The New York Herald Newspaper, August 15, 1876, Page 3

WAGNER. Second Performance at the Baireuth Festal Theatre, “DIE WALKURE” A GRAND SUCCESS. A Remarkable Triumph of Scenic and Mechanicai Skill. MUSIC OF THE PASSIONS. Departure of the Emperor of Germany from Baireuth. (SPECIAL DESPATCH TO THE HERALD BY CABLE. } Batrevra, Bavaria, August 15, 1876. Whatever may have been the success of the in- troduction to the Tri'osy of Wagner, “Rheingold,” yesterday it was entirely overshadowed by the grandeur of the representation of “Die Walkie” this evening, ‘The impression created by the first opera ofthe Trilogy was of the most profound char- acter, The interest taken by the many thousand ‘Visitors who have come all the way to the ancient home of the Margraves to hear the great music drama will become more intensified with each per- formance. Certainly if the success of each part of the Trilogy increases in the same proportion as has been the case'between the two first performances, THE TRIUMPH OF WAGNER ‘will be of the most complete kind. There was the same eager crowd of visitors and the same profound attention at the theatre during the representation, The auditorium was darkened as before, but silence had to give way to rounds of applause in some of the scanes. THE FIRST ACT The curtain rose while the last notes of the Vorspiel foated up from the “mystic abyss,” and the dreary hall of Hunding, with a large tree in the ventre, was unfolded to view, This scene was ex- teedingly sombre, more so even than the music in which Ortrud and Telramund reproach each other fn the beginning of the second act of “Lohengrin.” There were some suggestions of lovely melody here and there in the commencement, but they were of an evanescent character. Sleglinde, repre- Bented by Madame Schefzky, proved to be a very ungrateful rdle, as it was permeated with THE DEEPEST MBLANCHOLY, ‘and there seemed not to be a single ray of light to Gispel its gloom. Hunding (Herr Niering) was pearcely better, although cast in a more robust form of music. The passion and expression infused into role of Siegmuud by the celebrated Berlin tenor, Niemany, and the varying themes, always clad in the richest orchestral raiment, of ge unhappy son @f Wotau, formed the main attra¢tion of the first act. WOTAN AND THE VALKYR. Mme. Amalie Materna, from the Imperial Opera Bouse, Vienna, and Franz Betz, the renowned bari- tone, made a striking appearance on the summit of the mountain in the second act, where they repre- pented Brimnhbilde and Wotan. Both were arrayed In glittering armor, and the fine dramatic voice of the lady gave to the extraordinary phrases known @s the Watkare motiy all the wild effect designed by ‘the composer. OUTBURSTS OF APPLAUSE. ‘The scene between Briinnhilde and Siegmund and Bileglinde in this act, in which the Valkyr resolved to brave Wotan’s anger and to protect the lovers, ‘was a trinmph of the most emphatic kind for the womposer and the artists, Notwithstanding the Gesire of Wagner that no outward manifestations of applause should be indulged in, lest the con- tinuity of thought should be interrupted, the au- dience found it impossible to restrain their enthusi- sm, and, during the second act, the outbursts of e@pplause at times were deafening. A SCENIO TRIUMPH. One of the grandest effects ever produced on the Stage was the camp of the Walktiren in the third @ct. The war maidens on horseback, each with a Blain warrior lying across her saddle bow, dashed across the stage among crags and fir trees, all sing- Ing the wild chant, the Walkire moti/, brandishing their spears and shaking their burnished shields, THE GRAND FIRE SCENE. ‘The close of the opera, however, was the princi- pal feature of the performance. As Brtinnuilde @ank into her magic slumber the fire god appeared Bt the command of Wotan, and as the noble voice of Betz declaimed forth the words, “Loge hir!” the Stage, auditorium and the surrounding plaza be- ame crimeoned with light. It was the most per- Sect iMusion ever witnessed on any stage. One ‘would imagine that an immense conflagration was fm progress. On this scene the curtain closed for * the