The Washington times., 1903-08-23
SALVATION ARMYOPERA
KienzIs "Der Evangelimann" Gives
Berlin Theatergoers a New Sensation.
Melodramatics to Wagnerian Music.

era anu II might appeal because Oh llS
psalm-singing. The story is nauseously
naive. The first scene is laid in lower
Austria, 1920: the second in Vienna.
1850. The action concerns the doings of
a wicked elder brother, who, furiously
jealous of his younger fatter and
therefore a superior man-plots his de-
strnction. The casus belli is a pretty
girl, the niece of an official in their na-
tive town.
In Act I we see a picturesque scene, a
church with a brief glimpse OF sky at
the background. There is choral sing
ing. Matthias and Martha, the hero and
heroine, discourse of their love without.
Then as they go off the wicked-mind-
ed brother, very thin, very baritone as
to voice and altogether sinister. notes
their enlacing arms and growing affec
tion. and whispers his suspicious to the
uncle of the girl The affections of his
niece are surely being tampered with by
the clerkly junior brother. The bass un-
Gle is wroth. and the mischief maker
goes his way rejoicing. Martha and Ma
thias-a brace of lovely names-are
reprimanded and the lover sent to Cow
entry Johannes, the elder brother.
makes his appeal. and finally snatches a
kiss. I forget how this kiss is orches
trated-something baleful and whirring
goes off in the orchestra. The indig
nant maiden slaps the naughty man, who
swears vengeance.
Evening is at hand. So is a merry
band OF comic opera villagers, who
make bold to play at bowls and sing
right Justify. At this juncture the COM
poser tactfully abandons Wagner for a
combination of Millocker and Victor
Won Nessler-the latter being the name
of the man who wrote the fatal ''Trum-
peter of Sakkingen" and its weinstube
harmonies.
Ten Pins Set to Music.
For the first time in the history of the
divine art, a bowling match is set to
music. You hear the rolling balls, the
click and tumble of pins. and the cry
in the music, naturally-of "Set 'em up
again in the other alley" The question
more than once occurs to the listener
that in this scene Herr Kienzl discloses
his best and truest gifts musical as a
delineator of picnic pleasures. AS Franz
Defregger, a noble artist, put into his
many canvases the abounding peasant
life of the Tyrol, so Kienzl-if he had
the talent of a Defregger-might paint
in his scores the quaint and harmless |
diversions of the Berlin peasantry-
bowling. fishing. coffee drinking, gossip |
ping, weighing oneself on automatic |
scales. walking in the Thiergarten. and |
reveries in a brewery. The thing is |
very simple IL you have the experience
and the technique.
There occurs a bowling match, and
much burly wit is exercised. One |
Xaver Schnitterbart, the village tailor, /
is. like Beckmesser, the butt Of his as
sociates; indeed, his vanity is on a par
with his bad bowling One song. de- |
cisively delivered by Hans. a young
Bursch. clings to the memory.
o Zitterbart, Zitterbart,
o Franz Xavius Zitterbart
Du triffst js NIGHT den Laden n0ehr;
Die Kugel list fu Dich III schwer-
But he outbowls them all in one wild |
effort. The light II fades and night ap-
proaches as the CHEEKY crew departs for |
home-mother being also in the com
pany.
Wagner in a Smokehouse.
After some rough by-pIay the moon, |
unabashed, rises, and, behold, Mat and 1
Martha once more at their game of 4
signing They retire into an embrasgre |
that looks like the door of a smoke |
house. There. taking advantage OF the /
DO
tan and Isolde" Lot the wicked /
brother. The smoke house, he thinks. /
HIM! III make them smoke for all |
those erotics; and he does. Flames
ascend. The lovers are net unduly sur
prised-perhaps their heated vows fred |
the trellis. The town watehman, awake,
for a wonder, yeIls fire. and the chorus
does the rest 1t is very exciting Herr
KienzFs orchestra, which hitherto has
been softly humming and caterwauling
on the strings the Tristan music. now
bursts. unafraid. into the Fire music
from die Walkure." What a system!
What a memory!
I need hardly add that Matthias is de-
nounced as the hrebug-perhaps in a
certain sense. rightly-and carried off
70 prison The curtain falls and every
one goes chasing into the corridors for
underheated Wurstl
Mat as Psalm Singer.
Act II, thirty years Iater-it is a long
stretch of time TO traverse sympathetic
ally We do IL, for IL means that the
end OF the work is in sight Matthias
has spent two decades in Jail He is
now a white-haired. venerable beggar
and street exhorter. psalm singer.
Evangelimann. He is fatter than ever,
and he means psalm tunes TO good little
children under an elm tree whose |
spreading branches quite eclipse the
background. Since the time when that
enhancing vision Of chrome art ap-
peared, depicting tiny George xiii the
Cats attired In angel white and with a
Celestial expression In his cruel. blue
eyes, and saying his evening prayers ss
he kneels In crib a world too wide for
him. his minds eye gratefully picturing
the tortured cat Of his great-aunt, I
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