New-York tribune., 1919-12-01
Mime. Matzenauer
Sings in English
Al Philharmonic
German Lyrics and Wag-
merriam Score i'm the Ver-
nacular Given at Sunday
Concert in Carnegie Hall
By II. Z. krehbiel

Orchestral music by Tschaikoffsky,
Debussy and Wagner can always be
relied on to make q powerful appeal to
'unday concert-goers (who are now
multitudinous in New York;, and when
10 it is added the attraction of Nine.
Matzcnauer's voice and art the call is
almost irresistible. That was demon
stratcd at the Philharmonic Society's
concert in Carnegie Hall yesterday
afternoon, which was sold out before
the doors we're opened. Mr.. Stransky's
orchestral numbers were the fourth of
the Russians six symphonies, two of
the Frenchman's "Nocturnes" ("Nuages"
and 'Fetcs') and the prelude to "Trs-
tan und Isolde" To these Nine Matt
enauer added Il group Of four songs
and the swan song of Wagner's love
tragedy, The vocal numbers were IA
cltal rooms, but they had the special
attractlveness of new English texts
and, IN the case of the songs, of or
chestral accompaniments of Great
charm, written by Leopold Stokowski.
Under the circumstances they marked
the entertainments center of gravita-
non. In manner they afforded test
Of the question to wh\ degree German
lyrics could be made POLITICALLY as
well as musically, effective when sung
IN tho vernacular. Of the English
texts nothing can be said by this writer
ior reasons obvious to those who held
yesterdays house bills in their hands.
1t was not little deplorable that there
was confusion in the announcement
and confusion worse confounded IN the
printing of the second stanza of
Brahms's song, Ever Lighter Grows
My Slumber," which the typographer
stood on its head.
We have seen an ingenious form of
poetry which could be read backwards
as well as forwards and still preserve
mcaning-likc crab canon IN music.
But Inner lciscr wird mein Schlum-
mer' Is not poem of this kind, and
when, besides, Brahms's song, set
down as third in the list, was sung
first, and the two "Songs vi Bride"
by Schumann, in the reverse order Of
their announcement on the program
there must have been considerable be-
wlIderment in the minds of the audi
ence. Matters were Strengthened out
however. when Schubert's "Erl King"
was reached, and there, indeed, the help
~ ~ iIi'SN PoS1 was SCHitcIN
needed, for Nine. Matzenauer declined
the poem with splendid dramatic power
and listnctness. In the other songs
and The Wagncrian scene her pronun-
citation Of the words was surprisingly
free from the alloy of foreign accent
and Whenever words fell unintcllgibly
into the ears OF the listeners it was
due either to faulty cnunciation consc-
Quent on too-strained emotional ex-
preston. or the sonorities of the
Instrumental band. 1t would have been
quite the same, perhaps, had she sung
the somewhat mystical and turgid
original text put by Wagner into the
mouth Of the dying Isolde, but though
the upward range of the music mill
tated against her performance, there
was no resisting the thrill Of her glori-
Gus voice in the climax Of the tonal
identification of love and the trans
porting. thrice wonderful exaltation
with which the music brcathes out its
life:
ARE they waves of song eternal?
Are they clouds Of perfume supernal?
Now they billow. round me ringing,
Shall breathe them. hear their singing
Shall drink them? Plunge beneath them
Mid sweet odors life bequcath them
In the bllo"y surge,
in the resonant urge.
in the all-hlling breath Of the world
linmerse me,
dispense me.
Wittingless
fnd sweet bliss ?'