, 1876-02-06
SOPHOCLES.
Greek Tragedies upon the Ger-
man Stage.
The "Antigone," "Edipus Tyrannus, >
and "Edipus Coloneus," Per-
formed at Mannheim.

who scamper through Mannheim on their way to
urettier places would do well so to modify their
programme as to pass an evening there. The
town, II itself plain-to use no more discourteous
yord-wears yet precious jewel in it's theatre.
This is ono Of the oldest in Germany, and once,
under Herr Won Dalberg VAS, am told by d
Mannheimer, the best managed. It is classical,
too. "a the house in which the first acted play OF
echi,1er-"T The Robbers "--was produced.
The experiment has, ! think, never been tried
in England Of putting any play OF Sophocles On
thu staee but tho "Ansigone." whereas the Ger
maps are bold enough to complete tue IEllogy
by riyiug also the stEdipus 1yrannus" and the
.sGidipua Coloneue, "-p1aJs far less suited to
the nodorn stage. a1y: official play-bllI-w
is. even for Mapnheim playful, marvel.
ms. in addition to brief biography Of
Sophocles, the information that the 'AntlEone "
was first played at Weimar, under doeshea au-
spices, in 1909. It was then given three tunes,
and once again in 1918. In 1872 it goF by tne
help OF Mendelasohn's music and Donners
Translation something like 3 recognized foot
ing on the German stage, and has since been
frequently performed all over Germany !;
at Mannheim for instance, some twen'
ty times. When " Edlpus" Was hrst IN,
friend does not say, but probably very much
later than tAutlgone." as Mannheim d'd not
take him under her protection till 1572- Since
then all three plays haye been gwen at Mann-
helm once OF twice year, in the same week on
alternate nights and the e1pemenIt tht scome1 10
anxious to see for myBelf how it was carried
out aud with what B1:ces5. Obvious d'thculties
suggest themselves. The absurdlties OF the
Chorus for instance,--ayen when 1t IL READ ana
treated merely as splendid piece OF composl, i:s
tion,-are sometimes bnrely toleraolo, as IN the
famous scene where. while Agamennon ls
being murdered, twelve old gentlemen, doomed
by dramatic exigencies to remain on
the stage, listen to his groans, and,
one after ona an9hsF m ong
ion that something ought to be done
Such scene OIL the modern stage y ould be Alto
gether intoorable, except, indeed, IN q bur-
leeque. Then, again, ehonld the chorus 30
throughout sung, and, II 40, TO Mhat music;
May our powder and paint be considered q sui
fcient substitute for the ancient mask, aud the
modern high-heeled shoe. with the appropriate
.'Grecian bend" do duty for the co1eurnns
The mask IS, Of course. out Of the question: and
vet the Eant Of 1t creates for most managers
difficulty in .tcasting" the piece. Where un-
der cover OF the mask the same actor could ,pla3
two or moro characters. the dramatlst might
without much waste OF force or material put
magnificent description into the mouth OF
messenger, who il on1y Tor te" minutes on the
stage, OF, on tho othor hand, glye q
- A. Joc.sta fnr 1nstance Was uiayed b7
the leading ACTRESS OF the Mannheim Theatre,
HRS Herzleld an artist whose genius wonid do
mhan ,ha horrL}e trnt}, dawns nDon her tha. her
husband IL her son-bv-play which q spectator
closely following the COURSE OF the story might
easily enough have missad-vas the srlltary
chanco she got throughout the performance OF
.. En~xd,ca-or;oina11v n1aved hv an
actor .1 VIM .isa took other nartEhas oply about
dozen lines to speak and fifty more to listen
would be scarcely = se'es pessa5s .gs
vaf short AZ It is. only frst-rate actress could
N ;nstica ~ f. Eren t1,ese difficu1ties. though
bY no means trivial, sink into 1nsignificance
chen comnared with the radical defect, from q
throngh snch n1avs aa either tha .sGdinus
Tyr,nnns " or the sEdipua Coloneus," In The
formar indead. tha interest Of the audiance is
skilifulIT sustained By tho gradual disclosure OF
the tarr;hia sacrat which constitutes the story,
Rur tho gtory itself is Of too unnatural and
Horrible III; 0 a cnsrscter to enlist modern SYM
nathins thonrh a Greek believer in Ate
r.ioht follow it with D. feeling some
whst resembling that which in Catholic
countries is now excited by passion
no Mot whatever worth the name. The thin
mesnt % ~ npnareptlv. ] w. to gye Sort Of unity, is
The prophecy Of Edlpus that he has at
1Ast reached the land in which he is to die,
ami there ia little or nothing to sustain the 1p-
toreat Of modorn spectators who cannot get up any
eTc,1ament about the Furies or the De!phic Or
acie. nr even Xana himself. beyond the hope that
thls nronhecy MAY be speedily fulfilled. The old
man prepares himself Tor his mysterious doom
Nv viporo1aly cursing and thwartipe everybody
who 6as dcme him an injury, Creon's bold At
tamnt M to csrr. OF the dauchtera might excite
soma interest we're it not 40 Obvious that the7
viii ha rescned. The character at Theseus. a
rentleman born and bred, ia yery
nlea.inr and wins esteem. on -deyoted
ffiiial Affection Of Antieone aud Ismene-the
i.tter n nsio cony of her s1ster-touches the
avmn.thv INT thesa inertia aro too slicht ia
rsdaam tha NAV from ita d,ff;,ut;es m the mod
IN st,ee ~ 'A"' @''0N'''0 - Wv
Ct Tha eqon;,ita beantv of the lyrical nortions
consn;cnons IN tbe :. T,inns 1,olonans. tho1gh
hs anra -na.na a1tooatbar iost in .Harr Vii
aaJt,s % an;r;tad tTsne1at;on aae,ns to tho
rnndern n11v.roer strangely mt or ita n,ace.
That = mana9er. in short.. should NOWADAYS
49, nn1v ranengs - rive such 4. nisca hit .hon1d
ona 4 liz snccass - 1nore than shon,d h.ra
fthnunhf nnss;h1s II Ind not mrseIf seen II
Tarts;n1y 10 1arform.nce 1li mt ore tI,s s,,s.
caas - naratrIcn1s nrnsment In tha :. 1Ed;nn.
Tvr.nnna !, he acenerr was mite s1,h1,me IN ;1s
s;mn,;c;tv MT to NV ehahnnees The oraat
eods and coddessess thenselres-tha nasrons
6So~o @"A3 6H"S-A4 "AAeAN''S" - ~" S"'AeAA's