New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-19

Stands entirely alone the spaces between the pas
Ses o We s et down as absolutely mneodous be
cause In music does not separate tsti from tbe ca
Beet h ' we lind these doubtful gaps stretch
ing even in symphonies between tue r,o ea cam19
msSaH ps ass these intervals an interesting
nicance Mozart the other hand who IN rms me To-
dious form oiten-indced almost habtnay-fe,, baGs
upon frivolous that often eHh tahs
musc-hat is. music which between the presen tation
OF attractive melodies also pcseh n an u, east the
iaryrepeated and noisily modnatSns OF
Mostns nh cneTnPr aav poSal banquet set to
music The original and thoroughly brilliant method OF
Beethoven the contrary tended toward the compete
disappearance Of these interval PASSAGES and toward
giving the connections between the principal nciodeS
The poet who fully appreciates the inexhausbIe ca
pabilites Of expression Of symphonic meohy wall ma
the finest and most delicate shades Of this melody which
fap va ,r The so former narrow form
operate melody that was held up 10 him as model, VIII
empty dry scheme On the other hand, he will reveal to
the musicians the secret heretofore conceaea iroi
cuaby richer development than has appeared possible to
him. in the symphony; and himself foreseeing ths
development, he will make his poetic conception with
Where even the symphonist tmidly prasped backward
at the primitive dancefom. and never dared even or
the sake OF gaining in expression To entirely leave me
boundaries which kept him in connection WITH THIS for t
full waves of the sea OF music hand-inhand with me
never lose connection win that WIlch Is
Ineligible to every for, through me, You stand
forever on the basis OF dramatic action and inns aeton
directly integibc Of all poems. Extend melody fear
lessly that may flow through your whole work IKE
keep silence for You alone say it and l. though
silent will yet say it all-for lead you by the hand"
measured by that concerning which he is silent in order
TO let the unspeakae itself speak to MS silently It. Is
only the musician who can bring this that is silent into
clear oxlresson and the nnerrng form OF his ioudre
melody without his own peculiar instrument; and TINS
that lie viii this instrument utterly different
fashion from that Of the Italian operate composer. in
whose hands the orchestra nothing else but mons
irous guitar which to accompany the air -,
II WIN enter into the drama that have conceived o.
much in the same relation that the tragic chorus or the
! Greeks bore 10 the dramatic action II wac always
present before It's cyc' the motives OF action were
| from theni Judgment of the action s.lL BIT ihis
aPG s f G ranod +aaaS 2 Gd aye
tion and motives the orchestra Of the modern sym
sympathy with the motives that while it on the one
hand as incorporated harmony, makes it possible 70
other hand keeps the melody itself in the necessary
uninterrupted fucncy, and thus impaIts the motive To
dstinctnoss II must regard that artistic form az
the highest which can be comprchcndcd entirely with
1e we desire 10 tind h4 form in The musical
drama with the provisions already pointed outl, the
orchestra OF the syrsphonst ia the marvellous instru-
that alone can e., hc Oh III. are "
mounted tie stage in the opera; loses entirely, OBJ
posed 10 the orchestra and its importance, the sgnh
cation OF the ancient Greek chorus now be re-
gardcd only one ~ the persons concerned IN the
action and wherever IL not required such it must
seem in future Inappropriate and supcrGuous, mas
much as It's ideal participation IN thc action has ai"
latter in way that is always obvious, but never dis
| turblng.
The opcrahousc at Bayrcuth, built for the pur
pose of presenting an ideally complete representa-
lion of grand musical drama constructed upon
these principles presents many novel features most
of which seem to have originated in the plan for
conceang the orchestra, as to avoid 1.-THE un-
pleasant effect caused by the obtrusion of the tech
meal apparatus of the music before the eye"
Ihavc explained in my essay Beethoven the reason
why through the power cxeted over our emotions by
CyiI have denounced might he rendered unnoticeable
- though the sight itself we're ncutralzed But IN
IN point make the sight fully take in picture an
which only be brought about by entirely fre,
ing tie vision from the observation OF any intervening
Sense Of reality such a. inevitable when the technical
ence the door OF the orchestra had to be sunk
pth that the srectators might nave iniI view Oh me
it Was determined that the places for he spectators
might consist Of rows OF seats rising gradually one above
the other, tic elevation OF the hindermost tier being
limited only by the possibility of having tlence a
fair view Of The scenic representation Thus the
with, because from their elevated position on .he side
walls the STAGE the orchestra would be III f View
seen in the ancient amphheater, excepting that the
follu
sides to form even more than cniciftie could
not he followed; since IL is not now the chorus III the ~
most entirely ncosed orchestra which forms the clict
object of view but the scenic stage only presented to
the Greek audience as projecting surface, Out used py
Hence, we had to follow strictly the laws OF per-
spcctve according to which the rows of stings would
ways directly facing It, For the rest, all further ar
rangeepti had to depend upon che prosceni9n de
ngpoin for these arrangements Ny requiring the con-
ceIlmcn OF the orchestra soon led the eminent ana inge
/ ma whom
with upon the subject TO conceive the idea OF vacant
space between the proscenim and the first OF seats
real from the ideal and the architect PLACED
in front OF u second and wider proseenin the encct
of which intended 10 be wonderful Illusion of the
the 5 10 S 'te re the s ere 1D be
tween ts width and that OF the second rrosceniun.
the stage all the dstinctness of actual proximity,
be would imagine that considerable space lntfrytnSs
dramatic personages would seem to be magniiied into
suEerinman proportlons .u,, ,,.o,, .,,uoo o.
show how admirably this new relation between The
spectator and the scenic tahlcau works On taking
"Thcatron" indecd-i. e. simply place where one may
witness spectacle and witness it straight before hs
nothing That Il clearly perccptble only betwcen the
certain indenabe fleet of distance, which causes the
tableau Ia retreat from the spectator, as in dir
meanwhile the music, as form like "A spit
voice from the mystic gulf" like the yapor rising
from the sacred bosom of Earth beneath the trpod OF the
Pythia induces in him that spualized state OF clair
yoyancc wherein The scenic representation becomes the
perfect image Of real life.
A difficulty what TO be done with
the side walls of the body OF the thcaicr being un-
broken by rows of boxes they presented bare sur
face which refused 10 arm0nize with the ascending tiers
of sitngs. The eminent architect to whom the task
first assigned Of planning the theatel 80 Sbfilly
awaited himself here Of all the resources OF Ornamental
ton TO be- found in the nolcst Renaissance style that
these surfaces disappeared and were transformed into n
real delight TO the eyes. But inasmuch IN the CON
strucOn of ts prov siona heaier ut l5ayrcuh we bad
to all thoughts Of such alcntatiOn being
adapted only TO building constructed OF costly mate
ra the question again arose az to what was to be done
with these side walls The first Of the plans given In the
appendix exhibits 10 us an obong figure narrowing AS