THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: SEPTEMBER 6, 1D0S.
Frenchmen at Last View the Long Expected Flight of the Aeroplane
4
ILBUR Wright tia proved to the
T A r I satisfaction of hundreds of per
Jfjf I ns In France that the pre
tensions 01 me rignt oroineri
that they had an aeroplane
capable of flying were founded
on fact, but for a Ion time they were
tinder suspicion. They merely kept on Bay
ing that their aeroplane had solved the fly
ing problem, but they never showed th
machine and they never discussed Ita make
up or plans. This reticence had the effect
naturally of making (he French and others
say, "That's Just a bluff."
The Wright, Wilbur i ,id Orvllle, al
ways have been very secretive about
their Invention. As Is most generally
known they took up the flying Industry
about eight years ago. As Is the case with
many folks all sorts of explanations, foolish
and otherwise, were made of the way In
which they happened to become Interested.
From the start, however, these Dayton
blcyela manufacturers were keen for aero
planes. They believed that the snaring
and flying of birds could best be Imitated
by aeroplanes.
The manner in which birds kept on mile
after mile after vessels at sea. merely
moving their wings now and again. Inter
ested these brothers, as It has Interested
thousands of persons who are not wrapped
up In aeroplanes. The brothers knew or
learned that the birds occasionally flapped
their wings In the midst of soaring because
they had to mount another or different
air current
Air resistance Is a harder thing to
tackle than water resistance. There
are more quirks and twists to the stream
of air than there are In the Mississippi
water. All these things made dirigible
balloon flying hard, and it had killed abso
lutely aeroplane endeavor up to the time
the Wright brothers began. The earlier
aeroplanists had not been able to work
out a scheme whereby the air resistance
could be accommcdated so that It would
help the flying machine Instead of dashing
It to the ground.
The Wrights, too, believed that a man
could make a much better wing than Na
ture has done. The resistance of feathers
would not bo present In a wing made of
silk. Furthermore, becanse a bird some
times has to alight, nature has fixed the
wings so that they may be folded. With
an aeroplant that has nothing to do but
fly there, need be no device for collapsing
the wings. They may stay extended all the
time.
The earlier attempts at aeroplanes,
Lilllenthal's, Pilcher's, Langley's and
Chanute's all lent something to the Idea
of the Wrights. They studied aeroplanes
for years before they evolved the idea.
It was in 1903 that after framing the ma
chine of parallel box kites. they got the
Idea of putting In a gasoline engine to
run the machine and to force those changes
of plan that would be Inevitable in un
favorable windage.
They had a machine then ah at was
merely a glider. It was picked up at either
extremity by two men who ran with It for
a distance until finally It caught the air
and started off on its gliding. It was about
this time that reports came east that there
were two men In 'Ohio who had a flying
machine that would fly. The Wright
aeroplane had glided for a distance over
ground, how great no one knew but the
brothers and certain chosen friends.
That started the controversy over them, a
controversy that never was even partly
settled until last month, when the public
flights began in France. The brothers
made it a point that no unfriendly persons
should see the aeroplanes, and many suc
cessful models ware destroyed because the
brothers didn't want to risk having any
one sural their ideas.
They started off to France, which has
been and Is the formost In aviation, and
tried there to enlist funds for their enter
prise. They apparently wanted the French
government to take their aeroplane mostly
on trust. As a Frenchman remarked long
afterward: "If It were a fraudulent gold
mine every one would have been willing to
subscribe. But this turns out to be an
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honest enterprise, so, of course, there was
no eagerness to possess if for France."
It was their manner of conversation that
aroused the antagonism of the Frenchmen
who came in contact. Not all, but some, of
the aviators frankly did not believe the
Wrights and thought it all a huge scheme
to get money for nothing. The Wrights kept
close mouthed and let the discussion run on.
They started experiments last year down
in a spot in North Carolina, near a town
called Klttyhawk. From this place day
after day came reports of flights, accidents,
successes and the like, all dictated by the
Wright brothers to the reporters whose du
ties took them there. One result was a
statement that the aeroplane had covered
24ft miles in 38 minutes, in all ways a record
for flights In that type of machine. That
was In the early paxt of last summer.
Wilbur Wright went in June of last year
to France and spent the rest of the time for
more than a year lij. assembling his aero-
plane and getting ready fox trial flights.
