The New York herald., 1874-12-16
THE DRAMA IN GERMANY.

ances which nave attended for some time past
Is the new translation and mise en- scene OF Mo-
zart's "Don Juan" whicn has been performed
only few times here at Munich. IL seems TO Us
strange ac' that the &c mans should have had
to wait unti 1874 Tor 'Don Juann to be performed
In manner worthy OF the great composer. But
SO II IA. Does any opera.goer remember 10 nave
seen the don Juann liven alike IN two separate
towns or cities Certainly not. Every stage
manager OF Germany mas GOT version o! MS own.
wnereln, as a rue the com cal paris. which In
German are IN dialogue, are often enricned with
wDat IL enormously considered TO be additional
comicai eHects. ln he original Italian every
part OF he opera IS sung. whlie IN German those
parts waici II ltaliaL are IN secco-recita.ve are
gwen In dialogue THIS Is an Inheritance from
the Tench. For space o. eight years
''DoN JUAN" WAS BANIsHED FROM THE MUNICH
People wondered why. some thought that King
Ludwig hao pernups nora oDlectl0ns against the
opera; tnat perhaps II might have demoralzing
ehect upon the .yoan- men and women uf Munich.
nave frequently listened 20 "Don Juann myself,
both IN frannlort and III Berlin, and admit al.
WAYS felt very muc. Rrieved aud disappointed.
Don Juan was represented SIMPLY as a coarse and
frivolous roue Just as low and degraded as he could
well be made and the Coarse je.ts OF Lepor-llo
were certainly unit Tor respectaoie ladies TO w:
derstand. Inc nell nre scene al the CONCLUSION
had very good eGecro on wicked people ana the
gods OF the gallery. Conceive for a moment the
change tDat has neen made by command OF this
young "unatlc King OF Davarian as Punch once
ignoranty and imbecliey called nm, forgetful Of
the racs that this young nonareh was ana is spend.
aud IN promoting music and the drama, wnlle
their own English princes were running over head
women. We nave 'Don Juan uut with the low,
coarse elements expunRed text purified from
the indecencles OF the original, end scenery so
very Deaut iul tnat we Imagine we are looking at
nature-a conclusion that agrees better with the
older spanish LEGENDS; natural end 10 the
being danced and yelled about by scores OF
Satanic lmps and then carried IN triumph to
hell. And lGe impression lett upon yon by the
performance ls that Don Juan appears for the first
time In the annals OF German opera In q manner
In which Mozart hlmselI would wish to have seen
hun. mini ely ennOoied and AZ last struck down
by offended DIVINITY rhe opera teaches now q
moral, wnere hitherto It attained . semrfarcicai
THE NEW DRAMAS TEXT.
The new text Is, as said, purified one, al.
though those passages which nave become pOpu-
lar especially the sweeter lyrical parts have been
preserves from the already adopted transiatlons.
Hana mnn nn oe iae s amd M us
remain In he same words as oeiOle. The ideas OF
the original Italian have been conscientiousiy pre-.
served but they are clothed In = language fitted
for the ears OF the cultivated modern taste. Tue
rude Jests OF the original Shakespeare can no
longer De uttered on our modern stage; nor can
the coarse language OF the original "Don Juan"
be gwen IN our modern opera, except 1t be
clothed IN the Italian language, when few
opera-gOers can understand. suppose there are
al least dozen separate TRANSACTIONS oi the
Don Juan" text IN the German language
and almost as many partiturs. In the year 1870
the direction OF the Munich opera decided that
"Don Juann tshlcn had Oeen oanshed In 1861
in purified form. They decided neither to
adopt Kocnltzs nor Wogogens translations, and
sae new ysrson And ne sI mas sssH suc g.
ceeded IN furnishing q very successful liuretto,
one that sallshes the demands and corresponds
with the spirit Ol tne times. he secco-recltatlve
is accompanied simply bv the kapelmelster str!K.
ing lew accords on the piano before him IN the
orchestra. IAN edition Of tae opera, prepared for
the piano, with the accompaniment to the secco-
recita,lve, prepared by the music director OF the
AGhermAEn. ~
''N~' IS SCENERY see t''S on S'1ni Tns MUNICH STAGE.