last time, and then the enthusiasm of the audi- ®nce reached fever pitch. WAGNER WAS REPEATEDLY CALLED FOR, dut it was of noavail. He wonld not appear before his admirers, Then calls were made for the artista, ‘Dut they also declined to acknowledge the tribute paid to them. The performance commenced at four O'clock, the signal being given in front of the theatre by eight trampeters, as on the previons evening. At ‘the close of each act there was an intermission of Bn hour, during which time the audience betook themselves to different parts of the town, Teturning to their seats when the well known trumpet call was heard. The curtain fell on the last ect at half-past nine o'clock. DEPARTURE OF THE EMPEROR OF GERMANY. The Emperor of Germany and the other royal per- Sonages who attended the performance of “Rhein- gold,” were present tins evening. After the per- formance the Emoeror William took his departure for Babelsberg. PLOT OF THE FIRST OPERA OF THE TRILOGY. “Die Waikiiro” may be considored as the first part of the Trilogy of Wagner, asin it the interest of the Mory of the music drama begins, The pro- logue, “Rheingold,” deals entirely with snper- Qatural beings. Alborich, the dwarf, steals the Rhine goid from the danghters of the Rune, shaping it into a ring that confers upon him supre power, The ring 1s taken from him by Wotan and Loge, who give it to the giants, Fafner and Fasols, asa ransom for the Goddess of Love and Spring, The fiworf, Alberich, attaches a fright(u! curse to the ring and its possessor. Such is briefly the plot of tho pro. logue, “Rheingold.” in “Die Waikiire’ wo come a step nearer to earth, and there sre a few human elements * gommingled with the distressed denizens of the Walhalla Siegmund and Siegiinde, the children of Ww (Odin) the #nn god by an earthly moth id Brionbilde, (Die Walkire) doaghter of Wotan Erde, (Kerth) aro the principal characters in this part | NEW YORK HERALD, TUESDAY, AUGUST 15, 1876—WITH SUPPLEMENT. DIE WALKURE Selections from the First Opera of Wagner's Trilogy—No. 1, Siegmund’s Gesang; Motif; No. 8, Wotan’s Abschied. aba cal ra) EPE_DE PED) =~ —~ ge an am am £ +f: - = s = = oo 28 et ss dem Lich- te leuchtet der Lenz... No. 2, Die Walkure oe =| ans scl’- ger Vog-lein San-ge sOss er - tOnt,.... I o - sei - nem warmen Bint ent-bifi-hen wonnige Blu - men, Keim und Spross entepringt seiner Kraft, o Mit zar - ter Waf- fen zier be-zwing! ws namaste st = er musste den ta-pfern Streichen die strenge Thire auch weichen, die trotzig und starr uns trenn-te von ihm, ho- jo- to- + ; BDiccases, DEE A BME Ssynetcsapcgs cost ip e a= fch dich band, of the Trilogy. The carth-born children of Wotan | his enemies, Hunding recognizes him as a foe and | of Sieglinde from domestic tyranny. Siegmund sue- have been separated from childhood, the boy becoming a sort of outlaw or knightly Esau, the girl being inar- ried toa wreten named Handing. The curtain rises on ascene represenimg the house of Handive, mm whied Siogmuad secks shelier after « severe battle with challenges him to single combat on the morrow, while Sieglinde takes compassion on him and resolves to aid him. The sword of Wotan ts baried to the Hilt in a huge treo that rises in the nudst of ‘who vast hail aud whoever is ablo to draw it ous will be the deliverer | ceeds at the first attempt and then brother and sister recognize each otber, In the second net wo aro transported to the m tain tops, veingola” the goda whe Gree ore in RR: Giscovered = slumbering, Wotan and tue ehfet of the WalkOren rs, Brunnhilde, holding a connet! of war on the approaching duc! be- tween Siegmund and Handing Wotan commandatho Vatkyr to assist Siegmund and kill hie antezontat immediately afier hia wilo, Fricka, petsundes him to change his mind and bo countormands his orders to Branphilde, telling her that Siegmand is the party te be killed the Trilogy. insincere, henpecked and helpie-s, This sun god is most despicable deity im seins Sevens Wotan cuts a very sorry ‘© among the divinities of the Walballa, | aitbough he is supposed to be their chief, There are exceptions, however, to this rule, especially jim the fire seene, Tne