New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-03
" H.tNNELE."
4 MORBID AND SILLY DRAMA
mechanism.

HANNELE-A Dream Poem by Gerhart Ha W1i-
mann Translated from the ieFman Gy Of N me
lam Archer 12mo PIP W. W ith PoI.i ,eo "a TIC
author London William Helnemann, 1871
A tin1e-honored method Of touching the ,sensioiii-
tics Of rnrenactng persons is that Of dilat1ion
mon the poeslb,c and Always pitabe sunerings OF
abused or OF morbid childhood Dickens used H.
notably IN his portrayal, OF Joe, in BLEAK House -
winding up a theatrical account OF the boy uea'n
with a portentoGs apostrophe 70 my 'o'"S a','
eentiemen' II the legislature were reSP0"''"''
for every ca Sc Of distress thai results from the
OWL in human nature and as II every wrong cou.d
be rghted by the passage Of AN act Mo'e'"
Gc,Ion teens with Instances 81 that sentimental.
and irrational. but easy and enectlVe' me'"ou VI
tear-tapplng II Is familiar device the newest
srlef OF that sort IS Mr. Gerhart haupthan"
"Hanne.e"
"Hannele" was originally tried as play In
New-York A, the Fifth Avenue Theatre. last sea-
son II me-; with disma, failure. In print. II Is
ca.,ed "A Dream Poem" Hannee was mother-
less girl in Seslan village and she was so
cruelty nl-used by her drunken st'pfatner tnat Al
,as, she tried % commit suicide by drowning, but
from that lea,h she was rescued by benevolent
schoomas,er named Gottwad. who carried her
10 the poorhouee. There she put to bed. and
there she fc.. into a stupor and had dream mat
dream narrated In series OF co..oauies, Is MT
Hauptmann'r subject. II was dream oil 'he
wicked s,epfather with his menaces and terrors;
OF the mother. IHdb anu gum % 81 ''T''-'N'O''
holy angss. OF he coming Of the black angel OF
death Of being treasured for grave-coihes; Of the
Kindly and flsciYatlng schoo.mast"r, or prePi'a-
,ious for her own funeral. OF a meeting with '"r'S'
md Of his rebrke OF her paterra. pefsA cutor' OF
glass sinners and a crystal coffin and. finally. OF
, transit TO Paradise. such dream might. In the
heaviness AMI alteration OF exhausted nature come
10 any child whose mind has been hlled with
:nawksh and iachrymosc sentimen'ality Llke"'se
It might result from toasted cheese Howsoe'er
promoted. IL is prere. maudln. ana morpid S'"'i'
Tho expo lieni % the dream. as mechanlca We
bcle for a play Is very oil upon the stage Mr.
uai,o,nann ill not invent H. Heroines have gone
to sleep and dreamed % angels many y uh'o' anu
many A here la, passed through a purSatory Oh
vrctchcdnefs 10 wake az as and ma IL ~! ureh''
The merits q Mr. Haup;manns WORK are discern.
ment OF the morbid state ~ the ch;ds mind ana
olortv 70 his perception in the portrayal OF H.
Ills composition however. shows no urusua, knowI-
edge of human nature no exceptional faciiiY III
writing dialogue. AMI no talent Whatever IN 'le "t'
Of poetry The nor.d ami turg!d verse with "hlch
the work closc'.-rem 'mhcr!ng that must oe
viewed As A description OF Paradise. from the hps
~ ,hrls.-can scarce'y be read with patience
Paradise saws Tho Stranger."-for so he Is des-
lgnatel.-cons'sts OF marble houses mat are rooleu
with gold and that further embe.lishei with
silver channels. through which bubo.e cont'nuiiE
brooks o, ruby wine. while tho neghboring streets
arc strevn with flowers. and wedlingbels ring, In
oodess peas amid green plnnaces that are sur
rom led with butterflies And The Stranger con-
cluies by commanding the angels to place nan
NEE in A marble bithtub h.ied with purple VINE
and the milk % anteiopes and subsequently 10
refresh her with a sort Of celestial mlnt-juiep-con-
sls,ing OF wine in a golden goblet, in which are
mingled Strawberries. raspberrles peaches. pine
applcs and oranges after that she Is TO play ball
With Heavens children" This gi;t-ginger bread
folly Is abei,si By Its translator innocent, humane
and revercn so may be. but it Is supremacy SHY
The most absurd par; % the book however ~
the Introduction. by Mr.. William Archer-one OF
those uneasy persons who insist upon wrltinS WIN
out ever having anything 10 say. and whose sole
Nibject liz the pronoun l. Mr.. Archer indicates
supreme contempt for MIR. Ebrdge l. terry OF
New-York who. 1t appears. objected 10 hanne'e
"a N revolving and horrible travesty or resu'-
rccton" and az awful b.asphemy Mr.. Gerry
may have made his censure unduly Vio'h put
even Mr. Archer II he could quit looking at hlmsei
long enough 20 see anything else. might nave SUI
hc.ent sense 10 perceive that persons VINO '"'"N u.
Jesus Christ : the son Of God ana the saviour VI
mankind and who truly feel the s1'emniy OF ,hat
awfu, doctrine can scarce'y be expected TO look
with appreciation upon theatrical enoodih'h' %
Him, Tho famous Passion Pay" produced under
the direction OF stage-maEaser from Ne"ha u
felt by Christian reop,c 10 he dese'ra'io'' anu i
known by theatrca! experts to be vulgar SNOW
piece Mr. Gerry. from his point OF view was per-
fecty right TO some people "IIannele' would seem
b,asphernous: to Others. merely absurd III u one
Of many ridiculous ou,grcwths OF literary period
which ia marked by feverish ami Almost insane
STRIVING after fantastic. sensational eHects Among
the new writer's OF the day there are but few who
seem abe 10 handle the simple implements OF art
,,itb anvtbinr like power. The Ioas the Ibsens.
and the sudermanns abound, and grotesque vulgar
uy. in all manner OF elaborate designs Is supposed
n indicate the audacty OF genius and the boidness
~ inleundent thought. Anything for slnsularity.
The craze Will pass. though as many another craze
boob Itan -
,or moro n denotement Of imperfect seSretions than
., genius Cold bathing and judiclous use OF
nbvslc would do wonders In the rectlhcation OF that
sort Of literature