The San Francisco call., 1908-07-26

Yes, musically. It would be absurd
TO attempt an explanation of what I
mean; but I dare say it would meet
with the comprehension OF any OF the
composers. II you know what Beeth-
ovens 10th sonata sounds like, you
VIII understand something what !
mean. I was strumming a IL all the
time that I was writing The Servant
in the House Now, just az the fugue
is inverted at the end OF the compo-
sition, so is my theme in the last act
Of this play inverted. The conflict
between the vicar and his wife is what
I refer 70. You remember each claim
that God is with his or her side OF the
battle. 1t is stroke on stroke and
clashing dissonance against clashing
dissonance. and then-to complete the
hgure-you remember how, when the
climax is reached, it is sustained on the
heights. The act does not describe
curve; neither does Beethoven's music.
II reaches heights and stays up there.
Few composers are able TO do this.
The usual line Of music isSa graceful
arc. But not so with Beethoven. His,
at least in this sonata, describes an
incline and a high plane. That is
what I have tried to accomplish in my
play; the last act of which is best
and the audience is dismissed on the
levels OF a great altitude.
=
feigning it-I was certain when 1 had
finished this piece that it would make
blaze around the world. That is be
cause I believed l had gripped a truth
from out the inhnity OF the intangible
realities"
/ It was about this time that the
! splash Of which I spoke was heard and
I got back as best I could to lower
levels.
Some one has asked me-" he said,
whether I thought I had ever saved
any souls with my play. I replied that
I did not know whether I had or not
/ but that I was certain nay own had
been done lot Of good in writing it.
When 1 first commenced 1 had 2
thousand bright things 10 put into
/ the mouth of Manson. l would have
him go after all the little things that
Charles Ram hated: I intended that he
should fail the abuses that ! thought
needed the treatment; but when I got
into the play I found I could not put
those words into his mouth. They
sounded as unreal and labored as. no
doubt, they would later have sounded
in the ears of the audiences L puri-
fed my soul in writing his lines. You
VIII notice he does not say smart
things. He just says true things. I
know they are true, for they are not
What Charles Ram Kennedy would
nave him say at all. They are what
nay conception OF his character made
Il inevitable he would say That is
what mean by pulling out the truth
from the invisible.
"Oh, yes. The English managers
were very much afraid Of the play
and they would have nothing to do
with it. though they are anxious
enough now to do it. In fact, there
were scarcely any of my friends even
who believed It would ever get past
the censor George Bernard Shaw and
g. X. Chesterton were two who en-
couraged me to believe 1t would sur
vive the scrutiny Of the English mon
itors Of the drama And so it did
pass the censorship, though 1t never
got further in front of the British
public than that, for it was consid-
cred too radical for presentation
back OF the footlighta I recall in this
connection the words of an American
friend OF mine, who on seeing the
piece said, Why. this doesn't knock;
it boosts That's what think. We