New-York tribune., 1920-02-15

VSkuoED kATSl1Al, With English
text by Henry Edward Krehbiel. will
| Company's repertoire at special
matinee next Thursday afternoon, be-
| ginning at 1880 p. m.
The cast will be as follows:
Amfortas. .............. Clarence Whitehill
Ilturei. ..............P .Paolo Ananian
Surnemanx. ....-............L Leon Rothier
Ka5ss1a: KMnr.a. .oryille Harold
kundry. .-............. Margaret Matzenauer
First Knight Of the Gr.. .Angelo Gsada Bada
Second knight Of the Grail. Louis d'Angelo
second ESQUIRE e.....-..... Frances Ingram
Fourth Esquire. ............. Mario laurent
Flower Girls-Marie sundelus, Mary Ellis.
Raymond Delaunois, Mary Mellish,
Marie Tiffany. Frances Ingram.
The opera has been rehearsed and
will be conducted by Mr.. Artur b.
danzky; stage director, Richard Ordyn-
ski; chorus master, Giulio Setti.
Entirely new scenery has been de-
signed and painted by Joseph Urban,
who has also designed the sketches
for The costumes, which have been made
by Nine. Castel-Bert.
Mr.. Gatti's Statement
General Manager Giulio Gatti-
Casazza makes the following state
ment regarding the return Of Wagner
to the Metropolitan repertoire:
Let us acknowledge the truth
Lot US admit the fact that II the
good custom Of presenting the works
Of Wagner at the Metropolitan had to
be suspended for some time it was not
duo to the irreconcilable attitude Of
American public opinion (Which, in
deed. especially through the medium
Of the press. manifested generosity
superior Quality), but rather was
caused by the Incredible lack of tact
and petulance on the part of the COM
patriots Of Wagner himself.
But circumstances have changed, and
now he returns. Let US bid him well
comel Since some small abnormal
German brains have caused such an
enormous amount Of evil in the world
it would not be out Of place If the
pacific manifestation Of great brain,
also German, should arouse emotions of
superior artistic order. It would be q
blessing.
And at the same time let US say, in
no uncertain tone, that no war, no
human stupidity, no contumacy can OBJ
scure the fact that Richard Wagner
created a new musical world which no
force ever can destroy or depreciate-
a world which exists for the enjoyment
of lovers of the theater and for the
life Of the theater itself, which draws
it's nourishment above all from that
great renewing force-variety.
II one considers the combination Of
gifts with which he was endowed and
achieving, beyond all doubt Wagner
was the greatest man that the theater
ever produced.
To the operatic stage, on which he
saw triumph his principles that the
spectacle" should be a synthesis Of all
the arts he, indeed, attributed an I'm
portance, moral, philosophical and So
cial, which the stage in itself could not
have.
He thought, for example, that the
success Of his Trilogy and Of his Parsi-
humanity, as we'll as the triumph Of
the German spirit, synonym Of objectiv-
ity, of abnegation, Of righteousness
over the Latin spirit in its search for
effect and its vain glory. This sue
cess, in his mind, was to proclaim the
victory Of artistic and religious ideal
ism over utilitarianism, materialism.
and so on and SO on to the end of the
chapter.
NleCZscno De1ofo mis- conversion"
when he was fervid Wagnerian apos-
tie, said:
wagner Is not simply a poet or
simply musical genius, but q simpli-
fer Of the world.
"Bayreuth must signify the contest
with the theater conducted for lucre,
tho theater patronized by people who
seek amusement and not lofty thoughts
of duty.
"The triumph Of Wagner and Of Bay
reuth must be the triumph of a new
era of humanity.
'1t is not possible to render to the
art of the theater its efficiency in all
its force and purity without ct the
same time and everywhere accomplish