New-York tribune., 1897-01-17

is full OF picturesque stage expedients. and. more
over. they not the everyday ones. but are for
the most part peculiar TO this work. or nearly so.
| Two outsiders. one who writes and one who draws.
were permitted By Mr.. Parry. the stage manager
| a. the Metropolitan. to get a close view OF the
| dragon the other night. and they found him and
| his companion accessories OF the opera altogether
| fascinating and often not little amusing.
| Some persons who do not appreciate the genius
| OF the great master OF the modern lyric drama
| have sometimes admitted that they found even
| this wonderfui a trle slow 1t Is true that 1t
| occupies II considerable time. and that through
the greater part OF only performer is visible
| 10 the audience. But behind the scenes there Is
| nothing slow about H. and there are 4 good many
| more people and several more things to be seen
| there than from the front.
| or course the dragon Is the chief centre OF In
| terest Fafner lies Il raised PLATFORM or at
| the right of the hole in the drop which is the
mouth Of his cave. and through which he IL TO ap-
| pear when the time comes. There Is no sign or
| life about him. except that now and then his eyes
light up and then 20 out sleepily. as some unoc-
| cupied stagchand plays with the wires that serve
| him for optic nerves. For the dragon is rather a
pet with the stagehands, and they like to gather
around him and study his accomplishments.
| COMPONENT PARTS OF THE DRAGON.
| The act Is just beginning and the dragon will
not have play his part for some little time. so
there IS opportunity for his maker. Edward Siedle.
| the property man. TO explain how he IS made and
| how he works. His body is OF cloth and his head
| OF paper His legs and feet are not attached TO
him His feet-or rather. the bodies that are at
tached TO them-are sitting near by. waiting for
the time join themselves to the dragon. These
are two young men. with the big, ugly legs and
feet and claws of the dragon pulled on like two
pairs of combination overalls and boots. They
are big enough to go over their own shoes and
so this beast is supposed 10 be the only specimen
O he kingdom
feet
The man who plays the part OF the forefeet OF
the dragon wears a heavy belt, with hooks on the
sides to carry the wires by which the eyes are
Illuminated and the rubber hose by which the
dragon breathes ont his breath OF steam. This
hose is connected with steam pipes that come up
through the stage. and the breath Is turned on
and off by n man who stands in the wing and
watches to when the dramatic effect requires
iron runs from the creatures head back through
% plays Gp Ihe hird legs moves the head up and down
Independently OF this. the man IN the forelegs
moves the lower jaw and the feelers about the
The fore and the hind legs are ready long be-
begin singing. The proeramme says that Fatner
the voice OF Fafner Just here difference is OBJ
seivable between the notions Of justice OF Richard
Wagner and those OF Edward T. Rice. Nobody
who sees how the dragon is constructed can help
remembering the heifcr In 'Evangeline. But on
gets any credit while the fore and hind legs are
forgotten. on Mr.. Rices programme the actors
Of the fore and hind legs OF the hefer are men
toned. and nothing Is said about any voice.
VOICES OF THE WILD FOREST.
This s a depression. NJ. Castemary stands In
the wing some way IN front OF the cave, with his
mouth az the little end OF big horn. Close to
him is cabinet organ. Mr. Saar. the assistant
conductor. sits at the organ. The voice OF the
dragon has his notes before him and candle TO
read them by. Mr.. Saar has his notes before
him and two candles TO read them 10y. The
OF both intent the notes. ana
the OF Mr. Saar intent the
orchestra. 'I'n deuX. trois." says Mr.. Saar. he
touches a key of the organ. and then the voice of
Fafncr roars out through the forest. lie beats
time Will" the voice goes on. and then listens 10
the orchestra again. iic watches his notes, and
does VI. castelmary, as II they were afraid that
somo OF them would get away Tn dcuX tros.
and the roar of the guardian Of the Rhine gold
sounds again.
The forest bird Is singing. down In the orchestra
and "A musician comes and takes his place near the
voice OF the dragon. He Is the voice Of the pipe
OF reed that Sicgfri.d blows to initiate the voice OF
the bird Then Siegfrieds horn strs the echoes
and the dragon last is reused. BY this time the
two young men who play the legs have got their