[3]There followed, in an interview in New York with the Evening Sun, a description of how she achieved her goal: She had crossed the Channel overnight [from London] to catch the Metropolitan's manager, Maurice Grau, in Paris.

Yohalem notes that "it was canny of impresario Maurice Grau to use a brilliantly-cast Trovatore with Lillian Nordica, Louise Homer, Emilio De Marchi, Giuseppe Campanari and Marcel Journet as bait to lure an audience to the new work.

[6][7] The premiere recording of Der Wald, sung in English, was released by Resonus Classics in September 2023 with the BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra, soloists Natalya Romaniw, Claire Barnett-Jones, Robert Murray, Morgan Pearse, Andrew Shore, Matthew Brook, conducted by John Andrews.

As the curtain rises, these spirits or elemental forces, under the aspect of nymphs and hamadryads, are seen engaged in ritual observations round an altar in the wood.

The merriment ceases; terror-stricken, the peasants fly... Iolanthe is a woman of cruel instincts and unbridled passions, supposed to be a witch, and dreaded with superstitious fear.

The peddler denounces Heinrich as the slayer of a deer..., and this gives to Iolanthe a chance to compel the young woodcutter to obey or to punish him for his indifference.

"[12] In contrast, The Daily Mail dissented: "The charm and quaintness of it will appeal more than its attempt to mirror intense human emotion and to this extent it is feminine, according to all tradition.

"[12]But, as Yohalem comments, "the most enthusiastic account comes from The Telegraph": The cause of woman took an immense stride forward last night... [I]f the composer has more like it, in manuscript or in contemplation, it is to be hoped that she will turn them over to Heinrich Conried [the Met's incoming impresario], and so brighten his first year of tenancy at the Metropolitan... ...

Its loftiness of purpose and seriousness of design are supplemented by a wealth of musical ideas, and a skill of construction which result in a strongly rounded whole...

She is not afraid to use the brass and heavy strings, her climaxes are strongly developed, and her fortissimo passages are of great quality and body...[12]In contrast, The New York Times was not at all enthusiastic: The case is one of vaulting ambitions and a general incompetency to write anything beyond the most obvious commonplaces.