II, Theaterstücke 21, Komtesse Mizzi oder: Der Familientag, Seite 243

S

characters in both plars had caught the
The programmethe Stage Society's
atmosphere“ of
the piece
It was a
performance at the Aldwych Theatre yes¬
curious, puzzling afternoon; and on the schole
terday afternoon consisted of two strongly
it left rather a bitter taste behind it. After
contrasted works of the
Viennese
al, is such a piece as“ Comtesse Mizzi
dramatist, Arthur Schnitzler.
The first
wonth writing? Does it make men’s hearts
was the onc-act play,“ Comtesse Mizzi,?’ rejoice?
Be
translated into English by Mr. H. A.
H. M. W. an¬
Hertz, and a masterpiece of delicate in¬
the
delicacy. At one moment sive persons
were on the stage: Count Arpad Paz¬
Ro
LONDON SVMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Wa
mandy, a widower, whose prolonged
The new work by Glazounov, produced bytric
liaison with the actress, Lolo Langhuber,
Vales
the London Symphony Orchestra at theithi
has just come to an end through that
Oucen’s Hall last night, proved to be of but
Mi
damsel having decided to settle down and
moderate importance. It is called a sym- Bl:
marry in her own class; Mizzi, the Count's
phonic pieture, with the descriptive title
charming unmarried daughter, aged thirty¬
* Spring. As a matter of fact, it is an
seven, who, unknown to her father, has,
sty's
early work, Op. 34, and the music seems to
eighteen vears before, had a liaison with a
ane
euggest a mensure of immaturity. But not
certain Prince Egon von Ravenstein; the
Di¬
so much in the ideas as in the treatment.
Prince himself, vcho has come to call on
SCC
The thematic material has great charm; it
his old friend, the Count, and at the same
Iry
is the working-out which lacks interest and mu
time has brought his naturai son, Philip,
tra
grip. The mere suggestion of a springlike
with him, to introduce him to his mother,
ae
ext¬
mood in the music will not, of course,
Mizzi; tne boy Philip, who chats charm¬
Per
balance the want of coherence of design;
ingly to his mother without knowing his
one had in this work beginnings of things,
bet
relationship to her: and Lolo, who has
fresh and pleasing, but too little was made
sel:
come to say farewell to her old lover, and
:: S.
of them, and the picture, so to speak, was
is welcomed warmly by the daughter, who
not held steadily and persistently enough be¬
rec.,
whispers presently in her shell-like ear
fore one’s eyes.
con
that she, too, Mizzi, has also“ had her
Wal
fling.“
The conductor last night was M. Wassili
And when four of these have
larden
Safonoff, and although the orchestra’s play-#the
Kone, and Mizzi is left alone, there creeps,
tet
ing was rather ragged at times there was nol#ol
rather stealthilv, into the garden a certain
6
lle
doubting the exhilarating nature of some of
Professor Windhofer for a short talk with
the interpretations. It is, perhaps, question¬
her; and lo and behold, we soon learn
par
able whether, technically, Safonoff gets the
the
that her fling?' has by no means ended
best effects hv dispensing with the bäton;
SyHE
with Prince Egon, and that Windhofer is
on the other hand, it is not every conductor
only the latest of the pretty spinster's
who can get such emotional impulse out of
many lovers. All this is set forth with the
thef
the orchestra. One would not lose that to#trag
grace and wit of a crowned and completed
gain greater precision. Smctana's“ Ver- beg.
civilisation; a settled and wise order of
kaufter Braut'' Overture was taken at as butt
life. A more repulsive tangle is scarcely
Itremendous pace; too quickly, really, for
concelvable; and yet nothing jars; there is
pres
iclearness, but the effect was extremely brac¬
nougliness.“ Every onc is good-hearted,
I.),
ing in spirit. The 5-4 movement and thef in
well-bred, and utterly immoral; and every
march in the Tchaikovsky symphony showed Nig
little dilficulty seems soluble with a smile.
the conductor at his best (and orchestra, too). chaf
The play is among the most graceful an
In both the rhrthms were swayed by an
ihe most corrupt we have ever seen, 3
a
einotional feeling rarely heard. In che first
masterpiece, as we have said, of delicate
dras
movement the phrasing of the sccond sub- aud:
indelicacy, a thoroughly dangerous play—
pera
ject was remarkably expressive.
to those who accept it as a faithful pie¬
ture of life.
mance)
**
lace
Ma,
The Things That Matter
The second was the cne-act plav of the
zest
* S4
French Revolution,“ Der Grüne Kakadu!