It was not until August 8 of this year
that he really gave a public exhibition of
his machine. On that occasion he wont up
Into the air at Le Mans and cut a figure French have been convinced that Wright's from the front of the flier down under the ground, but stays anywhere from ten to
eight with his aeroplane to show its tracta- device is the one that they have been seek- rail support and back to a heavy counter- thirty feet above It. In the lower air there
billty and dirlglblllty. From then on he Ing. It Is understood that Wright wants weight. The weight is let fall, which is not always the velocity of current that
plane men.
It Is said against the aeroplane that It is
as difficult to learn to manage as a bicycle
?ven more so. In fact, one report was
entire attention would be taken up la
managing the maehine, it would be of little
use as a war engine. In reply to this
contention an earlier statement of the
Wrights may be used.
They said they had counted on all
that, but aa children did not come natu
rally by walking, but had to be taught,
they figured thai the teaching an aero
planlst had to get before he could manage
his machine was no more unnatural.
At any event, they were not through
with their flying machine yet, and they
purpose to make It more and more simple,
until eventually they get it Into the line
of useful flying devices, with a commer
cial value outside that of war If possible.
While Wilbur Wright has been over in
France trying to convince the government
that his machine Is the best Orvllle Wright
has been trying at Fort Myer, Va., for the
United States government prize of $26,000
for certain speeds attained by a dirigible
flying device. Just how this thing Is to be
worked out does not appear. The Wrights
seemingly are determined to have their
made all sorts of testa at Le Mans, rrom X3U0,000 for the idea and the French govern- drags the machine quickly out to the end may be found higher up. The operator
covering half a mile In 1 minute and 45 sec- ment may be unwilling to pay so much of the monorail and snaps It off into the works from the lower plane and tries by that the German government refused to machine adopted by one of three govern
or's oij the first day of his tests to coming for It air. Once the flight Is begun the engine the shifting of the wings to manage the take any real Interest in the Wright aero- ments. If report Is true the Germans do
down on August 21 with the announcement The Wright aeroplane is started Into and the maneuvrlng of the planes accom- flight. He does not depend upon move- plane, contending that It would take an not want It. However, there Is a mild sort
that he had covered a section of his flight flight by a simple device. The machine is pllsh the rest of the flight. ments of the body to change the center of acrobat rather than a soldier to manage it, of competition between France and the
at the rate of fifty miles an hour. The mounted on a monorail, a rope leading The machine rarely rises high from the ' gravity, as did some of the earlier aero- and as it could carry but one person, whose United States.
Mozart Festival at Munich as Heard by Critics Kelly and Henderson
UNICIi Aug. 19. When you
"(k M 1 go to heaven arrange to go by
IVJI I w? ot Munich, for there Is the
spirit 01 music ana nar
mony more prevalent than any
place I know of. Somehow or
other you seem to belong to the great
human family here; you are not a stranger.
In the real life of the place there is a
"one-of-ourselves" feeling which you can
feel but cannot define. I love Munich and
Its people. But I must not begin to write
about Munich and its attractions, for I
would find difficulty to ending the epistle.
Its beer and its thirst are famous the
world over and each deservedly so, I am
told on the very best and most credible
authority. But - Munich has other attrac
tions than those which appeal to the phy
sical well-being, such as its kitchen and
cellar talents; it has well-dressed, well
developed men and women; tt has an art
atmosphere which radiates from every
street and avenue; it has a beauty infec
tion which breaks out In bloom and blos
som, verdure and velvet, and In many
places makes one think of the Garden of
Eden materialised. Fountains, from which
waters burst forth In glee and Jubilation
for sheer joy that they are alive, and liv
ing in Munich, are to be seen in many
beautiful squares or plazas. Buildings
which delight the eye stand erect with
pride, having been built by the good and
treat architects who had reached Walhalla
and sent down the best plans they knew.
Everywhere you see books, paintings, pict
ures, music; whole libraries of works In
Bnayish and French and German. Music
shops and picture shops, each vllng with
the other In its abundance of treasures.
Great galleries.
But it Is of the opera I should speak.
Never was a more fitting place dreamed
of for ths presentation of the works of his
serene highness, the gracious Mosart. The
Royal Residence theater la a beautiful lit
tle gem of an opera house, with only 215
eats on the ground floor, and four bal
conies, going completely round the house,
each one containing eighty-five seats, and
divided (each balcony) Into boxes or
"loges" containing five or six seats each.
