New-York tribune., 1921-11-17
''Lollengrin,' . in,
English, + ull
Of Old Appeal
Metropolitan Forces Well
nigh Flawless in Wagner
Favorite, Keeping Closc
10 Familiar Traditions
By n. E.. krehbiel

| Novel details are not to be expected
1 in operas which have become so tradi-
tionally hidebound as "Lohengrin.'
| The last which caused extensive COM
ment, as we recall, was introduced at
Bayreuth festival dozen or more
years ago. when the costumes of the
! people of the play were made to con
! form to tenth century fashions. II
| opera were the educational institu-
/ tion which we are sometimes assured
! that 1t is, it might be worth while to
i discuss Wagner's drama from an ethno"
logical and political point of view. AS
a matter of Of fact, we think we at
| tempted something Of tho kind in the
! early days Of the late war, but we
| do not remember that it resulted in any
! increase OF interest in the opera. Nor
was it, necessary that it should do SO,
| Blas6 musicians may proclaim that
march rhythms. and the key of A-fat
major and saccharine sentiment are
little too dominant in the music to
suit their jaded. tastes; but for the
| public, whether of German or French
or English or any other ancestry, the
| opera has not lost whit of its charm
and it will endure we fancy for a
generation or two longer. Indeed, the
present and future composers try to
create an appetite for things hot in
the mouth.
And do we make prelude TO a
record of the fact that "Lohengrin'
was performed on the second night
of the season at the Metropolitan
| Opera House, which was last night.
Since there was nothing new or un-
wonted in the representation that
might suffice, but mixed with the an
| nouncement it is fitting that there
! should go out the statement that the
performance was one in keeping with
the hest traditions of the theater Two
changes in the cast from the early
| advertisements may be noted: Mr..
! Gustafson was the representative OF
! King Henry in place Of Robert Blass,
and Mr.. Sembach appeared in the
titular role in place of Mr.. Harold,
who will create the tenor role in the
new opera, "Die tote Stadt," next
Saturday afternoon, a part originally
entrusted to Mr. Sembach. Mr.. Sem
bach had represented the knight OF
the Grail before; Mr.. Gustafson i'm
personated the Royal Fowler at sew
eral performances last season, and Miss
| Mr.. Whitehill and Mr.. Lemhardt were
| familiar figures as Elsa, Ortend, Telra-
mund and the Herald
MIR. Bodanzky conducted with firm,
but plant hand, the orchestra played
we'll and the chorus was alternately in
spiriting and depressing, as "Lohen-
grin" choruses have been with US since
the opera began its career in our opera
houses-and many others, though it
may be doubly reasonable to say so in
these piping times of peace, when the
spirit of reconciliation Tin some minds)
demands that everything German be
lauded. But last nights performance
was in English, which may be thought
to open a loophole for passing note
of dispraise. Miss Easton and Mr.
Whitehill were nevertheless wholly and
Nnqualitiedly admirable, though to the
English manner born. The formers
pure and limpid voice and the latter's
ssonorous and dramatic voice and die
ton were delight, and Nine
Matzenauer's Interpretation of the sor-
ceress convincing and moving.