The New York Herald Newspaper, August 17, 1876, Page 2

2 NEW YORK HERALD, THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 18i16—WITH SUPPLEMENT. fi WAGNER. the wholo-race of the gods may go to darkness, Sh@ ‘6 + 99 cares not, if Siegfried and Briinnhilde are one S af BE (y FF I 2 if i OUR SELECTIONS PROM THE SCORE. om In a work of such colossal magnitude as “Siegfried,’” tho graudest opera of the Trilogy, it is extremely diffl- cult to make judicious selections from the score, In Third Performance of the Grand Music : cut toms dndicons sealons trom vee anee BS Drama at Baireuth. | Selections from the Second Opera of Wagner’s Trilogy—No. 1, the Sword Song; No. 2, Worging) procipai charasters, Siegned and Brinnbilde, sre powerfully portrayed. We name the first selection, : the Sword; No. 3, Brunnhilde’s Awakening; No. 4, the Love Duet Between Wesel ad oo! lay tigen 0 SEES as AS thung,” the sword of Siegmund, by the young S\EGFRIED AND BRUNNHILDE. Brunnhilde and Siegfried—Finale of the Opera. airs be bene Ane eee pa 1 |: ccotesenaa ee e 2 ee ut pieat ‘The awakening of the daughter of Odin by Sicgtried, r and her first musieal utteraaces when she recognizes Senet that shes no longer a goddess and that she loves @ F = ee mortal, will be found in the few measures marked No, semeeans Tau = nore 3. ‘The rapturous Jove duet that concludes the opera, . No - thung! No-thung! Neid -li-ches Schwert, Was musstest du zer-spring- en, Zu Spreu-nen schuf ich die ustender aod impassioned as anything that can be found in lyric drama, ip which Briinphilde and Siege Krifti, doch nicht 2u schnell, Seven Hours and a Half with Wag- | ner and His Opera, THE SWORD, THE BIRD AND THE FIRE SCENES LSE Rea es The Plot of the Opera of “Siegfried” and the | Selections from the Seore. OPERA AS IT SHOULD BE GIVEN, | Wagner's First Grand Rehearsal of the dntroauction to the Nibelungen AS A STAGE MANAGER, | THE COMPOSER The Nymphs of the Khine, the Gods of Wal- halla and the Dwarfs of Nibelheim. ene ie SEs (SPECIAL DESPATCH TO THE HERALD BY CABLE. ] BAIREUTH, BAVARIA, August 16, 1876, The climax of the performances of the “Ring of the Nibelungen” was attained to-night by a magni- ficent representation of “Siegfried,” the second opera of Wagner's Trilogy. It is the most important feature of the cycles, as around its central figure the legendary hero, Siegfried, are grouped all the supernatural beings of Waihy Performance was of unusual length, accessories. The LASTING SE HOURS AND A ALF. Ifyou deduct from this two hours of intermission between the acts there will remain five hours and a half of solid music. The postponement of the per- formance yesterday, although a great disappoint- mentat the time to the composer, the artists and the numerous visitors, seemed to act as an adadl- tional incentive to the desire of all to witness the Tepresentation of the grandest of all the music dramas, and enthusiasm was at a fever heat when the curtain rose on the opera. THE SWORD SONG and the forging of the sword of Slegmund by Sieg- fried in the first ene Was sung with wonderful effect, and the feelings of the audience could not be Testrained, The applause was overwhelming, The ne between Siegfried and the wood bird, after the slaying of the giant Fuitner by the former, Was one of wondrous musical beauty. The part of THE WALD L Wood bird) was sung by a boy behind the scenes, Funtastic though the introduction of such a feature iu opera may appear, the manner in which it is fried mutually pledge their love, 18 a very long and try= ing scene. We present the fimale of it under the selec tion marked No, 4 Few singers are capable of doing ustiee, a8 throatand lungs must give way in nine: RHEINGOLD--FIRST GRAND BPHEARSAL OF THE INTRODUCTION TO WAGNER'S TRILOGY—THE. COMPOSER AS A STAGE MANAGER—THE NYMPHS OF THE RHINE, THR GODS OF WAL= HALLA AND TIM DWARFS OF NIBELHEIN—~ NIPICENT SCENIC EFFECTS, Bangura, July 31, 1876, sd''—T hove just returned trom the Festal witnessed the first performance, im “ithoingold,” the introduction of solthe “Ring of the Nibeimpgs.” about a score of favored individuals were present and-a few citizens of Saireath, who oad seats provided for th