HUMPERDINCK'S NEW OPERA.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1079, 18 March 1911, Page 6

HUMPERDINCK'S NEW OPERA.

At last Humperdmck has produced what is described as a" worthy ."successor to his musical setting ; U)L'.th();'. story of th'e- two-children ivhq-wergjcst in tho wood, "Hansel and Grerel-.-VtJnder tho namo of "King's Son" (Kooiiigskindcr) tho iiew work was' produced at tho Metropolitan Opera House, New York, shortly after the . first performance of Puccini's "Tho. Girl of the Golden West." By a curious combination of circumstances the directors _of tho I principal opera.house,in New: York followed; up; tho first: production-of • the new operas by Puccini and Humperdinck .with the. first performance on any stage: of Leoncavallo's latest v.orft, "Ysabel."- 1 . The three. composers went to New York to superintend 'the thre.» first. performances. Up to ±his_ tho United States was_ content to wait for operatic works until judgment-had been pronounced in Europe. In connection with "King's Son" wo are told that Mr. Hertz was the conductor. Humpordinck, who sat in ' a box decorated with German and American colours on the eventful evening, was several times called before the cdrtain between the acts' arid was finally presented with a silver wreath by Director Gatti-Casazza. In one or tho scenes there is a flock of livo geese, and in another a chorus of children seeking in the snow for a pair of lost lovers. Miss Geraldine Farrar appeared as tho Goose Girl and Mr. Hermann Jadlowker as the King's Son.- The narrative of the opera is a familiar German cradle-story. A prince, falling in lovo with a goose-girl, could not freo her from tho clutches of an old witch in the forest; so ho journeyed to Hellabrun to acquire experience with' men by working as a swine-herd. Tie girl, later freed by <i fiddler, followed him and entered the town on the .last stroke of noon, tho hour at which the citizens were expecting their new ruler. Dismayed by the appearance of such a sovereign, the citizens drove her and tho princc, disguised as a swine-herd, out to die in the forest. This is what one of the New York critics wrote on January 2:—"llumperdiuck has chosen tho Wagnerian model, but Unlike other followers'of Wigner, ho has never forced his themes into clashes of wild harmony. His motives, most of thom -fresh and pretty, liavo been combined with great circumspection, the score is always sweet, sometimes clpyi»6- The first act, tho longest, has somo disjointed points and a few uninteresting passages. Tho second act tries to make up_ by animation • and movement what it lacks in unity; that is, until the goose-girl comes to tho city, the opera is padded with tho affairs of characters who aro of little importance and so hardly hold the attention. ■ The third act is full of beautiful music and touching situations; in it, Humperdinck has written some of the most effective pages of his musical career."

An extraordinary telegram of congratulation to the Kaiser on the success of Humperdinck's new opera was dispatched by the. millionaire directors of tho Metropolitan Opera House. This "masterpiece," they consider, \ proved that, "in the midst of her wonderful development in commerce and scicnco Gei many has known how to preserve thoso noble qualities of mind and soul which are characteristic of licr highest traditions." "AVe aro confident," they added, "that we voice tho sentiments of this music-loving;, city in joining to our grateful and admiring recognition .of Humj:iordiiick's achievement "and most respectful homage to Gorman art." New York Italians indignantly asked why a similar telegram was not sent to King Victor Emmanuel after the successful production of Puccini's "Girl of tho Golden West."