New-York tribune., 1918-12-22
BY II. f. Krehbiel

Wcbcr's "Oberon," which will be pro-
duced at the Metropolitan Opera
House next Saturday afternoon, will
he novelty to the younger genera
'tion of operagoers. Mr.. Guard, the
publicity agent of the institution,
says that it was performed at the
Academy Of Music in 1870, and that,
possibly, was the last time that it was
heard in New York. AS to the correct
ness of that fact | am not able to
speak out of hand, since my personal
City do not reach back of 1880. But
it was no stranger to the audiences
of the preceding generation, for it was
carried through the country by English
companies in the sixth and seventh dec
AIDES of the nineteenth century, and the
grandparents of some of the present
patrons Of the opera may have heard
it in the days when Italian opera was
a new and fashionable luxury and Eng
lish opera SO old an institution that
the time of its advent on our shores
had been forgotten.
At any rate, "Oberon" was per-
formed in New York as long ago as
1929, which was less than five years
after the first Italian company gave a
season at the Park Theatre, in Park
Place. In 1898 Miss Patton, who was
the heroine of the opera in the orig
inal production at Covent Garden in
1926, came to New York as Mrs. Wood.
and with her husband filled many in
teresting pages of theatrical history
Whether or not the opera was revived
for her l do not now know, nor whether
MIR. Braham, who was the original
Huon, had q chance to display his
famous voice in its airs when he
toured America in 1S40 Such ques-
tions ask for research for which /
have not the immediate time and op-
portunity.
But the history of Weber's last opera
is interesting, and some notes on it may
we'll be presented in anticipato, of an
occasion which is bound to be notable.
One thing is certain-it has never been
presented in New York in exactly the
manner in which it will be given ext
Saturday, for we are to have the Eng
1lsh work as it will appear after it has
been passed through the German sieve
possibly several German sieves Orig
lnally it was fairy melodrama with
incidental songs, solos and ensembles,
and as such it did not meet the re-
quirements of opera as the term was
understood IN Germany and by Weber.
The writer of the play, j. r. Planche.
knew that fact as we'll as Weber, but
had to tit his piece to the taste of the
times, and the questions which it raised
after its production were discussed bv
the two authors while the work was in
the making. Planche was working for
Charles Kemble, who was manager of
the Covent Garden Theatre, who wanted
an opera by the composer of DER
Freischitz." The company at the the
atre was not an opera company and
the taste of its patrons was anything
but refined in the matter of music.
"A dramatic situation in music. u
says Mr.. Planche in his "Recollections. -
published in 1872, 'was 'caviare to the
general and inevitably received with
cries of 'Cut it short!' from the gal
y iery and obstinate coughing or other
significant signs of impatience from
the pit. Nothing but the Huntsman's
: Chorus and the diablerie in Der Frei-
schultz saved that fine work from i'm
mediate condemnation in England: and
remember perfectly we'll the ex-
quIsite melodies in it being compared
by English musical critics to wind
through keyhole.' An immense re-
sponslbility was placed upon nv
shoulders. The fortunes of the season
were staked upon the success of the
piece. Had I constructed it in tho
form which would have been most
agreeable to me and acceptable to
Weber it could not have been nor