New-York tribune., 1922-03-05

was the "Loreley," composed by Alfredo
Catalan. 1t was not entirely new to
New York, for with disgracefully
crude and shabby dress and in dis
gracefully rude manner it. was per-
formed by the Chicago Opera Company
three years ago Con February 13, 1919
to be exact) at the Lexington Thcater
We thought we'll of its music then
IN spite of its maltreatment, and we
think better of it now when full Justice
has been done to it's score and it's
scenic adornment by Mr.. Gatt's artists.
The story which the Italian Iibrettists
used IS that invented by the German
poet, Emanuel Geibel, TO satisfy the
craving which Mendelssohn felt but
never could satisfy for an operate
text. 1T is variant of an old Ger
man legend. which tells the tale of a
water nymph, called Lore, who dwelt
on the rock Ley, which lies in the
turbulent waters Of the Rhine, Just
above st. Goar. To the good people
who lived in the vicinity she was a
benefcient creature, but to watermen
and others who were too inquisitive
about her dwelling place she was a
wicked siren, who lured them to de-
struction. Herman, the son of Bruno,
Count Palatine, wooed her with song
dwell with her in her crystal cave
under the Rhine, where he came to saw
farewell before going to win his spurs
ae the Emperor's court, as he had been
commanded to do by HIS father. That
is the old legend.
Geibeps story makes Walter, Lord of
Oberwesel, the victim of her wiles.
When she was a virtuous maiden he
had been her lover, but he renounced
her in order to we'd Anna, niece of the
Margrave of Biberich. Thereupon she
lnvokes vengeance upon him from the
spirits of the river, and to achieve it
becomes water sprite, the bride of
Alberich, King of the Rhine, who en-
dowed her with an irresistible power
of allurement. This she exercises
when the wedding procession is about
to enter the church. Walter casts off
his bride, who falls lifeless. (Mr. Gigli
also turned up his toes, feet foremost,
at the audience yesterday, but only be-
cause the artistic imagination of the
metropolitan people is too feeble to de-
v1se means for presenting the story
with either coherency or cles rness.) J
Walter grieves at the funeral of Anna,
but Loreley appears to him again, we'd
dlngs and funerals apparently being to
her liking, and seems about to smile
upon him, when sinister voices remind
her of her allegiance to Alberich. She
turns Walters head with another song.
then retires to her rock, while he
plunges to his death into the river.
CIhat is, Mr.. Gigli picks his way over
some green rushes, steps over prom
ontory or two and disappears in the
wings-whlch WI is MIR. Stage Manager
Ihewman's way of getting rid of him. J
lIOTefoV ri;
statue in red light surmountinc a
rock, and the opera is over.
Much Pageantry in Act II
there is another character in the
storyEa baron named Hermann-who O
ioVes anna, tries to save her and van
lshes without explanation after singing
some OF the best dramatic music in the
score. Also there is much pageantry in
inc second act. Some Of it, like the
action and music, inspired by "Lohen-
grim (where by hangs a tale). and one
OF the most graceful and exouisitelv
melodic waltzes in operatic literature
AS Zeibel and the opera bookmake-
transformed the old Rhinish legend. 50
the creators of the legend transformed
the Greek story of Scylla, who. having
been changed into monster bv Circe
threw himself into the sea and became
rock proverbially fearsome to mari
ners. There is another story of Scyl1a's
metamorphosis into a lark after she
had thrown herself into the sea from a
nigh rock after her lover Minos had
become angered at her for stealing a
golden hair from the head of his father
Nlsus. The legends seem to have moth
ing IN common, but the latter came tn
mind yesterday when we saw Lorelev
comblng her golden hair with a golden
comb big enough to be visible half ~
mile away. Such is the dainty fancy Of
the ARTISTS employed at the Metropoll-
tan. Perspective and poetical sue
gestion is beyond their reach. Lorelev
walked into 4 courtyard so crowded.
with people that they scarcely gave her
elbow-room, and SANG and sann Iii