It is like a beautiful "play" house. The
Mosart operas were given exquisitely with
scenlo effects which were alluring and en
trancing. The conductor was Felix Mottl,
and all Is said. His own accompaniments of
the recitations on an old-fashioned harp
sichord or spinet, were charming in their
touch of "atmosphere." In the "Figaro's
Hobhaelt" (Marriage of Figaro) we heard
for the first time Felnhals in the part of
the Count or Graf Almavlva; he is a good
singer and a fine artist; we heard him also
as Dau Giovanni, and his work was won
derful In Its every phase. In the part ot
Susanna we were captivated with the trans
lucent voice and finished singing of Frau
BosettL Frau Prense-Matsenauer cheered
our souls with her lovely warm messo
soprano Quality, round and full, rich and
mooth, and utterly devoid of the dark
ad heavy quality to which most messos
and contraltos are addicted. In "Don
OioTfcnaP again Boeettl'g beautiful vole ap
pealed to us In the part of Zerllna; this
production was a truly elaborate one and
the ensemble was well balanced and artis
tically Just. The singing of Frau Burk
Berger and Frauleln Fassbender was good
enough, but It had a fault which Is very
prevalent on all stages, namely the start
ing of the tone a little below Its actual
pitch, and then quickly getting up thereto.
Some day teachers will arise , who will
make their students ."listen" and "hear,"
Instead of making them "place" and "put"
tones; then we will have more singers like
the charming Bosettl and the adorable
Hempel.-For It remained for a Berlin
singer, Frauleln Hempel, .who was "guest
ing" here, to completely destroy any pos
sible lingering doubt as to the high beau
tiful art attainable by the German singers.
It was In the lesser known opera "Cosl
Fan Tutte," or the . "School for Covers."
That title does not mean "the school for
lovers," but "so do they 'all," or' as we
would say, "They're all alike." It Is a
beautiful little grand opera, 119 years old.
This listening to these old and wondrously
delicate operas Is like looking through old
chests In ancient castles and finding the '
laces and silks and brocades and satins and
velvets with their sweet aroma of lavender
and sandalwood. Why, one wonders. Is
not "Cosl Fan Tutte" done into good Eng
lish and produced , in ' the United States
There are so many opportunities . for good
singing for. comedy and for scenic effect
that It would surely strike favorably the
American people. Miss Hempel was the
leading soprano; - she looked radiant ' and
sang like an archangel. The voice was not
big, but oh! so perfectly poised and so very
scintillating. In this opera we also heard
Mr. Brodersen, who sang and - acted well
and who la giving a good, display of 'his
powers In the Wagner music-dramas. Frau
leln Kosath was quite Interesting In this
opera also and Is doing still better work
this week at the larger house, where the
great wizard of Bayreuth, Richard -Wagner,
Is being worshipped and reverenced.
I cannot speak temperately of the Mosart
operas because they appealed to me in such
an ' absolutely - unexpected manner, due
probably. to the appropriate home or place
of production, as well as to the fact that
everyone was a true - lover of Mosart
on the stag and In the audience.
At 'the 'Prlns Regenten "theater we have
been listening with great Joy to the
Wagner music dramas. We met Dr. Frank
Crane at the first one. Dr. Crane lives
now In Worcester, ' Mass. . He read ma a
letter which he was sending home regard
ing his Impression of Wagner and I per
suaded him to let me copy It, so here It Is:
"I have seen my first Wagner opera, at
the Prtng Renten theater, 'The Melster
singers nf J-furemburg, and still live. How
can I convey to you any notion of my
experience T Only In general terms, I fear.
Any detail would need to be overloaded
with the Immense overtones to make them
seem striking to you. I have bathed In
music. My spirit has been seised and car
ried away by tides of harmony, rivers and
brooks and cataracts ot melody, white
capped waves of. sweet tones, that all bore
me whither I know not only into some
strange seas I had never sailed before,
where bastloned mountains boomed . In
purple glory, and, love and nobleness and
unearthly beauty combined to break my
hert. It was not the story of the drama, '
nor any tune of the music, though the
story was unique enough and the melodies
decided and memorable, but It was the
whole thing, the continual swelling up of
rich chords that broke into the most falry
llke sprav and close-locked discords that
dissolved Into voluptuous major thirds,
exquisite as spun glass, and the streaming
Insistent passion of - the violins that
tempted and tore one's soul like sirens, and
the occasional ripe round note of a wood
horn rising like a moon upon the hushed
orchestra, or the full loud blare of the
brass, brave and bully as stamping horses
. and unafraid as the . elephants of the
maharajah, and th superb chorus, not ten
or twenty, but 600-all with banners a-wav-Ing
and all dressed in the strong mediaeval
colors of their time and all singing, sing
ing until it seemed like the 'sound of many
waters' that John heard In heaven." a
great white and gold cloud of song that
wreathed and wavered upward, while
underneath one heard the- breathless
orchestra, the racing , palpitating strings,
the glad fanfare of trumpets and the
thundering kettle-drums and flutes and
plccalos whistling like flying birds before
the brow of a storm cloud, and above all,
O, sweet enough to woo a soul from
purgatory, sounding clear and limpid above
the whole ocean thunder of the chorus and
Instruments, the voice of Walter as he sang
his prize song, and at last I knew what
, the Greeks sought to express when they
' made their myth of Orpheus, who with his
lute made trees, and , the mountain tops
that freeze, bow their heads and. then lay
by.
