The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-27
AT THE THEATRES.
olumbia-'sThe First Violin"

Friedhcm Helfen ...................... Mr.. Lloyd
Herr Ge,eim,ath stoltr Won Pappenlieim
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Mr.. Griffith
Miss Italian Mis- Reock
MerTick ......................... Mis- b. ooks
liauieih Anna saitoriu~ .-.....--..... Miss Oliver
Miss May Weddcrburn .............. Miss Moli on
Frau schmidt ........-..-.....-.... Miss Gliddon
TIARA '-..''................. Miss Blanchard
There came a crisis, and the men sent
deputation to Eugen to say that if he
would accept the post of leader they would
strike, and refuse to accept any other than
he And then he urged them so
strongly to stand by Herr Won Francius
that We were quite astonished.
Amid the silence that ensued. he began TO
direct us. He had won the day
for Won Francius.''
This is from the seventh chapter OF the
fourth of the books into which Jessie
Fothergill divided her graceful pen picture
of German student life, The First Violin :"
The musicians under Max Won Francius
the director at Elberthal, have grown
weary OF his rule and approach Eugen
Couryoiser with a view to putting the
place in his hands. The young fellow re-
fuses the honor thus suggested and, by
the magic OF his commanding individuality
and mentality, saves the official head OF his
superior. OF such nature is the incident
they who have read the novel must recall
it. In an adaptation of that novel. per-
formed under the original title bsfore a
brilliant audience last night at the CO.
iumbia Theatre, Richard Mansfield, as
niCio in r Nod fDr n
cause not quite his own. This time it was
Jessie Fothergill's reputation and that OF
THE First Violin" that were saved. MIR.
Mansfleld's repute and his genius and his
personality accomplished the task.
Unreservedly The First Violin" is the
least worthy of the plays that the Ameri-
can master has produced since attaining
his present eminence. statement that
the work of dramatzation had been badly
done and that Miss Fothergiils dilation
of unconseduential things had become
brutal handling of consequential ones
would not describe the vehicle. though
doubtless the claim need not be qualified.
The truth OF the matter is that The piece
is unworthy-unworthy of the intellect
and discernment and comprehension OF the
artist who exploits it. In the offering
there is 50 little that is self-explanatory
that persons unfamiliar with the primal
version could not possibly understand the
spirit and drift of its story. So little of
the much that has been taken from that
story has been treated with reverence and
appreciative tenderness that they who are
familiar with the p, imal version must re-
greet understanding. The greater portion
of the rather pretty tale has been de-
graded 10 a level from which even the
wonderful influence of Mr. Mansfield does
not entirely lift ito level that. but
for the elevating power of MIR. Mansfield.
might be said TO have covered the play
with the mirc of mediocrity. The musical
theme OF Miss Fothergill's book-Raff's
Fifth Symphonie-in the adaptation, be-
comes 20, Du Lieber Augustin:' the at
mosphere no longer is of simple lives and
gentle loves. but OF beer and sausages.
The "Augustin and the beer and the
sausages are literal. This is the altera-
ton that has been made.
The lowering of standards is marked
throughout the entire presentation. 1t is
not that lowering which the admiring read
er of a story imagines when the arranger
has not seen characters and incidents as
he or she may have seen them. 1t is a
brutal. uncompromising lowering. 1t is
a lowering which converts creations that
were pregnant with implied nobility into
self-lauding cyclists; conceptions that
were Iedoient with quaint humor which
rendered them grateful to the nostril of
the brain into broad, ungainly caricatures.
One might have found Max Won Francius
in love with May Wedderburn. and Anna
Sarlorius, guised as a dreadful stage scoun-
dreless. willing to do anything that would
win for her the regard of Eugen CourvOi-
sieT-one might have found these usual
nessas, deemed them necessary TO the con-
struction of a drama. and have tolerated
them. But it is hard to discover that an
inconsiderate remodeler has forced Fried
helm HELEN, the devoted and reserved.
to boast that he has not eaten for days.
forced Eugen Ccurvoisier. who bore his
wifes sin sooner than expose it. to plead
that an explanation of his guiltlesSness
would not be believed. II is hard indeed
TO be introduced to Karl Linders with 4
conic thirst and colorless hair. Merrick
with a scnseless denseness concerning the
German language. Clara Steinmann. alias
Schmidt. who delights in picking green
ribbons and quarrels with her betrothed.
it is hard to have subtle suggested. singu-
lar motives distorted into the trite. the
apparent and the conventional. All this is
hard. whether the auditor admired Miss
Fcthergilis rather Laura Jean-Li bbeyish
yol:ime or not
The bald stor, told in the piece is almost
as il was in the novel. Initially the spec
tator sees Friedhelm Helfen's room at
L
with its l0aely occupant. Karl Linders is
present. and Anna Sartorius. with Clara.
who is made the daughter of the lodging
keeper. Friedhelm Helfen is very miser-
able He has decided upon suicide and
is about TO blow out his brains when the
new first violin, Eugen CJurvoisier. comes
with the boy Sigmupd. and with the aft
lection and interest that friendless Fried |
helm has never known. Then there is the |
station at Cologne. where May |
WedderbuIn. an English vis!tor separated |
from her companions. finds it impossible |
to continue to Elberthal, her destination |
Eugen COuryoisier meets her, regards her |
kindly. lies about the next trains and. de- |
spite the jealous watch of Anna Sartorius. |
steals an hour of her company. The OBJ |
server is shown the apartment Of the com
rades at Elberthal. Miss Wedderburn cuts !
her cheyalier in that apartment, lacking |
a seat at ''LOhengrin.' and. repenting. re-
turns 20 find that he has taken the cut to !
heart and means to abide by il. Sigmund /
is claimed by the family OF his father, and !
is sent away. Desolate Eugen Courvosier |
learns to love May Wedderburn as she him. |
This love holds through their mutual tri- |
umphs at the concert hall, through IT, |
exposure of the generally accepted idea |
that the musician is forger. and until the !
first violin. righted at last. is received and |
receives his bride into the home OF his |
ancestors. Rothenfels. So far does the |
play follow the hook
In the following there are strong |
touches and artistic, despite the degrade !
ton mentioned. The first of these occurs
during the conversation between Eugen |
and May. at the station, and, perhaps. is |
more apparent because of the cheapness |
and unworthness of the characters and in