, 1870-07-03
THE AMMERGAU PASSION PLAY,


have Just returned froln seeing
the AnlneEBAu Passipnspiel, which HsS-
pnnssa TsutphGus made familiar to rs
"Q1it.." An elaborate drama acted by peas
ants % religious soie,aDity once in ten yeaEs,,
and with MANY points Of likeness 10 the an-
cieI.t Greek plays, If worth ..eing at nll must
lie very we'll worth seeing went prepared to
eee mixture Of rough bunoonesy nnd clumsy
attempts TO initiate tr4ined actors. aud the
nothing rough or clumsy in any part Of tho
performance. The peEBonAges Of the drama
were not like regular actors, aud yet
they acted well. There WAS peculiar stamp
about the whole thing; whether from natural
good taste or tradition which had gradually
refined itself it would be hard to say. The
number OF performers il very great, and even
Of speakers considerable Certainly not less
than forty or fifty Of the latter. and yet every
one, almost without exception. spoke audlbly
and III quiet and natural way, the very opPo-
site Of the laundering self-consciousnesa OF
ters Of common play. The accent whs in
vincal enough, but there was 10
where ANYTHING like yulgArity, anything
that could offend the ruoat refined taste.
Wien it is considered ta,At the actors are.
without exception, peasants born aud bred III
Ammetgau, and thns they have no teAching
seems At titrt sight little less than unAcs:ouut-
able. i il true that throughout the Bavari.n
Highlands the peaeallt has free and III 1!ilS
bearing, and is in many respects gentlem.n
born. 4 refining tradition acting u.pou this
favorable nature. and helped by the constant
superintendent OF the successive eiergymen
Of the place. Will, perhaps. 20 fer to account
for the sustained toue which tue dram. 30 re-
msrkab]y displays.
Ar in the ancient Greek theatre. the build
ipg in which they act j. open to the sky. On
this occasion. indeed, for the first time, por-
covered, and arc let at high prices, but the
bulk Of the audience Fit i'll the open air. The
lilla around arc Eccn over the stage, and the
ru4tlinE Of = row Ut poplarn IN each side aup-
plies = constant undcEtone to tho action.
When the doves are let loose in the temple.
air above, and the swallows dart across just
over the heads Of the spectators. III the
stage part Of the theatre there is wide plat
form in front extending ovar the whole
breadth OF the hnilding, md also Of q consid-
cradle depth. Behind this stands in the mid
action goes on. 1t has d kind Of temple front.
with pillars and ps4]imcnt. II i. covered iu
and provided with drop and back scenes. The
enacc in front is go wide Certainly not leas
than 100 fectA that there is room on each ride
tho central stage for Bide buildings. with bal
comes IN which much OF tho action takes
place. mn. a:.eyos.d these for roomy porttcoes,
through which professions t.s:!er aud retire,
and which show behind them vista Of honaas
to represent the etrec.s Of Jerusalem. The
performance begins in \ striking way, From
each end OF the front platform the chorus ad-
vance, and meeting in The centre range Them
selves in row fronting the audience.
They are about twenty in number, meu
and women equally divided. and dressed in
long tunics Of clear colors. over which arc
sh0rt muslin caseocks, and over them again
long robes OF many folds, also OF bright col
ORE contrasting with those OF the tuhies- The
effect ie very brilliant, and they al wear their
Strange dresec8 with remarkable ease, As il
they Werc their everyday clothes; not at all
with tho look OF trasessy which hangs over an
orli,tn1y theatre. In fact, all the performers
tame way there arc hardly any false boards or
wigs. Each performer has been getting ready
for lis part for year,, and his hair and beard
have been allowed to grow or trimmed to suit
it. All this gives \ wonderful mir Of
reality compared with the common tEansparz
ent devices Of make nF. There il donble
action throughout. First, a eeries Of fable0ur
rirau,s ar1ansed in the central covered stage,
and representing rcones OF tho Old 1'esta-
ncnt, which arc supposed 10 havo foreshad-
owed events in tho Saeior's life. so the ba1-
gain Of Judas with tho Hjghpriests IS pre-
faced by representation OF the sale Of Jo-
scph t,y lis brethren, md his treacherous hss
hy Joah's ASSASSINATION Of Amasa- One or
two c{ these tableaux precele each scene in
the history Of the Iassion. They arc in zach
instance introduced by short explanation
sTokcn by the c1.oraglts: thc8chorns then fall
hack in fcmirircle on each side OF the ccn-
ttal etaEe: the curtain draws mp Gu flietab!esu.
ait! while it is shown the chorus sing some
simple yeres dwelling. on the connection be.
-. this erart n7td t},e rorre.,,oudin- mn II,
iasd-a dozen tdics and nds';iap1fs Ha afs. hy e the
.ncnts. The music is .l.roushout plain and
-oleuan sufficiently m"sottous without tlztraet-
,rE the attention f,r too decidedly marked airs.
