be more appropriate
and gnited than the choice Of operas
with Snakespearian subjects, which
seemed, a least, 20 insure "a better
knowledge Of the plays and more
sympathetic interest in their settings
on the part OF performers and public
than was generally prevalent az the
time. But, for reasons which we're
abundantly set forth by this writer
last Sunday, the effort went 70 waste.
Since then the noblest efforts which
the world has seen 70 give Shake
spearisn plays an operate dress have
been put forth by two Of the finest
geniuses of the operate stage Boito
and Verdi collaborated IN "Otello" and
"Falstaf" Tendencies and methods
which were only beginning 70 ripen in
the days Of Goetz, who, like Bizet, died
without seeing the success OF his mas
terpece, have reached n marvellous
fruition, and yet the problem set by
a Shakespearian opera in English has
not been solved. and nothing can be
more obvious than the fact that its
solution waits upon the coming Of a
great musical dramatist born 70 the
English manner.
The German book Of "The Tanning
Of the Shrew" is an admirable piece Of
operate work; but il IS Shakespearian
only IN its externals. Perhaps not
even in these, for II uses only the
framework Of the plot which the Eng
lish poet himself borrowed SO much
Of the humor as could be preserved
by the chief incidents Of the comedy's
action, its satirical purpose and a few
Of its psychological elements have
found their way into the opera, but all
have suffered a sea-change. In part
the transformation was an inevitable
consequence Of the Introduction OF
music The swift movement Of comedy
is necessarily clogged by music, whose
nature II is % express moods and emo
lions rather than accompany and help
the development o. dramatic action.
The witty verbal plays Of the original
had 20 go by the board in the literary
parauhrase, and the efervescent vital
ity Of the plays people had 70 be CUB
merged in the music
Widmann did not attempt 70 trans
late Shakespesre's play. He took the
characteristic scenes between the shrew
and her rude tanner as he found them,
set them of for musical as well as
dramatic purposes against the second
airy plot Of Bianca's wooing by Lucen-
to and Hortensio, and invented new
speeches for all. going 20 his original
only for suggestions. In way he may
b. said 70 have applied an emollient TO
the characters of Katherine and Pc
truchiO. The former Is more plainly
conquered by her love for the mastery
man in the German libretto than the
English comedy, and the latter has a
lOftier motive for his uncOuth court
ship. After the first encounter be
tween the two, Shakespeare's Ksth-
crime thinks Of Petruchio only as zone
half lunatic, a madcap ruffian and a
swearing Jack that thinks with oaths
20 face the matter OUT; but the Ger
man Katherine has already lost her
heart when Petruchio rspes her lips Of
the first kiss. Till then she has shown
none OF the weaknesses which may be
discovered in Shakespeare's heroine
her suspectibllity 20 fqttery, her vanity
she would not have Petruchio even
think that she limps m her walk and
she cannot withstand the allurement Of
promised fnery). But now that she has
found a man whom she cannot out
face she confesses that her heart Is
already lost 20 him. Il is the first Of
her songs which is not accompanied by
a musical tempest OF which there is
much too much in Goetz's score) which
fbetrays the fact. She is sorely torn
between conflicting passions when she
eonfesses 20 herself that though she
would like 10 tear him in pieces she
would yet like 20 call him her own;
that so long as he draws breath she
must needs hate him. and = he were
dead she could not hate him; that II
she had bow and arrow she would shoot
him dead and call him back 20 life
with tears Of love. This Is a pretty
touch of the librettist's. and the com
poser has emphasized us significance
bv recurring 20 the fun damental motif
. OF the song when az the last hhtnerlne
confesses her love 10 Petruchio, which
che does frankly, open heartedly, I'M
reservcdly, instead of yelling II under
. rneech Of wifely submission as
Chnkcspeare's shrew does.
Shakespeare's Petruchio is not half
an mad as he sounds. We suspect that
though he starts out with the appear
enee Of being a mercenary wretch, bent
civ on wiving il wealthy in Padua,
he puts on most OF the nntie disposi-
ZION after he has caught sight OF the