The Washington times., 1903-12-06

sion of the modern theater, not long
ago. Mr. Sothern related an expe-
rienee with an orchestra which IS
well suited 10 point a moral.
The scene was Salt Lake City. The
performance had been married by the
bIaring Of half dozen instruments at
the most touching and sentimental pc
Rod of the play. Mr.. Sothern had, ac-
cordingly. ordered a rehearsal Of the
orchestra. When the stage hands had
struck the last scene. set the first for
the next performance. and hurried
away, the discouraged actor stepped TO
the front Of the stage for his siege with
the musicians.
one man only was in his seat-a Ger
man The conoquy which followed was
heated.
Where were the others2
Home gone.
But they We're told 10 remain.
Vat o. dot? De oonion rehearsaitz
otter de performance hof fOrbitten.
Mr.. Sothern hesitated Just a moment;
then he said, with extreme quietude,
VERY well, my German friend. We will
do without the orchestra all the rest OF
my enga cement in. Salt Lake city"
There was bright light in the actors
eye as he continued the story. I'VE did
very well without the orchestra" he
said. In fact I felt the performance
was improved decidedly. For the first
time in my experience my audience and
I had a stage silence to ourselves. All
the rest of my life. whenever the au-
dience was debating win he get her?'
the orchestra was going tum, tuTn, tum,
and when the audience was saying Yes,
yes: ne viii get her the orchestra was
goins la, Ia, te. te- 1 have been ever
since inclined TO think we overestimate
the value OF orchestral music 70 the
drama
Who Hath Not Music In His Soul.
A goodly company viii join with THE
Proud Prince" and oppose the modern
orchestra Two names suggest them
selves at once-Eleanor Duse and Mrs.
Fiske. There are many others-an
those who play Ibsen, the few who
follow George Bernard Shaw. the dis
ciples Of Schopenhauer, and the eX-
ponents of the serious drama" gener-
ally. All these do more than exist
without orchestral support They pro-
test against It and produce plays with
out it.
We OF Washington have had several
oDportu' lies to Judge Of their con-
tention. Ame. Buses last engagement
entailed a whole weeks holiday on the
orchestra az the Columbia. Mary Shaw's
performance of Ghosts" and Mrs.
Fishes portrayal Of ''Hedda Gabler''
gave as a test OF Ibsen with OK the
ameliorating influence of sweS lSnds.
Ia all these instances the audlcs.- 5 were
OF a sharply marked. selected class and
few. If any. who attended these per
formances regretted the Innovation.
AS a whole. however. washington
piaygoers would view the, loss OF the
theater orchestra with much regret
D'Annunzio and Ibsen are nor FOR the
many (heaven be praisedD and the
many control the destinies OF our t;nse.
An appropriate overture, divertlug and
restful selections between the acts. and
spirited epilogue 10 the play-fhese
are essential features of theatrical en-
tertainment for the general" as
Shakespeare has termed them. the great
healthtul. powerful and-in the end
wise body Of patrons Of the stage
A Form Of Entertainment.
This judgment Is In full accord with
the logical mission Of todays stage
that II must entertain. first Of ell.
Few persons md entertainment in the
excepted dramatists named Yet II Is
certain this number would be larger
than It IS IL there were the usual at
traction Of appropriate music moderately
well performed Many a man has seen
a play through who would never have
endured the strain had It not been for
"Hiawatha" or ~Onona" between the
acts. Ibsen, with such embellishments,
would be a rare Great but II is still,
undeniable the combination would ex-
tend the Norwegian's patronage
Sometimes, not often 10 be sure. the
incidental music is valuable FnusicalIy.
Mr.. Sothern's new play is TINS adornedS
as Is Mrs. Fiske's Mary OF Aagdala,''
Mr.. Irving's Dante. the accepted YER
sion Of Twelfth Night" AS You Like
IT,, and other Shalespearean comedies.
MendelssOhn wrote several admirable
compositions as musical re-enforcements
FOR dramatic art Indeed. the assortment
IS more impressive than would be at
first suspected.
Il is undeniable music contributes ma
terially 10 create atmosphere.
No one who eYer saw Midsummer
Nights Dream win dispute this Who
has not recognized the hero Of a nelo-
drama by the crescendo played vigorous
~ on his first enTance2 What would
become Of sentiment on the stage II Il
were not FOR Chopin's nocturnes2 As
Mr.. sothern expressed it. we must have
''tuln. tum, tums' and Ia, Ia te, te"|
or we shall have no Twin he get herr"
aud Yes. yes; he VIII get her"
A Word to the Wise.
The relief OF the Ibsenites and
their fellows is a consequence. not or
a Durging Of intellect from music. but
OF a present abuse Of music.
Not one theater orchestra in ten is
worth its salt In the first place, most
OF them. are Orsan zed about on this
basis: OF STRING. two parts: Of wood
wind. four part S; OF drums. five parts.
and OF horns. ten parts. This is not
a measure according TO numbers, but
according 20 sound The usual band
for a good theater includes perhaps
six strluged Instruments one flute, one
ciarionet one trombone. one cOrnet. and
one drum. But IL sound the proportions
are about as Indicated, and the results
are as pathetic as the burning Of Joan
Of Are
The theater orchestra rightly organ.
lied would include, perhaps. five vio-