ry irimelialely above the Princes? gallery, The performanc viven with the greatest possible care and perfecvion, though the ‘shgbt interraptions natural toa first night could not be avoided. Kapells meister Richter, of Pesth, condueted the invist bie orehestra. Waguer himself was omnipresent regisseur, directing every movement with: that marvellous energy and couscientiousness which he has shown throughout the rehearsals . It bas been most interesting to sce how Wagner labors with head and hand im the production of his great operatic evelus. At nine or ten o'clock every morning since tho beginving of June he has spent on an average eight hours a day superintending the rebear= sals, correcting the dramatic expression of the singers, the modalation of the orchestra, now storming and thundering, now praising and applauding, first speake ing for a moment with Richter, then assisting Siegfried in the execution of an attitude, then coming tor a moment before the stage to greet a triend or take short respite from his Tuanie work. In all this Wag- oer does not seem to be at all self-cunscious; he does not appear to think for a moment that he is the creator of the glorious scenes and tbe wonderful music; that at his word many of the best singers of Germany have gathored about him to learn {rom him, like school cuildren, the secrete of the music drama, There is not a trace of vanity in Wagner when he is on the stage, nor off the stage for that matter, so far ag I have bad the opportunity of observing him. On the stage, in« deed, bes AN ABSOLUTE RULER, A DESPOT, who cannot breok contradicuon, and, indeed, why should be, when he alone knows what is to be dona, He ts a man below medium stature, and of not any pare ecularly commanding pro-ence, but he bas a giant brain anda willthat make him supreme I bave sat for minutes gazing at the man, standing ip the middle of the stave, looking so insignificant in the midst of big most glorious scenic creations, Hstening to the singing and the music of the orchestra, ready to stop the action for a single tnistone, and 1 bave teit deeply impressed with the fact that he is, indeed, one of those few whom nature producés once in acentury, We may laugh at the foolish wit about the musto of the futuro, bat we shail have to admit that he is, iadeod, a king among men, a Shakespeare th the musical world, a genius whose fame mast be undying, I say this in full knowk edge of the fact that thousands of persons delight M “ihe: Theatre, h fo the ¢ in the developed ‘musically is very ingenious, decidedly weohti > pean once.) GRE: Eepauant End’ in| Won igh tostyle themselves anti-Wagnerites from pure ignore / oa! rauce, and other thousands because they do not like novel and incontestibly charming. { . ~. te THE JRAND DUET i at the close of the opera between Briunhilde and, niag@ sian. ind her, again Seigfried, when he awakes her from he ber and dispels the James that sur aroused the enthusiasm of every one present. The roles of the hero and the Valkyr are, without exception, the most trying that can be found in the whole range of opera Few voices could hope for a successful rendering of the music, and two such representations in succession would go far toward ruining the st Tobust voige ever given.to a hu- bis music or bis operas, not understanding them, But 1 do notsee auy reason why these critics should have their own say all the time, for there are many thou- sands of persons who have the intellectual capacity ta become enamored With bis woudrous musical and dra- matic creations, fy , : THR DRAMATIC IDEA, But to “Rhengold'’—I almost dread the task of make ing clear the sevewe and ideas embodied in the entire opera of which “Ruemgold’’ is the introduction, and without Knowing someihing of these we might as well not attempt to write about the work at all For the basis of all Wagner’s creations 18 the text, the poetry, the symbolical ideas which the music and song eluct- date and tilustrate, We buve not to do merely with @ | musical creation, but one in which poetry and painting aud architecture take an equal share with the musia, man being. THE AUSTRIAN PREMIE! -schlecht tse of distinguished people at- The same