Metropolitan Opera Archives

"Lohengrin" was brought forward at the Metropolitan Opera House last evening, and drew together an audience of goodly size. Sometimes "Lohengrin" is well sung and sometimes it is not; but the prophet is not yet born who can tell which time is ripe when he starts for the opera house. It is a pity that there cannot be unfailing certainty of a thoroughly commendable performance, for there is no work of Wagner's which goes further toward reconciling the unstudious masses with his musical and dramatic theories. "Lohengrin" contains but little that is offensive to the ears of those who care little for dramatic fitness so long as they have pretty melodies. The whole of the first act, the last of the second, and nearly all of the third are filled to the brim with the most poetic music, and yet no where has Wagner sacrificed his beliefs. But this is only saying over again what has been said a thousand times. The world has accepted the opera as a masterpiece, and it would be hard to find an enthusiastic upholder of auto-Wagnerian music who would willingly wipe "Lohengrin" out of existence. The performance last night was in the main agreeable. It happened to be one of the good times. Herr Niemann, it must be confessed, is not an ideal representative of the Knight of the Swan. He is not pretty to look at, he is not graceful in action, and he cannot sing the music at all. His acting is usually praised, but if Lohengrin is not as Herr Niemann makes him he would never have had life enough to rescue a starving kitten, let alone a weighty maiden in distress. The weighty maiden was Frau Seidl-Kraus, who in spite of her unfavorable appearance was by no means bad as Elsa. There are notes in the score a trifle to high for her, but she sings most of the music acceptably. Herr Robinson vibrated too much as Telramund, but he acted the part excellently. Fräulein Brandt was admirable as Ortrud. And so were Herr Fischer as King Henry and Herr Von Milde as the Herald. The chorus sang well, and the orchestra discharged its duties in a manner that left nothing to be desired. Herr Seidl conducted in his usual style.

Search by season: 1887-88

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