New-York tribune., 1922-12-09

oualiiy Of the impersonation under
taken By Mr. Whitehili. who is ns al
mirable In the character Of AmfoftAs,
whether he sings in English or Ger
r-aa. 81 he il In the Wotan Of the Ger
nan "Waikdrer- and every part that ne
ceeays. or q Nine. Natzanauer In her
impersonation Of Kundry. who IL as In
telilgible In English as she ~ IN Ger
man The results which the change
wrought which lent special splendor
(and II was splendor) came from the
fact that the introduction Of Mr.. Ben
der and Mr. Tauchcr into the cast, cou-
Piled, perhaps, with the coming or mr.
Wymetal ns stage manager, and ths
need Of q restudy of the parts played
by the Flower Girls and chorus OF
Grail Knights, induced II II did not
compel n revision Of the work when
cannot at all brook the perfunetori-
ness into which the Metropolitan per-
formanees are prone TO fan.
Bender Splendid Gurnemanr
Mr.. Bender gave New Workers the
finest Characterization IN song and
action Of the relic Of Gurnemans that
A has ever been privileged to enjoy.
II was a Characterization nobly con-
ceived and inpressively executed. Per-
feet in diction and enuneiation-no
one familiar with German needed 20
lose a word OF his speeches-apPeal-
ing 10 sense and emotion In its cigni-
fed. poetic simplicity. Thus MI. Ro-
thicr might have presented 1t had pc
been privileged 70 sing it in French;
vet FOR his English presentation We
preserve a kindly and grateful Teeol-
lection.
Not quite on his level, but near 81
was Mr. Taucher's Parsifal. Not or
the high plane on which Mr. Bender
moved, because there clunK 70 II some
OF the Stag Of German theatrical con
ventiOnalism; but fine In is passionEy'
outburst In the second scene, and graf
flying 20 the ear because OF its unfAil'
ing tunefulness (by which We NEAR
toe integrity Of his intonation(, and
plastically picturesque. The role Of
KlngsOn was happily stripped OF some
OF the excessive mathematician VIII
which Mr.. Didur and Mr. Coritz used &c
mar IL. Nine. Matzenauer was better
than usual In her narrative and ths
seduction scene OF the second act. anc
dramatically effective as always in tho
first and third acts.
Mr.. Wyrnotals good intentions were
noticeable throughout, though they
might have produced better results m
the first scene had the absurd picture
(which Is irreeoncilable with the puf-
poses Of the poet-composer) no: made
Il impossible. IN many respects the
poses and movements have been i'm
proved. though there is still too much
Of automatic gesture By minor char
acters. Il will always be so, We sup
pose, until the technical skill and
Imagination Of q stage manager Is
paired with intelligence on the part II
the stage people, who arc now treated
as murionettes. Mr.. Bodanzky's con-
ducting deserves grateful recognition
because Of It's Elasticity ana avoidance
Of sluggishness in tempt. The chorlses
we're all better sung than they were
last year.
A Repetition Of aida"
There was q second performance for
this season Of "hidh" in the evening.
which brought forth in attendance and
enthusiastic demonstrations the old,
old evidence that II Is the most popular
opera in the Metropolitan list A
change in the distribution Of parts de-
serving of notice was the substitution
Of Miss Jeanne Gordon for Miss One
gin as AmneTs. The latter has made
Beg mark, a large and luminous one.
.n the seasons record; Miss Gordon is
.1e Of the company's dependable (what
q wordD singers. So nothing more can
BE- added 90 the popular knowledge
concerning the performance, Mr. Mar
tineli and Mr. Danise having brill
liantly performed their usual duties.