conce — <ew— " en 2 = Critics make a very great mistake when they considom tended the re tion, Among them Count ie) * | a : : ° the music by Wtseif, for it 18 the union of all the arte g Xt 2 = = = = = = ia r 1 ih 0s nt the music drama, ch Andrassy, the Austrian Premier, Was conspicuous. © Heil dem Li aucht! i ‘ der Brinn hil - de lebt! sie wacht, sie that goes to produce usic di Let us deayor first of all to get a clear idea of the poetry, | we legendary and syrbolieal element that, | underiies the entire work, in bis earlter works, in tne “Flying Dutehman,” ‘Tanubduser,” “Lohengrin and “Tristan aod lsoide,” Wagneg has told us himself that events not historical, but taken from the reaim of | legend and myth, are alone sustable for the attainment: ‘ol its ideal of the music drama, and im the “Ring of the Nibelung” be has gono deeper into that mysterious world than ever beiore, and instead of dealing with the myths that date irom at least a semi-Chiristian period, has made a bold attempt to bring the entire eyclus of ine Germante legends of gods and heroes into the scope of his drama, and placed them, as it were, in the frame. work of his music, The central figure which Wagner has selected 18 SISGPRIRD, THE [ERO OF THR MRELUNGRY LIED; but bo has given as anew and far grander creation than is the one so imperfectly drawn for us by the medieval German singers, The *Nibelangen Lied” in 118 present state is buta shadow of what it was in the q original, for the Christian collaters most carefully ex. | punged every sentence that had the slightest re/ercnee to the old Northern divinities, The adventures of the Stegiried of Une Lied are periectly tuexplicable in theme. selves, The Nibelungen Hoard bas no significance, and the events leading to (he catasirephe, the conquest of Hrinnhuda for King Gunther gives but a feebie idea of | the slory as narrated in the Eudes. To put the mattes in ag brief a space as possible it may be said that Wage, ner, having taket the heroic Siegfried asthe central fyure of his masteal dramatic cyclus, counects the history of that hero as told in the Lied, with its Sean. dinavian source, embodying therein the legend of Siegiried, the Dragon Slayer, and the ideas of old Northern worstip, Ali beroes, even jn medieval vimes, were ciad by the »poets in heroic character. istics Thew desceut was traced irom the goda, This evening the series of performances will come | to an end with the representation of the third and last opera of the . Trilogy, (Twilight of the Goe rdimmerung™ TIE PLOT OF ‘‘sTzGFRIED.” The second of of the trilogy is, in many respects, | the most important The o, who gives name to the work, ts one of those representative champions of lore whose mission on earth is solely to slay ns und other unpleasant individuals, to fescue distressed damse!s, and to lead a life of con- venture. Siegiried ts the son of the unhappy a = eat Stegmund and Sieglinde, whose hard fate is set nich - tung neb' - le — her -ein, Mir strahlt.. war Stun-de Sieg - frie - + for’hin “Die Walkiire.”” The curtaia rises on a rocky cavern in the midst of a wood—the hone of tho | Nibelung, Mime, to whose care Siegfried was intrusted by bis dying mother, Mime and Aloerich, par nodile Jratrum, ate the movel scoundrels of the eyeius, Mime detests the boy, whose gaardinn he is, and Siegfried returns the dislike with interest. The dwarf vainly endeavors to forge a sword of satlicient temper orthe young bero, The frakments of /¢ sabre de sou prre, which was sbivered by Wotan’s spear in the combat Between Siegmund and Hunding in Waikiire,” lie on the floor of the cavern. lesa efforts on the part of together, Siogtried solves the problem by doing the work himself. Mime then tells him that ho must scek out the giant Fafner, who possesses the magic “ring,” and kill Dim. Odin has al story to tell in this Beene to the dwarf, prophesying the career of the young Sicg!ried. We are next transported to the forest near the cave where Fattner sleeps. alberich and Odin first meot And to them succeed Siegiried er trait. © dwarf to put them a i : = 4 Mime, Stegiried ! kills the giant who has assumed tho sba a terribio } z t though Ue poets of the