The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-04-28
ENTERTAINM.ENTS,
Hyperion Theaten

Ben-Hur comes to the Hyperion
April 80 and May and 2, with matinee
! Wednesday.
A feature of real interest and one
which has contributed to the success
of the stage dramatization of General
Wallace's romance, "Ben-Hur,'' is the
incidental music. The play lends itself
admirably to musical treatment of the
local color order, and Mr. Edgar Still
man Kelley an authority on oriental
and ancient Greek music, has solved
the problem of cothing themes butt on
ancient and oriental scales in modern
harmonic and orchestral garb, preserv-
ing absolute homogeniety throughout
The composer has invented his
I themes with regard to the chief Incl
dents Of the play, and has drawn upon
| these themes for the different scenes
+ by the process known in musical COM
positions as augmentation, or dim
/ mutton" The main themes in the pre-
lude and first act are: % THE Pro-
phecy," (2) The Star in the East" (9)
The Magi in the Desert "a "Ben-
Hur," 90 "The Power Of Rome" 60
'The Vengeance" The latter is de-
rived from the "Ben-Hur' theme. The
first is used in the prelude by the in
visible chorus. The second is suggested
by the words, Arise! Shine! for thy
light is comet" and is later developed
| when the chorus sings: THE Lord
Shall Arise Upon Thee" The star
4 theme is fully elaborated when accom-
panying the increasing splendor Of the
star, and is used afterwards in alluding
to Christ, the Light of the World. The
third, serves to illustrate the journey
Of the Wise Menthrough the desert to
Bethlehem. The fourth announces the
! entrance of Ben ur The fifth the
/ passing of Gratus and his minions
through the city of Jerusalem, and the
sixth is first heard at Ben-Hur's invo-
cation after Messala's perfidy-" Lord,
in the hour of thty vengeance mine be
the hand to put it upon him"
] In the second act an appropriate
| theme is used to characterize and ac-
company the rowing Of 1.-THE slaves in
the Roman galley. Theme five leads to
| the battle on deck, while a derivation
of theme seven shows the wreck in the
open sea, and the same theme, given
out fortissimo, signifies the rescue.
The third act introduces a new theme,
heard at the words of Esther: "Then
in heaven will we put our trust In
this act are other fresh themes intro
duced in the scenes in the Grove Of
Daphne, and upon them are built the
music for the professions and the
strange rites and revelries, and sung by
a mixed chorus
The fourth and fifth acts contain
themes, some Of which are Egyptian in
character. In the sixth act the ven
geance theme is cleverly used, when
Iris finds herself foied in her ruses
with Ben-Hur, and when the foil of
/ Messiah is accomplished In the Mount
Olivet scene a theme built on the ORR
entail scale and treated contrapuntally
is sung by the people from jerusalem
and is answered by the throng coming
| down the mountain. THE Star" theme
| is again heard when the brilliant light
is thrown on the lepers, symbolical OF
the healing. In the final act the Star
theme is given out by the orchestra,
underlying the chanting Of the ''Nunc
Dimittis," while the sopranos and
bassos bring the wholeto conclusion
with "This is Jesus of Nazareth, the
King of Israel" sung in canon.
Seats now selling.