Valkyr disro- bis later orders, and moved wita | gards | compassion for the lovers, Siegmund and Sieglinde, | she assiets the former in his duel, Wotan, however, interferes, and with bis spoar be shatters the sword of Siegmund, who is thereby slain by his antagonist The sun god then kills Hunding and starts off in pursuit of Briiunhiide, whose disobedience calls ior summary geance, In the third act wo Gud the Amaxons going through their evolutions on the mountains and Brinnhiide fly. ing to them, with Siezlinde, and imploring protection from the vengeance of her father, In vain the Walkiiren endeivor to shield her, Wotan arrives and provounces her doom, She 18 banished from W: halla and is to be locked in a magic siumber to besome the wile of whomsoeyer sball wake her, Briinnhilde asks and obtains as a boon that a circle of fire shall gure round her a she sleeps, so that no coward can ap. proach her, Her request ts granted, and the flames blaze up all around ber when Wotan waves bis spear, The curtain falls on the sleeping Amazon, who ts loft to await the coming of the hero who will dare to rouse her, OUR SELECTIONS FROM THE scone. In tho ample treatment of this strange, mystic and supernatural le-end of the Valkyr, by Richard Wagner, it is not easy to make a selection irom the many graud and impressive numbers of the score, especially as the music deals chiefly with the passions, From the reck- less mirth of tho Amazons to the love and despair of | Siegmund and Sieglinde the composer has touched | every heart string. Inthe opening scene we have se lected Setgmund’s song, whigh is genuine melody, It occurs in the long scene between him and Steglinde, and is introduced as a sort of climax to this passionate love scene. The se A selection, "Die Walkiire Motf,’? sung by Briinnhilde, is too characteristic of the war maid of Walhalla to require much explanation, This motif 1 repeated in every possible shape and form by the or- chestra throughout the work, and especially in the ecene where the Amazonian sisters of Brinnhilde are discovered, ‘The phrases are wild enough for sny spe cics of warriors. The third and last selection we present is the cele brated farewell of Wotan, when he causes the flames te | surround the sleeping Brinnhilde, and with this de clamatory number the first opera of the Trilogy closes, The summons of the fire-god, Logo, is very dramatia and effective. Those three selections will give au ine telligible idea of three phases of human passion in the music drama of “Die Walkiire—love, reckless mirth and godlike majesty. ‘Tho instrumentation of these numbers ts of the richest and most varied degoription, ' SARATOGA RACES, Saratoga, August 14, 1874 Tho poo! celling is not so brisk to-night as it has bees on other occasions, as there arc indications of rain, an¢ speculators are preferriny to wait until to-morrow that they may know about the condition of the track, The first pool on each race sold as follows:— In the first race, three-quarters of a mile, Freebooter, e, ; Inspiration, $35; Courier, $21} Agnes, Baywood colt, $12 Tue second race, a inile and three-quarters, McDan- fel’s Vigiland Big Sandy sold for $75, Invoice, $60; Burgoo, $50; way, $22; Gray Friar, $20, In che third i’ dasd of a mile‘and an eighth, May D. fetched $75, Rhadamanthus, $70; Mestle, $35, and Madge, $31. In the hurdlo raco Trouble sold for $100, Resolut $50; Stumford, $35; Kelso, $35; Milton, $12, an Windham, $10. YOOL SALES IN THIS CITY, Pools on tho Saratoga races wero selling last night as follows :— PURSK $400—ALL AGES—THREE-QUARTERS OF A IITLR. Morrissey's. Johnzon's. Courier. rs Bavw $600—FREK Vigil . porse $500—a11 Wyrdham u Stantord 148 109 30 ot | Milton. THE LACROSSE TEAMS, Moxtrean, August 14, 18) The Lacrosse teams, composed of Canadian gentle men and Iroquois Indians, who played before Queen Victoria, aud who have been invited to play ut New. port, R. 1, lett this afternoon by tho three o'clock {rain via Boston. An exciting mateh may be ex. | pected as the teams are in splendid condition, THE SEVE BRANNAGAN BLOWLY SINKING--STATEMENT THE PRISONER. James Brannagan, who was stabbed by Thomas