The agitation to buy the Crystal
(" The Green Cockatoo''), translated into
to 4
Palace for 4230,000 still gocs on; and
English by Miss Penelope Wheeler. It is
NN.
ratis
meanshile—
the night of July 14, 1789, and the streets
the
of Paris are echoing withthe guns that are
Really beautisul and priceless things Ition¬
ree-act
battering down the gates of the Bastille. In
are either being destroyed or are being.)of e
the cellar of the Cockatoo tavern, however,
Vice¬
taken out of the country. The cost #f appe
a group of careless, heedless aristocrats have
Very
the ugly Crystal Palace would preser#e# tals:
assembled to sec the dramas which the land¬
ayne's
many of tuem. Also #e hare no ##¬####
gester- lond produces mightly with the help of the
Tt
iterial-Ptatterdemalion and corrupt crew of male and
ships. This sum—deseribed as
hard
Fanner Pfemale flotsam and jetsam sho haunt the
paltry—ould purchase si#r first¬
1107
onable place, Presently they find that onc of these
class airships. True, the one thing
basse
dramas is setting forth the murder of a cer¬
nodern
would be paid sor out of rates, und the
latig
enness # tain Duc de Cadignan bv one Henri, posing
Thel
others out of taxes; but both rates and
on thelas a wronged and jealous husband; and
peac
taxes mean the public pocket. I'e
leasant they find Henri’s performance eveselingly
horn
convineing. Suddenly the Duc himsell ap¬
have no# in France, and will probably
his in¬
strin
pears, and Henri rushes at han and stabs
a far
have immecliately in Germany, an the
festive- him in the back so that he falls dend. At
erample of genuine seis-sacrisice onthe
ent-dag #that the aristocrats feel slightl disturbed.
the part of the individual eitisen for hapt
However, they have enjoyed“a new sensa¬
man
the public good; but there is abso¬
in
tion,?' so thev are not seriously affected;
find
lutelv no sign that the average
theit
and finally they return to the carriages
and
Englishman is prepared to make anz havi¬
which are no deubt awaiting them outside,
udgery
and a wild-eved Citizen leaps upon a table
this
saerisice for anything, except amuse¬
eal bis
and proclaims that the People are King!
since
ment.
It has not happened in my
Such is an outline of the more obvious part
larl.
It is a
time that the individual eitisen has
of the storv; but there is a great deal more
nd it is
been required to make a real sacrisice
in it that is not quite so clear—at anv rate,
trongly at a first hearing. The picture, however, of
of anz kind. Dur generalion has had
Tk.
I8
a licentious and morbid aristocracy, and a
a pery easy time. In these circum¬
crud¬
d with#o less depraved and desperate mob, is
the
stances the average man really must
zince in
suflicientlr vividto leave the spectator rather
the
try to rediscover the true proportion of
repre-surprised, in the end, that the Vicomtes and
the
things, and decide, for example,
ve girl, Marquises should have been allowed to
mac
zehether a protecied home, or an
ie crlist ##escape. Probably Viennese taste would not
sing.
her life have submitted to such a massacre of
unprotected Crystal Palace, is his most
did
to love
aristocrats.
urgent need at the moment.
mak
ness to
*
ing.
e, who
W'e can easily afford to have bothk;
chor
ne, cast
In each play the acting was polished and
the decenev to be observed is, eohich
cihe
aint of
effective. The oaly fault that could be sound
#e are to have first.
The
with the Mizzi of Miss Ketberine Pele was
Frnsor Yonxe. clost
What cnused these intersecting wrinkles 10
the mountain refuse of the lce Ages; the The¬
appear on the brow of the great land plat-mountains themselves are built ofthe organic is
Ar.
#fermof the Old Werld? The iden that i and inorganic dust of the seas.
mon