Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-20

passion, - but S there are also lines and as,s zen.
meaning wherein a would-be mystic sub
Unity Is intended. But there is one grand
taonsnt through the entire work from pc,
MES labor of an original artist. whose
sentiment and fancy are developed to the
ates stage effects. which captivate the
great public, and which effectively in
iiuence the impressions, of the spectators.
upon modern stage mechanics; he moves
heaven and hell, fire and water. A short
sketch Of the scenic arrangement will illus
and the throne of the gods above in the
s sichssi at .n the se foos Of aee the Is yo fae pc SeSna q
The first act opens o the Seashore of the
Island Aea." and changes. to The Palace
begins with the first scene of the first act,
sshHn adEas'gs to rn the ,h kl9gd saq Of hss, shades IS
tinues on THE Sunfiower Terrace of Circe's
Palace" and ends in the Garden of
Gree"
that of "Odysseus' Return" is not due to
the music. Stin 1t does not follow that
Bungert's music lacks originality His
numerous compositions are proof that he
possesses sufficient invention of melody.
but the simplicity of his, harmonies and
preston Of powerful ramat passion. In
Gree there are many passages of great
musical beauty; The chorus Of the
and Gree at the end of the first act are
true masterpieces. But the totality does
not reach the imposing. grandeur of the
theless perfectly legitimate. If BungeIt.
the musician, lacks mastery over the
musical part, Bungert. the author. has has
poetic situation, the scenic arrangements
are powerfully effective. and the poetic and
dramatic genius of Bungert is his greatest
| merit.
1t is interesting to learn how Bungert
happened upon Dresden as the scene of his
first triumph; "odysseps' Return was
when he read by chance a note In a Dress
den paper that the baritone, Scheidemantel,
of pIc the Dr of a6s GpsFas had bp purchased PreIter. a time tine
famous painter. of Greek pictures. Upon
this slight clue he packed up his score and
Homer. like himself, with the request to
This occurred three years ago. schelds-
both nthusiastically recommended it to
Count Seebach. the intendant of the Dres-
den royal opera. and the result was the
p pefformanee Of W shn eb be: e sxehi,les the a sia
a aciFce. :oa aNassifaa'1 pe .3Sysseuff, from Retuf the
odyssey" "odysseus' Return. has been
performed over thirty times at Dresden.
| and every tim the house was crowded and
the enthusiasm at the highest pitch. All
of the six parts are nearing completion
now. and a syndicate has offered Bunger,
to build a magnificent theater, fitted with
all the necessary machinery. to properly
| produce this sensational cycle at Codes
berg, a little village that is an hours ride
! from Cologne. The offer will doubtlessly be
accepted, and the new "Festspielhaus" will
be opened in the summer of 1900. SO that
the numberless visitors to the Paris exc
position may easily take in q new wonder
of the musical world. .
The love scene in the first act OF "Circe"
is the most erotic I have seen attempted on
a stage. not excluding the modern French
society dramas. But the language in
| which It Is couched, the grandeur of the
dramatic conflict. makes it easy to pass 1t
| over in comparative silence.