MUSICAL COURIER
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June 15, 1922
retta Higgins, did creditable work as Camille and in various small parts. The chorus in the atelier scene was good and acted with surprising vivacity and the mise-en-scene, like that_ of “Carmen” in the able hands of M. Maurice Stre-leski, of the Nice Opera, was generally effective. The orchestra, again shone as an interpreter of Paris “atmosphere.”
A Weird Tale.
We have little space left for the two Swiss contributions to the festival. It is just as well, perhaps, for much cannot be said for them. The novelty, “Venus,” by Othmar Schoeck, was by far the better of the two and in many ways remarkable. It is a weird tale of a statue that comes to life —a la Da Ponte’s Commander in “Don Giovanni.” But this time it is a statue of Venus, the goddess of love, which an early nineteenth-century French baron has unearthed on his estate. He presents it to his ardent young nephew, Horace, and his fiancee, Simone, as a wedding gift; just before the wedding itself. Simone is all love and tenderness (her song of springtime resounds through the park at the outset) ; Horace is a restless searcher for mythical ideals of beauty. A dangerous dreamer. His friend Raimond, Simone’s cousin, scents the danger.
The second act is the wedding feast. An unknown masked beauty holds Horace in her spell; through the whirl of the dance Simone discovers her husband—in the mysterious rival’s embrace. She swoons; thunder rolls; enter tragedy. The third act shows the park, with Venus on her pedestal. Horace has followed his phantom into the night. He is deaf to reason, personified by Raimond, to sympathy, offered by the Baron. Horror-stricken they leave him as he rushes into the statue’s arms. He expires from her iron embrace, as Simone rushes out to save the man she loves.
An Interesting Score.
Armin Ruëger, a Swiss, is the author of this plot, inspired by a tale of Mérimée. A previous opera, in which he collaborated with Schoeck, “Don Ranudo,” has had considerable success. That “Venus” will be less successful lies in the nature of the work itself. Nevertheless it must be said that the peculiar mixture of romance and mystery, of lyric beauty and tragic horror have been realized in the music to a remarkable extent. Schoeck, as a successful song composer, has managed to reach moments of real melodic beauty in this opera, and his handling of the orchestra shows the master-craftsman’s hand. There is real modernity in his harmonic structure, and bold flashes of inspiration light up the score here and there. The best part of the work is in the second act, where the bacchanalian whirl of dance and song, into which the Venus motive enters dissonantly as a clangorous warning of impending tragedy, constitutes a climax that is nothing short of masterful. Genuine emotion are evident in this work, and given a good text Schoeck, who is still young, may yet succeed in writing a great modern opera.
The production of the work, by the ensemble of the Zürich Municipal Theater and under the general direction of Director Trede, was highly commendable. Curt Taucher, the Dresden tenor who also sang Tristan, created the role of Horace, and distinguished himself both vocally and dra-
had a difficult stand. Albert Wolff is sufficiently well known in America as an able chef d’orchestre, and it goes without saying that the orchestra under him was excellent, and caught the spirit of French music as it had caught that of German music before (which moreover lies much nearer home). The first performance of “Carmen,” however, stood under an evil star. At the last moment Mme. Madeleine Mathieu, who was to have sung the Carmen, was taken ill, and her place had to be taken by the proposed Mercédès, Mlle. Jeanne Bourguignon, who in turn had to be replaced —all without previous rehearsal. Mlle. Bourguignon acquitted herself of her task with surprising skill, exhibiting much—sometimes too much—temperament, and a voice of remarkable quality especially in the lower registers.
The Don José of John Sullivan, the Irish member of the company, was a disappointment, however. Gifted with a good voice he appears to be handicapped by bad production. He has, however, a handsome stage presence and his acting is adequate. By contrast the Escamillo of Julien Lafont shone especially bright. Lafont is a real star. He has voice —a rousing, vibrant, manly baritone,—temperament, and ability to act and sing. His phrasing, diction and style are excellent, and it was a real pleasure to listen to him. He had to repeat the Toreador song. The Micaëla of Mme. Vallandri, with due respect to this otherwise excellent artist, was marred by “shrilling” in the upper registers. The best of the performance, which nevertheless had French esprit and verve, was the orchestra. But it could not be called representative.
“Louise.”
“Louise,” brought along as the contemporary example of French art, had a better chance. First of all, Mme. Vallandri gave a representation of the leading character which, if it lacked the plastic conviction of Mary Garden’s, was perhaps more genuine in its delicacy and “Frenchiness.” She was all of the fragile, slender, coquette little midinette, the half childish, petulant but simple, warm-hearted, clinging-vine bourgeoise that Charpentier wanted to portray. Her singing, too, was far superior to what she showed as Mi-caela and in its best moments it reached transcendent heights of lyric beauty. Next to her, Sullivan, though much better as Julien than as Don José, was inadequate, and made one regret Charles Dalmores.