Aiter cacl. tablc.u division Comes a
scene in the last history Of our Savior,
beginning With his trinmphaa entry INTO .lc-u-
ea!cn. and ending with the Ascension. Thry
are eighteen in all. The lang. .1asc Of the
speakers is simple but animated, and the
A. much III rossiblc, brought in and filed out
in an ingenious and probable way, The dresses
Of the performers, like those Of the chorus. arc
very handsome and brilliant in color and the
s,,,r,her Of actors is 80 great that tho eject ot
the crowds ard professions Is admirable
The Interest Of the whole centres naturally
III the performer who represents the Savior,
To eyes accustomed to regular beauty the tirst
effect is rather Disappointing. The mans
features arc small and somewhat contracted
hut l'y degrees, and in particular in ths latte,
spcnes. tile entire sIltai'lcness Of his face a,iG
figure forces itself on the mind. lie is thu
Christ, not, indeed. Of Leonardo, hut the
more expressive anl suffering Chri.t Of Alber,
Durcr. Tss natural thick black lock.
hang on lis shoulders. and tho short
| eighty .forkci heard corresponds :ccuratel,
| w.ih tic traditional portrait nf Jcsur. III
wcatH mantle Of crimson nver rohc oi
rurr1c 60 fitting and noble that one il content
to overlook the anachroni+n, nf the b7ig!
| n,iline dyes. lie acts with perfectly natura
| dignity aud psthos, highly nervous o.sa,,izs
tiol', and seeming to enter go Thoroughly int.
the spirit Of lis part that n,,e cannot l,a. fea
that tho exhaustion Of the later scenes il m
altogether rut OH. lie preserves lis calm
the money changers from tho tempt,
and tie washing the disciples fcet
with astonishing success. indeed, j
moderation runr through the whole perform
Without h oeing II, tan tame ese1y f., aftor take
Of czsggcraton, OF the butroonery whicl
filled the medjnval mysteries there IS not
trace. The sccoudasy parts are well-ru=tain
ed. reter il characteristic in the scene Of tn
denial. Jchl. Q1ar1lly by aeeideut) looks al,
dresses IN imitation Of Zurb1sans fi1le p;csur
III tic ,Iuniel! gallery. There i , trace of .h'
stage lsle onls one tlrouglsout) in tho ACTIN
Of Judas. Lut tho character is we'll KEEP: nj
and tho sorcil'lc action is, perhaps, tcce.ssr,
to Tie general effect. Tl.e IsisL-presss All
csunsel!ors, Pilate and the Romans, are Il
we'll ALL suitably represented: In every cas
the action is natural aud urforccd, With til
peculiar eomf inatien Of 1rt7.ac ana Nso
interest rircs III the closing ecencs. and come
to a climax in the cznclti4ion. THIS il life
! like to startling degree. Wien the scen
opens tisc thieves arc already on the c-oss.
but she. centre Que is lying on the GROUND
with tho sufferer stretched upon !:
the presence OF the aulicn:c, Al,
: the subsequent action during which they lIsn,
on the rrcss lasts something Ike half al 10 i:
; There IL no sign OF the eu,i:ryanccs by VIII
! the Christ is suspended. lie appear. I" IAN!
! By the Isila. aud when the spear l,iczcrs hi
side llool Eusllcs forth a Iuus. painful +: :ea
i. the l,r.akin; Of the leg. Of the thieves. I'LL
the taking them down from tue cscss- III
way i'll which each limb iE turn az it is -tr1s.. :.
drops from life into the FlScr of lnatL
and the stirling manner in wLith the il
rrcss:ou Of lifclcssness Is given to the boiie
as they; are borne dowa from tho crosse
i bears witness to the careful training Of tt
acsors. That the game constant attention. t
livcliucss Of detail is seen in the action Of til
principal figure need not bc statetl 4 saut
der seemed to run through the assembly 4
Sieodcmus on ladder behind thel cros
| GRADUALLY looteHs ahd 1ueh ptllla Opt eacH Ia
in tunn: while the arms sti1ening hut ne
yet rigid are bcnt gradually down to The side
OF the body. A long strip Of white int
il passed under the arms, aud i
this running over the horizontal limb OF Ii
crvss the tods is SLOWED to sink slowly TO til
ground. The winding sheet il spread out. ~
The motionlcs= body il laid upon it, snppozte
BY the Virgin. The group 80 formed, whctht
taken FOR its t<uthfulacss or pictuzes4uenes
OF effect, wopll bear comparison with any {
the numerous paintings OF The SANG sccn
en ,"co.ae Inc s.s naSe
is not sight for weak nerves Tears AoWe
abun1Antly lamong the audience. and that q,