"One usually associates weeping with
some Intellectual prooees, bad news, or dark
anticipations; we cry. over slain heroes or
disappointed love, but is he rjota roaster
who can brush your intellect aside and ad
dressing tone and cadence straight to your
soul squeeze 11 like an orange and make you
sob from very excess of beauty? . 80 did
Wagner to me. I pray forgiveness for what
I've ever said or thought against him.- I
hope, he knows In Heaven of his triumph.
If I. know anything of the sentiment of a
genius, there are few things where he is
in glory that can please him more than to
know how absolutely, he has triumphed In
his work with even me.
"I am glad I never heard this until I was
over 40. Such music is not for the young.
It comes only to those who have drunk too
deep of joy and suffering, who have felt
the keenness of both sensual and spiritual
yy, and the pang ot botn sickness and hope
deferred. It Is not simple; It is wonderfully
complex and involved. And so Is life. lis
mystery and labyrinthine dimness Is borne
In on us with the years. And Wagner
speaks of life, vague, striving, tangled,
woven of light and darkntse, and K,
somehow, to the sense of God, and of
genius, unutterably sweet.
"And thehi the, quintette at the close of
the first part of the third act Oh, so un
speakably appealing. -It Is as if Delia Rob
bla's boys had found voice; as If the gods
of Greece had awakened from their dust
of years and come back singing through
the summer night; as if five truant cherubs
had escaped their golden house In heaven,
and had flown smiling through a dream to
show the manner of angel's songs when
they hymn in Paradise.
."All this is vague and hlghflown doubt
less, but I am not ashamed, rather glad,
that I can entertain such young extrava
gance of emotion.
. "And the setting Was perfect. Munich Is
the home of good taste. The Prins-Regenten
theater is the tastiest ot all one rising
floor of seats, each as good as the other,
and boxes only behind all the seats, walls
gray and gold, no gaudiness, only tempered,
most chaate agreement. Orchestra con-.
cealed, no gesticulating leader to distract
you. No coming in during an act; If you
don't get there on time you don't get In
that's all. . ,
"The echo f the thing is with me today.
I could cry at the least suggestion. I have,
had a musical debauch."
When I bad read this I felt that there,
were many people In Omaha who would like
to enjoy the pleasure It gave me and so
I begged for it to copy over night. Dr.;
Crane was very good about it, adding la
conically. "Don't tell them that you wrote
it yourself." Since leaving Omaha some
years ago he has practically mas tend
three languages. His knowledge of German
astonishes . me dally. W have been study-,
ing the text and music of .the "Ring of the
Nibelungen" every day and . attending, all,
performances. But I must stop now and
give you some impressions jof the works we
have heard in another epUille. Anything
that I should write after Dr. Crane's rhap
sody would be flat. THOMAS J. KELLY. ,
MUNICH'S MOZART FESTIVAL
The Operas Staged Better Thaa They
Were sane. ,
. SALZBt'RG, Aug. 12. Austriuns do not
hesitate to say that Salzburg Is the most
beautiful city In the world. If you are
willing to aUmit that It la a city at all you
probably wM be quite ready to agree with
the Austrian. Ot course you will have
seen all the cities in the world and there
fore your judgment will be. aa good as
theirs. At any rata Salzburg Is wond.-i fully
beautiful and the view from the parapets
ot the old castle on the heights Is almost
as inspiring as that from the quay at Lu
cerne. One thing is certain, namely that
Salzburg Is the finest place on earth to
which to retire after a Mozart festival at
Munich.