The parts of the parents were in the very best hands. I have heard neither done better. Lafont, as the Father, is a monumental figure—a hero of modern industrial life such as might inspire a Rodin. Every step, every gesture outlines the type; yet there is nothing patriarchal, nothing of the stage-father about it. His great frame shakes with the tragedy of life, the ftiry and the tears of the outraged parent tear at the very heartstrings of the spectator. And what a voice ! Every syllable rings with masculine beauty and carries the conviction that is the result of artistic sincerity. The Opéra Comique may be proud of Julien Lafont.
Mme. Carron as the Mother was hardly less impressive, and she too, has a voice that fills the fundamental requirements of the role. Of the minor parts those of Mlle. Bourguignon, the Gertrude, and M. Sorrèze, the Noctambulist, were especially well handled. A young American girl, Lo-
SECOND ZURICH FESTIVAL
(Continued from page 5)
inadequate scenery could effectually destroy the impression of a festival performance. Paul Trede, director of the Zurich Theater, had personal charge of the stage management, which was excellent on the whole.
From Wagner to Johann Strauss.
It requires somewhat of a mental wrench to transfer one’s attention from the great Wagnerian tragedy to Johann Strauss’ “Fledermaus”—the satyr play. But it is not such a far cry, after all. Certainly the juxtaposition seems less incongruous today than it would have seemed twenty years ago. Nikisch himself had selected the piece for this festival, and Nikisch did well. For a more delightful experience than the Zürich performances of the “Bat” we should have to rummage to the bottom of our memory. Delicious is the better word. Art? Why this is the finest, the most genuine and unaffected art imaginable! To find the equal of this in lightness without vulgarity you have to go back to Mozart himself, who in the last analysis is the progenitor of these sparkling ensembles—these musical “situations” musically resolved.
Bruno Walter has felt this relationship to Mozart, and there lies the secret of his successful interpretation. He abhors vulgarity, shudders at every banal touch; but he finds just the right medium between sentimentality and gaiety that constitute the Viennese atmosphere. “A lovely dream of lost happiness—the most beautiful thing in the worltj,” I heard him say to the musicians at rehearsal. That was the motto concentrated in the swaying rhythm of that chorus of tender couples (sung with the lights of Prince Orloff-sky’s palace turned low) :	“Brüderlein, Brüderlein und
Schwesterlein,” and casting a light, ennobling shadow of melancholy over the whole piece.
Fritzi Massary the Lire of the Party.
That the performance lacked neither gaiety nor abandon was warranted by the presence of Fritzi Massary, Vienna’s greatest operetta star, who sang and acted the part of Adele with the snap and finesse that come only of inborn temperament. She was vivacity and charm itself—the life of the show. Richard Tauber, another Dresden tenor, was a vocally superior and amusing Eisenstein, ably seconded by Erik Wirl, of Frankfort, as Alfred. Irmgard Riedel-Kühn, of Stuttgart, displayed a sympathetic soprano as Rosalinde, and the low comedy was in the excellent hands of Albert Kühle (Frank) and Egon Neudegg (Frosch), who kept the audience in roars of laughter for minutes at a time. The chorus in this case was excellent and the whole ensemble (Dr. Ludwig Horth had been borrowed from the Berlin Opera for the stage management) showed finish and spontaneity. It was, as I said before, a delightful experience, and I am not ashamed to admit that after three more operas —all serious—Strauss’ tunes are still running through my head.
An Unfortunate “Carmen.”
Against the record established by Bruno Walter and his German stars the French company from the Opéra Comique
rector), Aline Vallandri, Mme. Carron, Mile. Mendel, 6. The composer of “Venus,” Othmar Schoeck (at right of picture), with Walter Schulthess, another Swiss composer. 7. A “Fledermaus” group (left to right) : Gustav Helgar (Dr. Falke), Irmgard Riedel-Kuhn (Rosalinde), Dr. L. Horth (stage manager), Fritzi Massary (Adele), Richard Tauber (Eisenstein). 8. Stage door snaps (left-to right) :	Curt Taucher (Tristan), Karin Bran-
zell (Brangaene), Emmy Kruger (Isolde), Gustav Helgar (Helot), Paul Bender (King Mark).
PHOTOGRAPHIC NOTES OF THE ZURICH FESTIVAL
1.	A hot argument, Ernest Newman, the English critic, and César Saerchinger agreeing to disagree.
2.	Paul Trede, director of the Zurich Municipal Theater. 3. Friedrich Klose, the composer of “Ilsebill." 4. Isolde and Tristan in real life (Emmy Kriiger and Curt Taucher). 5. The Paris Opera Comique Ensemble (left to right) : Jane Bourguignon, Julien Lafont, Mile. Sibille, Loretta Higgins, John Sullivan, Albert Wolff (musical di-