MUSIC.

THE " RING " IN ENGLISH.

THE scheme of presenting the Ring in English at Covent Garden, which has recently been carried through w:th such marked success, was no sudden or hastily conceived project on the part of its chief director and organiser. Dr. Richter has told us that it had long been his cherished ambition, and certainly it would have been difficult for him to devise a more graceful or helpful means of testifying his gratitude to the country which he has made his second home. It is unneces- sary to dwell on his peculiar fitness for the task. From the day when the young horn-player of the Karnthnerthor Theatre in Vienna went to Wagner's Swiss home to assist in transcribing the full score of the Meistersinger, Dr. Richter has occupied a unique position amongst the hierophants of the Wagnerian cult. The generous recognition of British art involved in his latest achievement thus derives a special lustre from his distinguished antecedents and his commanding position In the musical world. We cannot help feeling that Dr. Richter would never have undertaken such a task unless he had confidence in his ability to carry it to a prosperous issue, or, in other words, in the artistic equipment of the forces at his disposal. Such a decision, then, is a most welcome tribute, from perhaps the greatest living expert, to the efficiency of British musicians. After such a signal example of laudari a laudato, it will be hard even for our most candid friends to renew the old depreciation of England as an unmusical country.

That the task was no sinecure will be readily allowed when the difficulties by which its realisation was beset are fully examined. The question of the band was happily plain sailing. The London Symphony Orchestra, is a splendid body of players, familiar with Wagner's music, and inspired by a complete con- fidence in the illUstrious conductor under whom they have probably played more frequently of late years than any other orchestral chief. Dr. Richter's high opinion of the musician- ship of British instrumental players is well known, and was fully justified throughout the recent campaign. The real difficulties began and ended with the choice of the cast, for it was Dr. Richter's original intention, not only to perform the Ring in English, but to engage none but British artists for the purpose. If it bad been possible to make a choice out of all the eligible British or English-speaking singers, this intention might conceivably have been realised. But as a matter of practical politics it was a counsel of perfection. At the time fixed for the representations some of the best singers were otherwise engaged. For example, we believe that Madame Kirkby Lunn, who has already taken part in the performances of the Ring in Germany during the summer season with great success, was fulfilling an engage- ment in New York; and doubtless similar reasons accounted for the absence of other well-known artists. The choice being thus restricted, there remained the further diffi- culty of finding adequate representatives of certain roles requiring a peculiar assemblage of qualities vocal, physical, and histrionic—notably those of Siegfried and Mime—and here, in default of British artists of incontestable fitness, it was decided to retain the services of foreigners of tried capacity and skill. The scheme, then, was not rigorously but approximately carried out, but the approximation was so close to the ideal that the result may fairly be claimed to have proved Dr. Richter's contention,—that the Ring could be efficiently represented in English by an all-British cast. In

individual cases the company could have been improved upon, but when the inexperience of the artists—many of whom were making their first appearance in opera—is borne in mind, the general effect was surprisingly good. On the whole, the singing compared favourably with that of the best German companies; indeed, in many cases it was infinitely

pleasanter to listen to, while the ensemble of the Valkyzies has

never been surpassed. The representations were not lacking in surprises. For example, though choral singing is generally admitted to be the glory of English music, the performance

of the male choir in the Gotterdiimmerung was disappointing both in attack, volume, and tunefulness. But the law of the

unexpected bad other more agreeable illustrations,—notably the discovery in Mr. Walter Hyde, whose stage experience had been previously confined to the sphere of musical comedy, of a singer fully equipped for the important role of Siegmund.

Miss Agnes Nicholls as Sieglinde and Briinnhilde in Siegfried not only sang admirably, but showed a marked ability in

realising the dignity and grandeur of these heroic roles. Indeed,

of the whole company there were very few whose achievements might be summed up as vox et praeterea nihil. That is no

doubt partly due to the inspiring quality of the Wagnerian music-drama. It has often been observed that one never sees bad acting in Wagner any more than in Ibsen. But a large share of the credit must also be allowed to the excellent stage manager, Mr. Hedmondt, who has in his time filled all the tenor roles in the Wagnerian repertory, to say nothing of the advice and guidance of Dr. Richter himself and his efficient lieutenants, Mr. Percy Pitt, Mr. S. P. Waddington, and Mr. Emil Kreuz.

There remains the question of the adoption of the English version. Here, as in all similar oases, we are met by two conflicting principles. First, that on artistic grounds it is always better that an opera or musical composition set to words should be performed in the language of the libretto to which it was originally composed. Thus, and thus only, it may be contended, can the intentions of the composer be adequately fulfilled. Second, there is the principle that opera will never take root as a national institution and conduce to the greatest happiness of the greatest number unless it is given in the vernacular. The subject is too large to be discussed in all its Lea.rings, at the end of our present article. For the moment it is enough to say that the excellent version of Mr. Jameson—at once faithful, intelligible, and dignified, and avoiding the angularities of previous translations—which was employed at the recent performances at Covent Garden, went far to disprove the view that English is a language inherently unfitted for opera librettos.

Those who were familiar with the original text could not, of course, be expected to find it an altogether satisfying sub- stitute. The most serious criticism, however, invited by the experiment was due to a cause over which Mr. Jameson had no control. With very few exceptions, the enunciation of the performers was so imperfect that it was extremely difficult to follow the words. For the shortcomings of the foreign artists engaged there was every excuse. But they were not the only offenders. Many of the singers were not only indistinct, but followed in the matter of pronunciation the bad traditions and conventions of the British stage.

To sum up : the performance of the Ring in English was vocally and instrumentally a great success ; from the

point of view of the acting it was decidedly promising ; but in regard to the enunciation of the words it was in the main indistinct and undistinguished.

One cannot quit the subject of the recent performances at Covent Garden without expressing the hope that they will not be allowed to remain in the category of interesting but isolated experiments, but that some means will be found for turning to further practical and fruitful use the company which was organised for the purpose. The enterprise, though Dr. Richter was its prime initiator, was carried through with the sanction and under the auspices of the Opera Syndicate. That much criticised but powerful corporation will be missing

a golden opportunity of strengthening its position if it fails to utilise the native talent revealed during the last few weeks in the direction of giving an extended hearing to opera in the vernacular daring the summer season.

0. L. G.