DOI Heft:
June 18, 1892
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17693#0302
June 18, 1892.]
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
293
1892) RISES FROM THE SEA 11
OPERATIC NOTES.
Wednesday— Great German Fight. 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
Ber 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 Briinnhilde 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
Scenes in the King. Sir Alvary Siegfried, with Nothung on, as Master
of " the King," gives a Special Entertainment.
we all saw her and 'Erd'er. Then, later on, appears Briinnhilde,
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,
" Ha, a Warrior, sure!
I scan with wonder his form! "
_ (I was scanning with wonder the verses,—but passons /)—he con-
tinues :—
" 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 breath-
ing," 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 P"
Those among the audience who have been carefully reading the trans-
lation 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 " 1 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 " Byrnie-
ing"—"charges my heart; "—(what charge does a heart make in
these circumstances P)—"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 "exaltedrapture," while
the lady, on her part, can- J|Q *\
net help being "deeply MWjij $
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 epi-
thets, styles and titles, are jl
in quite the vein of Falstaff \
addressing Prince Hal,
Then, in return, Siegfried
can hit on no better com-
pliment than to style her
"a Sun" and "a Star."
Having thus exhausted
their joint-stock of com-
plimentary endearments, Sir Druriolanus Wagnerem-is offering the
they throw themselves into Tea-tray-logy to his Patrons,
each other's arms. On which situation the Curtain discreetly falls.
All very fine and large, of course. Orchestra splendid. Siegfried
and Briinnhilde recalled four times. Everybody, including Mr.
Mahler the Conductor, and Sir Augustus Wagnerensis, called
before Curtain. Madame Rosa Sucher had her evening all to her-
self, 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 8f Co.,Li?nited.
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 3Iaebeth'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 Budyard 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."
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
293
1892) RISES FROM THE SEA 11
OPERATIC NOTES.
Wednesday— Great German Fight. 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
Ber 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 Briinnhilde 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
Scenes in the King. Sir Alvary Siegfried, with Nothung on, as Master
of " the King," gives a Special Entertainment.
we all saw her and 'Erd'er. Then, later on, appears Briinnhilde,
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,
" Ha, a Warrior, sure!
I scan with wonder his form! "
_ (I was scanning with wonder the verses,—but passons /)—he con-
tinues :—
" 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 breath-
ing," 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 P"
Those among the audience who have been carefully reading the trans-
lation 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 " 1 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 " Byrnie-
ing"—"charges my heart; "—(what charge does a heart make in
these circumstances P)—"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 "exaltedrapture," while
the lady, on her part, can- J|Q *\
net help being "deeply MWjij $
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 epi-
thets, styles and titles, are jl
in quite the vein of Falstaff \
addressing Prince Hal,
Then, in return, Siegfried
can hit on no better com-
pliment than to style her
"a Sun" and "a Star."
Having thus exhausted
their joint-stock of com-
plimentary endearments, Sir Druriolanus Wagnerem-is offering the
they throw themselves into Tea-tray-logy to his Patrons,
each other's arms. On which situation the Curtain discreetly falls.
All very fine and large, of course. Orchestra splendid. Siegfried
and Briinnhilde recalled four times. Everybody, including Mr.
Mahler the Conductor, and Sir Augustus Wagnerensis, called
before Curtain. Madame Rosa Sucher had her evening all to her-
self, 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 8f Co.,Li?nited.
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 3Iaebeth'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 Budyard 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."