The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-06-06
AN "EPISCOPALIAN" OPINION OF
ES


Some one has been indiscreet enough to send the
nbretto OF Faust for review to our contemporary,
The Episcopalian. This is what he gets for his
trouble 8
From reading the explanatory preface OF the
score OF morals. What do Christians want to know,
either by poetry or by song much less by represen
tauon, tie hidden things OF darkness, OF which it is
music of the highest character unconnected with
vice and crime? Cannot love;scene be depicted
sanotined affection on which the Lord will
smile be portrayed and surroundea with
being dragged into the mire of sin, and
foued with the protane language OF the pit? We
nor allow any over whom we had a responsible con-
troll 10 go. We could not permit 1t to be sung in
We fear we shall be condemned by the musical
critics, and regarded as too particular by many OF
whom We should expect different judgment But
decoration and establishment, the beauty
and melody, we repudiate or fail to appre;;
action, the worldly and wicked scenes portrayed by
the story, to which we object We regret that genius
the case II that genius was inspired by the spirit OF
true religion? But 10 us it seems If the poetic
god OF this world. We think for Christian families
the advice OF solomon is well applied to operate
not by 1t, turA from IL and pass away"
The reviewer is apparently oolivlous OF the fact
that the bretto In question is an exceedingly di-
luted version Of Goethes great poem but 1t may be
he is under the belief that the original is naughty
work which Christians should avoid, pass by and
turn away from, OF more probably he knows nothing
whatever about it. With regard TO the libretto he
acknowledges having based his opinion on perusal
OF the explarato preface, and 1t is toerahly evil
dent that he has never read a scene OF Goethe's
poem or witnessed an act OF GOunod's opera-or OF
any other opera, in fact Such being the case, how
IL
non-reigious public Will have any particular regard
for the views OF the EpisoopaIian the moral ten
dencies OF either the poem or the opera?
We hold that the moral tendencies OF
literary artistic work should so far as they are
good or bad, secure for it the praise or condemna-
tion OF both the religious and the secular press but
before condemnation is passed. the censor should at
least know what he is talking about Now the opera
OF Faust happens to be one OF the most profoundly
affecting productions OF the modern STAGE and 1t Is
not possible for person OF any sensibty to witness
reasonably good performance OF it without being as
much improved by the ordinary run OF sermons or
even by the weekly dissertations upon religion and
morality TO be found in the columns OF the EDSeopa.
liGn. The music Of GounOds Faust although its
claims to the highest RANK are denied by some is
strangely in sympathy with the subject and the
struggles Of pure soul with the powers OF evil and
its ultimate triumph and publication through suffer-
ing are so set forth that theatre fun of people who
"ilhess lho opeia aioi W ouI way OF thinking lar
more likely to be benefited morally than they would
be II they took the well-meant but ignorant advice
OF our contemporary and remained away. All true
art points its moral unmstakably, and as its infu-
ence is purifying and healthy to all but those
affcted with morbid and diseased imaginations, 1t
is most important auxiliary TO religion. II
Gounods Faust Is condemned, then Goethes works
must come unaer the ban, and II Goethes poem
why not Dantes OF Millions Shakespeare's plays
Or In fact ninety nine out Of hundred OF the great
productions OF the human intellect that have been
read with pront and pleasure by the best men and
women OF centuries past? The "Dlvine Comedy"
paradise Lost" the best OF Shakespeare's trage-
dies all treat OF the hidden things OF darkness as
the Bpiscopalan puts it, but We scarcely think that
our contemporary is prepared to advocate their
banisbmeLt from the libraries OF the faithful; but