The scenery IS. IKE al scenery put on the Munich
sun or moon shining TWO ways at once, no sohd
looking structures shaking with every breath OF
and before II a oeautllui lawn ano shady avenues
OF trees stretching away up TO the distant ances-
mace oeore he y w me N c o he
brilliant ball room. whcn IS In the large castle.
The approaching conflict during the festivities Is
sweeps across the oackgr und, as II toreoodnG
the destruction OF tue reckless woman hunter.
the opening scene Of the second act, painted by
Jauk. IS the gem Of the entire scenery. The
bright moonlight alls on Seville as
brightly as e usually does in southern
! Cathedral. where Mlri.lo's great picture
was stolen, and the houses on one side OF the
street. The citizens are not al, gone to bed; the
windows OF some o. the houses stu glow brightly
The illusion IS perfect; we are transported to
Spain; we are gazing on reality not on theatrical
SHOW. The churcnyard scene, painted by Doeli. is
equally beautifully represented. The supernatural
he Is part OF the legend that could hardly be dis
pensed with. The greatest innovation Is IN the
STRUCTURE OF DON JCAN'S BANQUET HALL,
an immense apartment, one side OF which Is occu-
pied by large. hlgn Gotnic windows. through
which we see the trees and In the distant HORIZON
vivid flashes Q. lightning the instrument OF Divine
retri0utlOn. The dead "C0mtnur," the stOne-man
comes and disappears as usual through the door,
Increases, and while Don Juan Is again returning
10 the oanquet there Is VIVID fasn, thunder.
oolt' desCenCs. Strlklng the 0anQueter and the
castle
gwen TO Don Juan 10 the new version. Whether
u is an Improvement or not leave to others to
lucge. Ordinary opera goers would perhaps be
better pleased with grand underworld bonfire,
and the dancing and ye!ling OF satanic lmps and
clerical version adopted py DE Ponre; the new
.ffsdle is equally Jnstlhed by numerous other YER.
sions Of the Don Juan Legend current in Spain.
MUNICH.
Before closing this letter permit me to recall o
very interesting TACT which took place in connec-
ton with the nrst performance Of "Don Juanu IN
Munich IN september, i79o Mozart himself had
to dreci the last rehearsal and to attend the
first performance. He lived In the socalled 'Son.
neneck." now Burggasse No. 8. Alois Sennefeder,
afterwards renowned as the inventor OF litno.
grapny, was 'master OF theatrical requisites" ana
had severe time OF 1T In getting together
tue articles. required for the performances. He
had to ffsh up lantern for Leporello,
to prepare the long paper roll containing his mas
te's adventures 10 Tune the strings OF the guitar,
the Spanish boards IN rank and dle; in tact, ne
had TO look after everything. For him II was an
unpleasant. dangerous evening, put 1t was deS-
tined 10 give HIM Immortality, Just before they
commenced Mozart arrived, accompanied by the
director and young government assessor from
Posen, Ernst lheodor Amadeus Honmann, VINO
mad come purposeIy TO Munich in order to make
tue COMPOSERS acquaintance. rne opera CON-
menced; the performance was emlnently success
ful. HoEm ann, the story teller. has lett us some
remarkaoiy Interesting notices about the singers
and the manner In which they sang their parts.
FRANZISKA LEBRUN AND MOZART.
Frau Franzsxa Lebrun sang the part OF Donna
Evlra; she was affected to tears when she mad
sung an air IN whlcn she had recognized the muir
derer OF her father. Mozart pressed the nanu OF
the stl trembling woman warmly. II thank
YOU" ne said, that am at last able to UNDER
stand my own creation. | can die with a lighter
heart now tnat you have given me a pledge that
my name Will not ue lor4otten.o Mozart left the
theatre before the opera was finished, and locked
himself up IN MS own room; nothing could induce
MIN to appear AGAIN that evening. the perform
ance over the theatre was deserted by all except
one man. Aiois Sennefeder had stil much to do.