They have these Mozart festivals In
Munich once a year and they send many
circulars to advertise them In America.
Although the performers are nearly all in
some operas quit ail from th local com
pany, you are permitted to pay 15.50 for
an orchestra chair, which Is more than you
had to give in New York last season to
hear Eames, Gadski, Farrar, Scottl and
Challaplne, with Mahler as conductor.
But in Munich you get . Felix Mottl as
conchictor, Possart's revolving stage and
What is there believed to be the true Mo-,
Bart spirit. That is why It is good to come
to Salzburg and gaze at the Mozart manu
scripts and his clavichord and the little
"half fiddle' which his childish fingers ca
reened. It is good to gaze on the spot
where his cradle was rocked and to think
of the marvellous genius, the Inexhaustible
fountain of pure and ravishing melody, that
was here first made known to a blessed
world. You forget-all about Munich, where
they have such profound "Insight Into the
true Mozartlan spirit and so little ear for
Mozart's music.
They have been performing "Le Nozze dl
Figaro," "Don Giovanni," "Die Entfllhrung
aus dem Serall" and 'Cost fan tutte'' in
Munich and they have had excellent audi
ences. The "Aufetellung" or art and. in
dustrial exhibition hab drawn crowds to
the dolightful city and In the Mozart audi
ences there was a mixture of German, Aus
trians,' .English, Americans, Italians and
French. Even Gattl-Casazza and Dippel
were In Munich but not on the same day,
and they did not go to hear Mozart. Otto
Kahn was not present on either occasion.
The Mozart performances at Munich do
not require extended discussion. They bear
a family resemblance to the Wagnerian
interpretations given at the I'rinz Rt genlcn
theater and at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus.
However, they have their upe and downs,
for the solo singing is not always bad.
The Sun's correspondent heard "Don Gio
vanni" and "Cosl fa,n tutte," -and only one
was badly, sung, and even that one had
redeeming, features.
In "Don Giovanni" all three of the women
were unequal to -the requirements of the
music, though Bosettl, the Zerllna, almost
sang "Rattl, batti," and was acceptable In
her shave of "La ci darem." These are
the Italian words. ' The performance was
In German, and heaven forbid that this
writer -should attempt to misrepresent Da
Poute by giving the Teutonic text.
The Donna Anna, whose name may be
reseived for local celebrity, could not. sing
a phrase In tune and lumbered through
Mozart's aristocratic and elejant measures
like a country boy going through a minuet.
Her unlivery of the big florid air In Ilia
second act was something to be recalled
wlin shuddirs. The Sun's corTesponrient
had just a fleeting 111 inory of k t.idny in
the Moxart house whtie trail 'is st u phn
dld portrait ot 1.1111 Lt hmunn as Donna
Anna.
The Donna Elvira was even worsts than
the other mournful woman, and the Lepo
rello (Kempter, the Munich Beckmesser in
"Din Meisterslnger") was quite tame and
dry. The one bright spot in the cast was
the Don Giovanni of Felnlrals, who is en
gaged for the Metropolitan. He sang much
better than when the Sun's correspondent
heard him as Hans Sachs and aa Wot an
three years ago, and his acting had grace,
distinction and variety of touch. A little
heavy at times and a little to vociferous,,
he was nevertheless a Don Giovanni whom
even epicurean New York'would have liked.
. In "C'sl fan tute" matters . were much .
better. Bosettl's Destlna, absurdly farclal
In the two disguise scenes, was much better
In Its musical and dramatic ' conception
than her Zerllna. The two women, Fl
ordlllKi and Dorabella, were In safe hands.
Indeed the former had an exceptionally
good Interpretation by Frieda H-inpel of
Berlin, who sang the first flower maiden In
"Parsifal" at . Bayreuth.
In New York a director could hardly
afford to cast a Sembrich for the flower
maiden, yet Flordillgi is a Sembrich part. .
Miss Hempel Is not a Sembrich, but she Is
the light soprano of the. Berlin opera, and
a real artist, who sings with good technic,
with intelligence and with taste. Hor de
livery of Flordillgls difficult air in the
second act, full of troublesome trope in
the Intervals, was most, praiseworthy..
She may go to New York some day, . and
she should be welcome there. She Is one
of the very few real singers now on the
German stage not a great singer, but an
honestly trained one.
Thu men, with the exception of liaur
berger, as Alfonso, were mediocrities.
