The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-01
Spirited Revolt in Germany in Art,
Literature and Drama.
er in BROOKLYN Eagle.


Berlin is afflicted with new malady
known as Secession, 1t Is encountered
In all the newly opened spring art exhi-
billions. in the private kunst salons, in
the very latest musings of the German
spring poet and in fact in all branches OF
the fipe arts. There are scores of fantas-
tic theaters known as "Ueberbrettl and
Secession" theaters; Brilliant inan play T.,
the virus and abandon old standards
Every artist. dramatist, poet. literary
man or woman who has drudge joins
the ranks of the 'Secessionists and
ity. against SO called sycophancy. against
the classic, and convinces himself that
Secession" Is a synonym for new re-
Nuisance in German art. literature and
the drama.
But the malady does not confine itself
to the fine arts. 1t Is met on the boule-
wards. where pale young men with long
hair and overdl essed woman parade in
the unmistakab BILE secession garb. Dress
makers. tailors, Jewellers, the halter and
indeed all tradesmen are afflicted with 1t.
For the simon pure secesston1st believes
with all his heart and soul that 1t Is
which defies form, creed or the usual
conventionalities Window decorators vie
with each other to create secessionist Ell
fects. New buildings are erected not In
architectural. but In the secessionist.
style. CoachJnen sit upon their boxes IN
secessionist costumes. The bookstalls are
filled to overlooking with "Ueberbretti
poems and other literary products.
Secessionism Is no passing rad or Wflm
It has its roots in the reaction against
the royal injunctions and voices the pro-
tests of a certain school against the SO
called sycophants who are pictured as
willing to follow every beck and sugges-
ton of the Kaiser. stifie their individu-
ality and create "Siegesallecs." memo
rial monuments dedicated to the great
ruiz of nc prugSian DYNASTY and the
German empire, and in every way benc
the modern currents of art to the SOW
ereign will. For 1t is we'll known that
Kaiser William Is at heart bitter against
the secessionist craze and will not give
his patronage or approval to anything
that bears the traces of this so-calied
disease.
The newly opened spring art exhibit
tions reveal how deeply rooted the seees-
sionist school has become in German soil.
The Great Berlner Secession Austellung
in Charlottenburg presents only the
works of the secessionist masters To
the uninitiated 1t presents jumhle OF
colors hastily throSn upon the canvas
and then labeled. There are topping
houses red and green skies pink moons
all kinds of impossible landscapes, lhoh-
strous forms with bare semblance or
the human being and glarihg contrasts.
| You search in vain for the mefnod ina.
Is to underlie this madness. Here ana
there some rational painting appeals 10
| the artistic sense. But the intention OF
| the secession artist Is apparently to NO
| late all previous artistic standards 1g-
more all the usual rules and SCHOOLS 4 o OF
art. He says that one may hnd mere
traces of the old classical. the Grecinn
| and old Italian forms. touches OF the
Renaissance style and now ana tnen
| evidences OF the modern rsahstle sch h,hi
Immediately upon enterina; the exnipl
| ton the attention Of the visitor is rlv't-
| ed upon Ringers weird sculpture crea-
| ton of Beethoven. rms Work ms
| this season and has created a mild SEN
| sation Klinger treats she suoJect IN an
audacious manner by picturing PeetnoFfn
in the form of an ancient hero lie is
thrown across the knees. with bare arms
ard breast Beethoven is leaning lot
ward with some unfathomaoie propiy,ni
and trying to penetrate the future me
are accustomed to seeing Beethoven clad
In a mantle with scroll in his name. :.
In theatricals the secesSionist craze Is
still more rampant. one morning me
Won Wolzogen, a popular balladist anu
song writer had cpened curious liIt ,
playhouse near Alexander PiatI. ne
Stage was OF the rudest KIND, nu' . re-
semhling the portico of tIreclan teu-
pie with massive pillars on either sue
The seats for the audien 'e were ruus,
unplaned benches. and upon tne siaA
walls there were hideous races ISL ~, ,er
with powdered faces stepped he1ofe tne
curtain and recited ballads ana poems VI
!. dead mackerel or mongrcl cur. me-
| were one act comedies ana SATIRE plays
| Intended to ridicule and show the IRA
tionalities of the modern German utdtIt
| IF the Hauptmaun-S udermahh- ScI,n 'iid al
class. with its mortuary ana su'ei tSa
| climates There were plays from the
| peasau the criminal and working peo-
| ple Intended to show the difference pc
/ tween the way life Is pictured on the
| conventional stage and how 1t exists IN
reality. Through all there moved iSll-
| cal strain of poetry and satlre.
| Since Wolzogens Buntes Theater came
as the missionary of new cause over
score of secessioniss heaters 9d nay Rsu cie!
on Inter den Linden: the Runtes Ieoef3
hrettl 'Charivari," Secession ana
many other similar resorts. They 10 hot
confine themselves to burlesques anu
satirical presentations from famous Ger
man productions, but also take nbertles
with royal customs personages ana coz
ventionalities. which Frequently invite the
warning interference OF the police cen
sor. At "Schall ind Rauch' there IS a
takeoff on royalty. AS "Seremsslmus
a member of the company comes INTO tne
auditorium with all trumpetry anu IA" a. ~;
ing ate ndants. He takes ms sSh' Ms IL,
The royal box and is represented bv ms
aGjutant, kindermann. lie places l.ht 70
ZION decorations upon the breasts Oh tne
actors and in spread eagle fashlol uI'ei :
his SentlmC ntS on Ine LipN@. ~
tbo drama the need of showing servllltN
and resneet for royal roGies the a neon
sistencies of royal personaseSi .nastad
other act the King of Sweden en- Is h,n IoaI BTt
every one knows it is not the klne OF
sweden the filings are intenaea i"l' F.n,
other one act sketch at Wolzogeh gives
ridiculous Of the ARMY 4n5c of
s'.,.s ~ ~ djfyerent rank. In fact no MGR
shown put tie eTs Is sspes,ea in TO pT Re%n
- and ridiculc The reference is in
and yet 50 snse H., fai n See Whe
No actual Offense is committed which
would justify the official censor TO step
in and forbid the presentation,
Baron Won Wolzogen's original lnten-
tion. according 10 his manifesto to his
| friends was to create something between
| Inc absurdities Of the acrobatic vaudeville
stage and the iriaticralism and abnormal
| psychological draE;a in vogue at the
, Berliner the DcYtsche and Leasing thea
| ters He intended to create a stage upor
which the literary and lyrical gems heard
| only at cornwall Bohemian and private