_Wednesday_.--Great German Night. Third Part of the Festival Play for
Four Nights by RICHARD WAGNER, with (thank goodness just to lighten
it) an English translation by the Messrs. CORDER.
"_Sursum Corder!_" A light and airy work as everyone knows is _Der
Ring des Nibelungen_, or _The Nibelung's Ring_, requiring all the
power of lungs to get the true ring out of the work. Hard work for
singers, more so for orchestra, and most so for audience. As for the
"Ring," there are a lot of animals in the Opera, but no horse, so the
Circus entertainment is not complete until _Brünnhilde_ shall appear
in the next part of the tetralogy, with her highly-trained steed.
Odd! Throughout two long (and, ahem! somewhat weary, eh?) Acts, not
a female singer visible on stage (though one sings "like a bird" off
it,--that is, quite appropriately, "at the wings"), and not until the
Third Act, does _Erda_ the witch "rise from below," and we all saw
her and 'Erd 'er. Then, later on, appears _Brünnhilde_, asleep, "in
a complete suit of gleaming plate-armour, with helmet on her head and
long shield over her body," a style of free-and-easy costume which, as
everyone knows, is highly conducive to sleeping in perfect comfort.
No wonder _Siegfried_ mistakes her for a man-in-armour out of the Lord
Mayor's Show, and exclaims,
[Illustration: Scenes in the Ring. Sir Alvary Siegfried, with Nothung
on, as Master of "the Ring," gives a Special Entertainment.]
"Ha, a Warrior, sure!
I scan with wonder his form!"
(I was scanning with wonder the verses,--but _passons!_)--he
continues:--
"His haughty head
Is pressed by the helm!"
This at first sight looks nautical; and therefore his next question
is, "Can I speak to the man at the wheel?" He decides that, as the
sleeping warrior "heaveth his breast," and "is heavily breathing," it
will be a humane act to give him a little air,--[which is done in the
orchestra whatever air there is],--and then _Siegfried_ asks himself
if it won't be as well, or "better, to open his byrnie?" Those among
the audience who have been carefully reading the translation up to
this point, here look up and closely watch _Siegfried's_ proceedings,
being evidently uncertain as to what "his byrnie" may be. Some clever
person in Stalls observes that up to now, he has always thought that
"'byrnie' was the affectionate diminutive for a mountain 'byrne' in
Scotland." Which clever person had evidently much to learn. However
the effect of the operation for "byrnie" (which ought to have been
performed by Dr. BYRNIE YEO, ever ready to rescue a fellow-creature
in distress) is to show that the supposed Knight is a Lady. Whereupon
_Siegfried_ with "surprise and astonishment starts back" exclaiming:--
"This is no man! Burning enchantment"--he meant "Byrnieing"--"charges
my heart;"--(what charge does a heart make in these
circumstances?)--"fiery awe falls on my eyesight;" (bad symptoms
these!)--"My senses stagger and sway,"--So _he_ swaggers and stays.
It is some time before he can pull himself together, and then the
"Bewitched Maiden" awakes and addresses him bewitchingly. This causes
him to be taken with a fit of "exalted rapture," while the lady, on
her part, cannot help being "deeply stirred."
After a mad wooing, she laughs in a "wild transport of passion," calls
him a "high-minded boy," likewise "a blossoming hero," also "a babe of
prowess;" all which epithets, styles and titles, are in quite the vein
of _Falstaff_ addressing _Prince Hal_. Then, in return, _Siegfried_
can hit on no better compliment than to style her "a Sun" and "a
Star." Having thus exhausted their joint-stock of complimentary
endearments, they throw themselves into each other's arms. On which
situation the Curtain discreetly falls.
[Illustration: Sir Druriolanus Wagnerensis offering the Tea-tray-logy
to his Patrons.]
All very fine and large, of course. Orchestra splendid. _Siegfried_
and _Brünnhilde_ recalled four times. Everybody, including Mr. MAHLER
the Conductor, and Sir AUGUSTUS WAGNERENSIS, called before Curtain.
Madame ROSA SUCHER had her evening all to herself, to go wherever she
liked, as she had only to drop in at the Opera at 11 P.M., don her
armour in which to appear before the public at midnight, sing a
few solos, join in a duet, and be off the stage again by 12:30 A.M.
punctually.
The English translation will repay perusal. There are in it some
really choice morsels. This subject must be considered at the earliest
operatunity.
The Singing Dragon is delightful throughout, and his death as tragic
as anything in _Pyramis_ and _Thisbe_ as played by _Bottom the Weaver
& Co_, _Limited_.
_Saturday_.--Production of the Illustrious ISIDORE DE LARA's _Light
of Asia_. So the operatic day, that is Saturde-ay, finishes with
generally-expressed opinion that this Opera is a
"DE-LA-RA-Boom-de-ay!"
Everything scenically and stage-managerially that could be done to
make _The Light of Asia_ brilliant, Sir DRURIOLANUS has done; but,
after a first hearing, it strikes me that, regarded as a work for the
stage, it is a mere _Night-light of Asia_, which, like _Macbeth's_
"brief candle," will go "out," and "then be heard no more." If,
however, it be relegated to the concert-hall, as a Cantata, _The
Light of Asia_ may appear lighter than it does on the boards of Covent
Garden, where, intended to be a dramatic Opera, it only recalls to me
the title of one of RUDYARD KIPLING's stories, viz., _The Light that
Failed_.
* * * * *
A SUTTON THOUGHT.--Mr. CHAMBERLAIN can now allude to Lord ROSEBERY as
"a Sutton person of his acquaintance."
* * * * *
[Illustration: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
_Unfashionable Mother._ "WHAT A SWEET CHILD! HOW OLD IS SHE?"
_Fashionable Mother._ "WELL, REALLY, IF YOU ARE GOING TO ASK _THAT_
SORT OF QUESTION, I'D BETTER SEND FOR THE NURSE!"]
* * * * *