Drum, on First street, Jersey City, was alive last even- ing, hough be was sinking fast. Drum is regarded as a most desperate character. Ho stabbed two young men afew years ago, and to escape punishment he fled from Jersey City and enlisted in the navy, whence he returned a short me ago. ‘The examination took piece yesterday morning before Justice Keere. The wife ot the injured man testitied ‘hat sho beard the scufile on the stoop, aud rushing out sew her husband clinched with Drum. Brannavag cried ont that ho was ved, and she screamed, “Murder! Watch! Police!” Drum ted to exce as met by OMecer Stuckey, who arrested bim, agan’s ante-mortem siatement sets forth that the night being so warm he went out to sleep on the | stoop, and when be awoke he found Drum pulling hima down the steps of tbe stoop. The prisoner made the following statement:—My name is Thomas Drum, and I am twenty-three yea old, Live at No. 290 First street, Am not and am a sailor by occupation, I turned into Fi street from Branewick street, Sunday morning, be- tween hall-past threo and jour o'clock. | sat down o@ A stoop in First stroct, between Brunswick and Mon. mouth, to tie my shoe. A man laid on the stoop, sat avout four feet, more or less, from him He mumbled something which I could not under. stand. I said, {What do you say?” He spoke aga, and I did not inderstand him, | looked at bim the: and thought he Was a young man named Connors. asked hitn what the hell be was doing there this time in the morning. He kind of raised himselt up, an¢ then | saw my mistake, aud I stooped and. started to te my shoe, and the next thing | knowed this mas struck me in the side of my jaw, I turned pretty quich on im and he struck mo again and upsetine, He fel on top of me and we clinched. IT had my koife up my sieeve, as 1 had been cutting a stick some time before, and in the excite. ment of the moment | forgot about the kaif aod struck out the best way I could, and never thought about the kaife until I heard the man soy that he was stabbed; then f ran; the young woman, Julie Aon Brannagan, ran after me and got hold of 1 lifted my loft arm and tried to push her away; she called me a night walker and a thet, and I wild her it 1 was a night walker and a thief she was a b——; then Stuckey came along and arrested me; I told Stuckey there was a fight down the street, because | wanted to get by him so as not to be arrested; at the time of the fight I didn’t know who the man Was until he sung out that he was stabbed; then I knew him; 1 did not tell the girl that | would fiab her if she didn’t let me go; at the time she took hold of me i knew I bad the knife in my hand; I don't know why I threw the kote away, unless it wi Just thought to do it at the time the officer arrested Mme; that morning I eame up Wayne to Branswick street and down Brunswick to First street, and dows Firet toward my house, near Coles street.” Justice Keese showed him a knile, “That's the knife. When [sat down on the stoop t¢ tie my shoe I Inid the stick | had been cutting dows beside me and shoved the knife up my sleeve. That night | had been around pretty well, We were on the corner of First and Coles street, then ins saloon on the corer, and then we went down to Me Guinness’, at the corner of Barrow street and Newark avenue, to haveadrink. MeGuinness was closed | we starved up again. Dermody and Doin dropped | ot First street, I saw Sheridan to bis home in Wayne | street. He was drunk. 1 was protty well fixed iny- self—that Is, } was pretty fuilof liquor, Tbadto rum away [rom him to get awi I haven't worked since Teame home from the navy, on July 27, 1875. Lhive home with my mother, Dram. She bas property, put not enough to without work; she dou't work, but my Sisters who hive oF | home do; what I did that I generally do nights toy father was tn vusiness in Washington market, cad when he died mother got to growling about my going to work; I thonght I'd go into the navy, | Justice Keeso—"Didu't. you e diMeulty some | bg @ man before you Ce into th wy )rum snewered—l don't care about answering bs ‘rom was therenpon committed to wait tho reuult | ol Bravuagan’s injuries,