and doing until the catastrophe was reached, and the deep, unselfish,
tender nature disclosed in her sympathy with the ill-starred lovers
and her immeasurable love for Wotan. Her complete absorption in the
part fitted her out with a new gamut of expression. "If anything can
establish a sympathy between us and the mythological creatures of
Wagner's dramas," I wrote at the time, "that thing is the acting and
singing of Materna." The drama made a tremendous impression, and in the
three weeks which remained of the season (including some supplementary
performances) "Die Walküre" had seven representations.

The remaining incidents of the season may now be hurried over to make
room for a record of the catastrophe which marked its close. By the
middle of January it was reported that the receipts were double those of
the corresponding period in the previous year, notwithstanding that the
price of admission had been reduced nearly one-half. By this time, too,
the board of directors had decided to continue the policy adopted at the
suggestion of Dr. Damrosch and engage him as director for the next year.
This decision had not been reached, however, without consideration of
other projects. Charles Mapleson, a son of the director of the Academy
of Music, and doubtless only his go-between, submitted a proposition for
the directorship, and so did Adolf Neuendorff, a man of indefatigable
energy and enterprise, who had given New York its first hearing of
"Lohengrin" at the Stadt Theater, in the Bowery, in April, 1871. In
January there was also a strike of the chorus, which was quickly
settled, and all but the ringleaders in the disturbance taken back
into favor on signing an apology.

Rejoicings over the success of the enterprise gave way to general grief
and consternation with the unexpected death of Dr. Damrosch on February
15th. On Tuesday, February 10th, he contracted a cold from having thrown