[Met Performance] CID:6910



Siegfried
Metropolitan Opera House, Mon, December 24, 1888




Siegfried (13)
Richard Wagner | Richard Wagner
Siegfried
Max Alvary

Brünnhilde
Fanny Moran-Olden

Wanderer
Emil Fischer

Erda
Hedwig Reil

Mime
Wilhelm Sedlmayer

Alberich
Joseph Beck

Fafner
Eugene Weiss

Forest Bird
Sophie Traubmann


Conductor
Anton Seidl







Review 1:

Review in The New York Times

METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE.

The eve of Christmas is generally believed by amusement managers to be the worst night in the year for their business. The saddening influence of the night was discernible in the size of the audience at the Metropolitan Opera House last evening, yet it may reasonably be doubted whether any work thus far produced would have drawn a larger assemblage than Wagner's "Siegfried." The performance last evening was in some respects an improvement on that of Friday. The mishaps of an initial representation were absent. The light effects, which are a conspicuous feature of the production, were in better working order, and the mechanism of the stage generally was in a more satisfactory condition. It would be difficult at this late day to say anything new about Herr Alvary's interpretation of the title rôle. As we have heretofore said, it gives evidence of intelligent study on the part of the artist, and is pictorially and histrionically highly interesting. Herr Alvary cannot lay claim to distinction as a vocalist pure and simple, but as a singing actor of the Wagner music-drama he has fairly earned a valuable position. He was in good form last evening, and his work was spirited and picturesque. At times he was even poetic which is saying a great deal. Herr Fischer's Wotan is the conception of an artist of no small ability, and to its excellence in acting it adds vocal beauty of a fine order. Fräulein Hedwig Reil, who was the Erda, has a remarkably good voice, which she unfortunately does not use well. Herr Weiss is heard to better advantage as Fafner than in any other part which he has as far undertaken, and Herr Beck is a satisfactory Alberich. Herr Sedlmayer as Mime and Frau Moran-Olden as Brünnhilde do not equal their predecessors in those parts. Fräulein Traubmann sings the bird music tolerably. The orchestra was even better last evening than on Friday. For its admirable exposition of the beauties of the noble score, Herr Seidl deserved the warm praise which it is a pleasure to accord to him. He shines to much better adventure as a conductor of German opera than as a director of orchestral concerts, in which he is not always so happy.



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