New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-24
THE MIKADO" IN DRESDEN.
HOW THE GERMANS TOOK GILBERT AND
SULLIVAN.
frnox STAFF CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIBUNE.
INV" npysDEy AuQust %.

trnox STAFF CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIBUNE
DRESDEN. August d
D,ring last week several performances Of Gilbert
and sulIIyans "Mikado were given here at the
Residenz Theatre at the same time that Wagners
te,ralogy. Der Ring des Nibelungen" was receiv-
inu its first complete and consecutive representa-
ton at the Hof Theatre do not DOUBT out that
70 MANY English and American tourists the comet
dence seemed happy one There was DAY IN
termisson between the second and third ana third
and fourth divisions Of the tragedy. and Tor those
vino preferred to dilute their Wagner It was az
least dvertng to turn from contemplation OF
the sadlest Of all" Teutonic gods to the merrlest
and maddest of all japanese monarchs' Inc
M;kadoy was performed by one of Mr. D'Oyly
Car,o, comnanies IN which several of the principal
6gures we're those of the long New York season
AR Federico. Mr.. Ellington. Miss Foster aud Miss
c, uaur Before coming to Dresden they had
anneared at Berlin and Leipsic. wnere as al ORES
den they were received with unequiyocai delight
It. was not difficult to observe that the triumph
was in much greater degree sir Arthur ouiiiVanS
than Mr. Gilbert's, q distribution OF nohors 10
which I will forever remain unreconciled. Inc
German critics have been hearty IN their praise OF
tho music; as might have boon eApecteu. thcS
have missed entirely the humor oil the hore''o
while conceding the ingenuity OF ITS CONSTRUCTION
I fancy that this is the reason why by the time
ducel to it. lowest denomination and 80 mana led
that II served only loosely to hitch ogether the
m,sjcaI numbers of tho operetta. There was no
nle.sure in the performance for one familiar WIN
the work from the admirable representations gwen
AZ the Savoy Theatre, Lonlon, and tlltn Avenue
New-York.
The comedy being thus curtailed OF a large
fraction of its length. sons unfortunate III
tha MANAGEMENT thought to add to tue attract We
ness of the Gu terta nment by producing Trial by
Jury" rs an opening piece In TINS clever skit
there is no spoken dialogue but he who conceived
the idea had IN ,de no study of the German charac-
tar There was only one thing associated with the
production of the farce com cal than to see a
audience sitting unmoved throughout so nproarions
a bit of satlrical absurdity. each brow wrlnkled IN
An earnest endeavor to learn what 1t Was all abous
md emerging moro wrinkled than ever after each
dive into the translated libretto and that was to
read the solemn Judgment of the ne spaper critics
a few days later To them the fun was foiy. the
satire silly Mr.. Gilbert h I'd aboret IN vain. That
there was biting corrective underneath all the
playful nonsense OF the trial scene never entered
German head. One writer who was committed TO
an approval of the book of The Mikado trled TO
relieve himself from tho dilemma when arose
" hen he contemplated " A Trial by Jury rs from
the same pen by informing his readers that i'll its
several acts which had been condensed into one
for the present purpose But then he couldn't uD-
derstand why 50 much trouble had been taken with
a piece which no German manager wOuiu prohuce
with IMMUNITY" But IN praise OF Sir arthur
music this writer was sincere and hearty a. was
Or Hav slick in praise OF d" | he Mkado," which he
recently IN London. ne reception ol Iuo
| Nlkalo" in Germany seems 10 point TO the estab'
Isnmeut of the works of the English colaborators
in tue Germar opeietta lists. 1t vii on be neces-
sarv for Mr. Gilbert to choose as the object OF his
satire some phase of life which Is universal ana 10
hud n German collaboration who can reconDose us
lines translate then, inveuting IN the herman
verbal plays similar to those which pepper ms
| pages. ! am sure that Princess Ida would
have succeeded in Germany though 1T Jailed 10 the
i1ted states. while " Patience and lolanthe
| would have remained a mystery. In the hands oil a
| clever translator Mr.. Gilbert wonid mud that one
| element of his writing which is needed but little
| across the channel and ocean would become an
act7 factor acre. HIS taclle alllteratlon' repro
| a travesty OF Wagners Nlbelungen verse ana DO
| aimi red accordingly. IL L. h.