Bauberger sang also Masetto In . "Don Gio
vanni,", and made of him what he ought
to be, a country bumpkin but not . a
cackling Idiot, as he almost Invariably Is
in the hands of an Italian buffo. These
comments en the performances of the
principal singers ought to serve to convince
any New Yorker that he can hear Mozart
better sung at home. Ho need not spend
his money In travelling to Munich. And
the incompetency of the singers in the
matte r of voice is not the sum of the wholo
matter. The employment of the German
text In a work "Don Glovunnl," written
originally In the glib Italian does great In
jury. Some of the singers have Indeed ac
quired . remarkable fluency of utterance,
but at an utter sacrifice of intelligibility.
A German singer who sat behind this
writer admitted that she was frequently
unable to understand the words of the
text, although they were in her mother
tongue. This condition lt must be reiiiem-.
bered exists among singers rigidly taugiit
to enunciate. Again in many Instance the
awkwardness of the German phrases quite
spoils Mozart's fltieiiry of style, as when
Don Giovanni exclaims "Ach, wle traurlg!
Ach, wle traurig," Instead of "I'overlna,
poverlna!"
When Leporelln In his "Malamlna" says
"Aber In Espugna. al-r In Espagna," In
stead of "Ma In Espai;na." he not only up
sets Mozart's mufclcul pros id but nifkes
linpossihlt) u deliriously humorous effect
on the Initial M, which every Italian singer
used to good purpose. And when he strug
gles to rattlo off tho rapidly repeated "I'nd
die kleliia, und die klelne," Instead of the
rippling "La plcclna, la plccina," he at
tempts the Impossible
Hut certain fcatuiWs of these Mozart
performances in Munich art admirable. Is
the first plsce the old Resldens theater.
In which they are given, is an ideal place
for them. . It Is a gem of a house, smaller
than' any of the New York theaters and In
a mellow, old fashioned style of decora
tion quite In keeping with the rich and
high-blooded character of Mozart's music
It has prosconlum boxes, circle boxes three
tiers high and a royal box In the center.
Prince Ludwlg Ferdinand preferred a
proscenium box. He was accompanied by
his wife, a sister of the king, of Spain,
and the Image of the gallant young Alfonso.
Mottl had an orchestra of about thirty
eight men and a most excellent orchestra
it was. It played with exquisite precision,
with clarity" of tone and with a ravish
Ingly dajnty enunciation of the string pas
sages.. The wood wind phrasing was capi
tal, but not better , than that which New
York heard , under both. Campanlnl and
Mahler. Mottl. himself accompanied upon
a harpsichord the recitatives, and his per
formance was something to be remembered.
It could not have been heard In the big
Metropolitan, but in, the tiny Resldens
theater lt was Just the daintiest of musloal
lace work.
The mounting of . tho operas would have
been a revelation to New York. The Besi
denz has a revolving stage with which lt
is possible to make every scene a full set.
There is no hauling up of drops. There
are no "front" scenes. Three sets can oc
cupy this ' stage at the same time, one
facing the audience and two behind. When
a scene is ended the lights are turned
down, the stago revolves and one scene
changes to another in full view of the au
dience. The effect is excellent. No one
runs on with a table or a chair. Every
thing la In its place.' There Is no noise.
The setting of the scenes is done In per
fect sllenco. The action of a work like
"Don Giovanni" moves with perfect steadi
ness and smoothness.
So again we find- that with Mozart in
Munich aa with Wagner in Bayreuth the
present resources of German lyric art are
sufficient only for the orchestral, choral
and scenic presentation of the works. The
musical results In "Cosl fan tutte" were,
indeed,' far better than those in "Lohen
grin" at Bayreuth; but they were chiefly
brought about by the capability of two or
three singers, together with the splendidly
Intelligent conducting of Mottl, the playing
of the orchestra ami the scenlo pictures.
In "Don Giovanni," the solo singing, as
already noted, was Inadequate. What Is
this mighty work without lt? The tenor
did not even attempt "Dalla sua pace."
Those who hiard Mm sing "11 mio tesoro"
thanked him for the omission.
Perhaps in the fullness of time Mozart's
operas will be transferred from the Metro
politan to the New theater, and Kelasco
be induced to devise their pictorial attire.
In the meaMlme the best we cun hope for
is that Oscar Hammersteln will Invent a
removable, revolving stage for the Manhat
tan to be used for Morart and put In the
closet while Puccini Is on exhibition In
West Thirty-fourth street,
W. J. ttSCTOSRSOtf.