Nib re aE ET gh the poets ol wiungen Lied have failed Aragon and inadvortenily tasuing the dragon’s blood, | e- wig, ist mir im- mer Erb’ und Ei - gen, Fin. to do this with Siegiried, the atirioutes’ of ancient dk the language of birds become intellgibieto him. A ' ! viniues still cling to bim, end Wagner has in his me (waid v: “ oo an adjoin H branch telis bim ot | “Ring” only Joined together the wiissing links of the the treasures that are concealed the giant's cave | and also of the treachery of M aud cafrics off (he helmet which bas (he power Of making bim invisible. The wood bird then sings to the hero’ about the most beautifol woman in the world who les in a magic slumber, surrounded vy asea of fire, on the mountain top, aud offers to guide him thither, Siegfried follows tne bird | ‘The third act opens with a mysterious scene between Wotan and Erda The god appears in®thunder and lightning, and wakes the mother of all wisdom trom her long sleep, Siegiried approaches, Led on by the bird, xe has foand his way at last to the spot where the sleeping maiden lies The Wanderer conironts him, and questions him as to his bistory and designs, Sieg. {ried shows No More respect tor the mysterious stranger than be entertained tor the dwarf, but disregards and deties him, tit Wotan, in high indignation, presents his spear that, for the second time, it muy shiver the famous sword. But Siegfried, nothing caunte: Ike tury and revenges Siegmand’s death by smashing in pieces the divine spear, Wotan, utterly worsted, Vanishes, Aud Siegiried is leit master of the Meld. The enchanted flames glow before him Ull the whole stage is filled as 1 Were with a sea of fire, Siegfried rashes into the midst of them and we hear the eenves of Lis horn as he fearlessly climbs the nountain. Then the flames are gradually extingarshed; is daylight again aod beiore us hes the feone we bebeld im the last uctof the Walkure, Sieg fried perceives a figure lying im a deep sicop under whe Of tree—a figure in mail armor, beimeted and covered me. Ho kills the dwarf iz at ghts | is sometimes ca slavery, and laments awhile her immortal nature, the glorious position she has forfeited. Love is triumphant, however, and she wildiy exciaims that Washalla aud Hin soft whe drapery, Enamored at the sight, | which Brinnhitde bails her deliverer and Siegiried bis ‘The Amazon has, however, only broken the bonds of sieep to yield herself to another kind of with « shield. er with @ kiss that ol ows may be conjecturod—ihe enthusiasm with The love scene to his surprise and ecstasy Bee) WB Gouhide, a beautia , audin establishing the divine descent’ of s bas called to Life again the whole interesting characters of the ancient Germanic worship, THE ANCIENT GODS REVIVED, It would occupy too much space to enter fully inte an account. of (ue aucieat Northern mythologg, and, besides, the mythological elements are very fully ex planed by Wagner in the course of his narrative, We are introduced to the circle of the ancient Teutont worship. There t# Wotan (Odin), the Supreme, the god of war, the Ali Father, tbe Ruer tn Wathalla—cne balls where the faileu heroes are aken by the Walkure, There is the goddess Fricka, Udin's wife, She is the giver of [ruitfulness, the protectress of marriage, and, as such, takes 4 prom nent piace in the development of tne drama, The goddess Freya (who was with Fricke originally conceived as one persouy, of sunrise, of immortality; she en whieh grow the apples of eternal youth without which the gods begin to grow old and decay Erda, the persooiieation of the earth, the all-nourisix ing, all-susiaiuing and all-receiving goddess of tite and of death, She \s (veall.knowing—the world-wise, She led a the drama Walla, she peeress, ine waite lady; Heila, the goddess of the under world, of Nivelheim. {hor (Donner), she aon of Odi atten him the mightest of the gods. He isthe vd cp der. oe aU ie the Renae with which he pro- tools tue Walliaila against the giants, as Jupiter 4 strike down with gis thuuderbol the’ te who woe attack Vlyinpas. Fron, another is conceived ihe god of peace. Jn the drama he ‘appears ith Thet to defend Freya against the giant. Loge, or tradit “A .