New-York tribune., 1922-12-31

kosainis william lells Nhleh ~ u
be given at the Metropolitan Opera
House next Friday evening, the 9Th, Is
probably an opera much more known
Of than actually known. Probaoly
everybody at all acquainted with music
knows the opening violoncello strains
the storm, the "Ranz des Vaehes" and
final Galop OF the overture, but II Is
doubtful whether more than few OF
the present generation Of operagoers
can remember the last performance Of
the Rossini masterpiece twonty-eigh;
years ago. The fourth revival" Of
this season, il has been revived from a
longer past than the others, not hav-
ing been given at the Metropolitan
since the season Of ls9l-'95, although
there was a performance at the Cen
tury Theater on September p, 1914
with 0ryillo Harold as Arnold and
Kathleen Howard and Louis D'Angelc
among those taking other parts.
While the first American perform
ancc was at New Orleans on December
i3, i842 according 10 Henry C. Lahee'i
ANNALS Of Music in American. 10 wa,
given in New York in the sos, .whilC
the first production at the Metropolitan
was on November %, 1884, By the Ger
man company under DR.. Leopold Dam.
rosch, with Adolf Robinson as Tell
Marie er-Hanfstao1gol as Ma
tilda. Anna Slack as Jenny. Herr I'd
yardi as Arnold and Josef Standigl a'
Gessler, with Marianne Brandt efacinR
herself in the unimportant part OF
Tells wife. While there were favor
able comments on the quality Of the
performance, the general impression
seemed 10 be that here the company
/ did not reach the standard Of It's Wag
ner performances The drst represen.
tation, observed Mr.. Kreibiel in "Chap-
ters Of Opera" "threatencd the loss OF
all the prestige won by 'Tannhauser',
in which DR.. Damroseh's company had
made deep impression on IT'S first ap.
pearanee since the German singers
style was adapted to vigorous. declam-
atory music rather than 10 that which
depends upon beauty OF voice and ex-
cellence Of vocalization." Il was given
three times in lss4-'s5 and revived in
the season Of 1sss-'s9, when the Fin
nish soprano Alma F0hstrom took the
part Of Matilda, but did not prove pop
ular, coming last in regard to number
Of performances and receipts in list
Of twenty, while in 1ss9'90 it gained
to a certain extent, finishing twelfth in
list Of nineteen.
William Tell' was played at the
Metropolitan in the spring Of 1890 in a
post-season series by the Italian
company under Messrs. Abbey & Grau
and was on their list for the regular
season Of ls9l-95, the first perform
ance coming on the second night Of the
season, November 90, 1894, with Fran
ceseo Tamagno in the principal tenor
role Of Arnold. Lucille Hill. announced
for the part Of Matilda, was indisposed
her place being taken by Libia Drog
And here hangs a tale. A told by Mr.
Krehbel at the time in The Tribune
and again in chapters Of Opera:
She was "an exceedingly handsome
person, who moved about with attrac-
tive freedom and grace and disclosed
voice of good quality, especially In
tho upper register. She began her
aria most tastefully, but scarcely had
she begun when her memory played
her false. For few dreadful seconds
she tried 20 pick up the thread Of the
melody, but In vain. Then came the
inevitable breakdown. She quit try
ing, and appealed pitifully 20 Signor
Maneinelli (the conductor) for help
He seemed 20 have lost his head as
completely as the lady had her mom-
ory. SO had the pTompter, who pulled
his noddle into his she'll like a snail
and remained as mute. Signor Tamagno
entered in character, and INDUCED In
dumbshow 20 few detached phrases
from the orchestra. Then the awful
ness Of the situation overwhelmed
him, and he fairly ran or the stage,
leaving Matilda alone. That lady
made a final appeal to the conductor,
switched her dress nervOusly with her
riding whip, went 90 the wings, got a
glass OF water, and then disappeared.
The audience, which had good-hu-
moredly applauded until now. began 20
laugh, and the Generalization was
complete"
The performance. however, went on
and Sig. Tamagno, in the famous
trio, ia gloria infamma," gave "a re-
markable performance Of sensational
piece" and would have been eleetrify.
ing had not the tenor stopped to bow
his thanks. pick up a bunch Of yiolets
and repeat his first melody. The per-
formance was finished in an abbreyi-
ated form. The 1ss4-'e5 performances
were the last Except for the one al
the Century, until this year, although
the opera wac named in Mr.. Gatti-
casazza's preliminary prospectus for
i9i3-14 and l9l4-15, but got no
further.
Although this performance is 20 be
IN Italian, william Tell" is really q
French opera, having first been pro.
duced with a French libretto at Paris
on August 8, 1929, and showing inhu'
ences Of the French rather than the
traditional Italian operate style. Mu'
siclally, II Is generally considered to be
the composers masterpiece. It's music
marking the height OF his later and
more serious style. purged Of most OF