Metropolitan Opera Archives

The strong cast with which this opera was presented last night drew an immense audience, perhaps the largest of the season. With such artists as Materna, Hanfstaengl, Staugil and Schott the performance could not be otherwise than of great interest, and it was certainly the best representation of "The Huguenots" that has been given thus far. But it will, nevertheless, in nowise compare with those of "The Prophet," "Tannhäuser" and "Lohengrin." For whatsoever cause, the music of Meyerbeer's masterpiece does not seem congenial to the artists of the Metropolitan, for their rendering of it is devoid of that snap and spirit which characterize most of the representations at that house. Frau Materna's Valentina is a somewhat uneven performance, for, while in the situations of great dramatic intensity her singing rises to that high degree of thrilling power which is so characteristic of her art, she is not so much at home in the softer cantabile passages, many of which belong to that part. Frau Materna has yet to be heard in those parts which have made her so famous abroad, and we advise our audiences not to be hasty in forming a judgment about one of the greatest dramatic sopranos of the age.

The one perfect performance of the evening was the Marguerite of Frau Schroeder-Hanfstaengl, a part which seems to suit exactly this artist's temperament. Frau Hanfstangl - who by the way, is soon to leave tor Europe - has been recently made the object of a disgraceful and uncalled-for series of insults by the most unscrupulous of the musical journals of this city. It is, therefore, gratifying to notice that our public places no reliance on the attacks of such critics, but testifies by liberal applause the general esteem in which this artist is held, It is hardly necessary to say that Herr Schott made an admirable Raoul, musically as well as dramatically; and the whole fourth act, being one which well served to bring out his powers, was given with great impressiveness. The sole drawback as we have before noted in Herr Schott's Raoul is his use of the falsetto. Some of the minor parts, however, notably that of Marcel, were rather poorly done, and the chorus did not cover itself with glory.

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Search by title: Les Huguenots,

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