The New York herald., 1921-10-05
German, Opera.
Performances at the Metropolitan
and In Munich.

TO THE NEW YoRK HERALD: II I
venture to differ with some sof W.. -.
Henderson's assertions IN last Sundays
raper, Il. ia, not only because they alc
likely TO convey. an erroneous cin1pres-
sion regarding music I'm Munich but
also because he does injustice tocinany
patrons of the opera In New York. .'s'f
That the Metropolitan performances
Of Wagner are superior 10 undoubtedly
true. but since Maurice !Grau's inemora-
bie revival Of "The Magic Flute"
should like to know how much Mozart
Mr.. Henderson has heard In that temple
OF music. That opera and Don Juan"
ehould constitute permanent feature
Of the repertory.- Of our opera house.
where nowadays some Of the finest per-
formances in the world may be heard.
But. the size Of that theatre makes II
impossible to give properly such works
40 lie Nozso di Figaro" and Die Ent-
fuhrung aus dem serail." a fact which.
Il am not mistaken. Mr.. Henderson
used. to point out when In years gone by
he attended the Residenztheater.
Mr.. Henderson says. I'VE are being
literally fed on Wagner" How can tAat
be when the wagnerian repertory last
season consisted of Tristan" :Iohen-
grin" and "Parsifai"? Are We to hear
this winter "The Ring" ''Meistersinger," :"
''rannhauser" or THE Flying Dutch-
man"7
Why should Munich newspapers de-
vote long articles to the Bethlehem Bach
performances or the New York Brahms
festivals7 Munich hears every year
nrst rate performances OF Bach's Pas
sion music and many Of his cantatas
and Il 10 safe to assert that tho SYM
phoniss, the chamber music and the
iieder Of Brahms are performed or sung
a. frequently in one year in Munich;as
they are In ten years In New York, b
city with population, ten times greater
than that of the Bavarian capital.
In Justice to the Metropolitan Opera
House under It's present management
must also venture to differ with your
music reviewer when he speaks OF the
"incomparabie' cast OF Aida" at the
old Academy OF Music. Before me lies
the programme Of the first performances
IN 1873. In which three great singers
took part. Mr.. Campaninis admirable
RAodomes was in my humble opinion
not superior to that of Mr.. Martinelli
and eSt 20 be compared to the magnifi-
cent irnpersonation, vocal and dramatic,
Of our unforgettable Caruso. Miss
Carcy's Amnerts, while never surpassed,
has certainly been cquailed by Mime.
Homer and Nine. Matzenauer. while the
Ramsses Of Mr.. Nannetti and the Re Of
Mr.. scoiara were in the hands OF young
singera the basso'e voice especially.
while Of good quality. being quite un-
developed. And Fraulein Torriani. .
third rate German vocalist--her real
name was Tornquist--was a decidedly
mediocre Aldo. Gatti-Casaxza would
probably intrust her with a minor role
In these 80 much better days.
An for Mr.. Strakoschs chorus. orches-
ira and scenery, they were all very cred
table, but not for one moment to be
compared with what we are now accus-
toned to. And though Mr.. 'Henderson's
memory dweils fondly upon the good
old times--being also an old timer, no
do The surely will not deny that or
chcstra. chorus and scenery are impor-
tant factors In an operatic performance.
JACQUES MAYER.
60 7uovor Oetohnv A tftN