New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-03
FOLK-MUsIC IN CHICAGO.
PRIMITIVE ELEMENTS OF THE DRAMA.
DANCES, RELIGIOUS AND DIAMATlc-rHE JAVA

DANCES RELIGIOUS AND DRAMATIC-THE J,vAN-
! EsE AND CHINESE THEATRES.
| II wishes one may find all the elements OF
| the modern drama except the scenery among the
dancers and other performers of the Midway Pais-
snce and elsewhere In the Fair. Hitherto we have
| been content In studying the genesis Of the drama
| 10 trace 1t from the plays of the classic Greeks
| and Romans through the miracle and mystery plays
| of the Middle Ages. Little heed has been given to
the fact that there Is not a single feature in that
development, which has down to by liter
| airy report tradition which may not be seen In
full activity among savage or semi-cvilIzed peo-
| ples to-day. II will but listen Alright putting
| aside the personal equation which Is inspreh by
| the conventionalities of modern life he may hear
what in its essence the Greek tragedy was by
going into Chinese theatre. There he will find
empied that union OF song. instrumental music,
antomimc and spoken dialogue which the Floren-
ISne Iterati three hundred years ago recognized as
| being characteristic OF Greek tragedy which they
attempted to revive, and In the so doing invented
Italian opera. More than this II will accus-
tom ones self to listen dscrmina tinsy to the din
| of the musical factor OF Chinese play leaving
aside all expectation of being pleased, but seeking
| TO arrive at the purpose of its employment, one
will discover that in principle the drama OF the
| Middle Kingdom Is also the drama OF Richard
| Wagner. The conservatism OF the Chinese Is
thing for which students ought to be profoundly
~
steps of early civilization like the proverbal fly
| in amber so that we need not speculate about
Them. but may observe them We may look AT
them through the vista of many centuries, yet also
have them living entities before our very eyes
We are learning to study the origin and growth OF
NEUROLOGICAL and religious systems by seeking an
alogies amongst the folk tales and customs or
the peoples who to-day are in a condition of print
tivisri. There Is much to learn concerning the
nature OF music. and the arts which have always
been consorted with music, by application or
similar method. As yet little has been done; but
the paths arr opening.
In this paper shall attempt to bring to notice
some of the clements Of the drama in their print
tive forms, they may be observed at the WORLDS
Columbian Exposition. Not caring to disturb ira
dition, since that easily be made to serve.
glance at the generally received account OF me
origin of Greek tragedy may enable us to muster
the ancient elements. for which we may then find
modern parallels Every schoolboy knows that the
Hellenic plays simply the final evolution OF
the dances with which the people of Hellas ceie-
brated their religious festivals. At the rustic Bac
chic festivals of the early Greeks, they sang hymns
in honor Of the wine god and danced on goatskins
filed with wine. He who held his footing best on
the treacherous surface carried home the wine as
a reward They contended in athletic games ana
songs for goat. and from this circumstance
scholars have surmised we have the word TRACE
dy" which means a goat song. The choric
songs and dances grew in variety and beauty
Finally somebody drajition preserves the name OF
Thespis as the mani fonceivedN the idea OF intro
ducing a simple al/gue between the strophes OF
the choric song Gaerally this dialogue took the
form of a recital % some story concerning the god
whose festival was celebrating. Then when the
dithyrambic song returned it would either continue
the narrative or comment its ethical features
The merrymakers. worshppers Gas one chooses
to look upon them, manifested their enthusiasm
by initiating not only the actions but also the APP
pearance Of the god and his Votaries. Ihey
smeared themselves with wine-lees, colored their
bodies black and red. put on masks, covered Them
selves with the skins of beasts, enacted the parts
of panes nymphs. fauns and satyrs-thoSe crea-
lures of primitive fancy, half men and half goats
who were the representatives Of natural sensuali-
ty untrammeed by conventions Next sonebody
(ArchIochus. say the books, sought to heishten
the effect Of the story or the dialogue by cohsort-
ing it with instrumental music: and thus we find
the germ of what musicians mot newspaper WRITER'S
call melodrama. in the very early stages OF the
development of the drama. Gradually these simple
rustic entertainments were taken hold OF by the
poets who drew Oh the legendary stores OF the
people for subjects branching out from the doinSs
of gods to the doings Of god<c men. the popular
heroes and developed out of them the master
pieces of dramatic poetry which are still read ana
studied with amazement. admiration and love.
The dramatic factors which have been mustered
in this outline are these;
|.
purpose.
.. Recitation and dialogue.
D. Chara cterization by means OF initiative ses-
lures and dress.
L. instrumental music to accompany the song
and also the action.
The word dance must here be understood In an
entirely different sense than the modern The
social dances of to-day well as the ballet-danc-
ing OF the theatres. Is artificial product which
has scarcely a single point Of connection with
either the classic dances or the dances OF print
tive peoples. The ancient dance was what might
be called a conventionaliZed pantomime. 1t told
a story partly by imitation of natural movements.
the meaning of which obvious; partly by means
of pastures and gestures to which significance had
arbitrarily been given Charles Kingsley waXed elo-
uuent at the mere imagining OF what the ancient
dance was. "a dance in which every motion was a
word and rest eloquent as molten; in which
every attitude fresh motive for a sculptor
of the-purcst school, and the highest physical ac
tivity WAS manifested not i'm panto
mines IN fantastic bounds and unnatural disor-
lions, but In perpetual delicate modulations OF a
stately and self-sustained grace. Very beautiful
and very correct; else all the stories of the
influence OF the ancient dancers fables. There
can be doubt that pantomimc dancing was
brought TO a perfection under the old Roman En-
pire of which we can scarcely form an idea. The
cynic Demctrus once attacked dancing, saying
that the charm came from the accompanying music.
A dancer who overheard the criticism asked the
philosopher to withhold his censure till he had
made test He then commanded the nautists and
singers to their music, and without accom-
paniment danced scene; the amour of Venus and
Mars. the betrayal by Apollo, and the capture Of
the pair by Vulcan in his net. At the conclusion
OF the dance Demerius called out: what kind of
man you? / not only see, / hear everything, |
and since you talk well with your hands. you |
may easily dispense with all other speech" Nero |
once entertained barbarian prince with what we
would call ballet d'action though 1t was a solo |
dance. The visitor could not understand the words
of the song but he understood the dancer.
on his departure Nero begged him to ask gift !
''Givc me the dancer and make me happy" said |
the barbarian What will you do with him In your |
country asked Nero. II have neighbors" replied |