New-York tribune., 1908-12-20
HANNELE AND C0MUS
Hauptmann at His Majesty s.
Music of the MasQae.

.tsre1udiced against religious drama 1t ATTRACTS
those who are fascinated by a beautifui ano eA-
t-srnely natural study Of q childs nlino S'nOo
tt has followed the production Of The 1hifu
Floor Back In London the Stranger OF one mas
been Identified with the Stranger OF the othei'
-snd there has been tendency to treat IL As ie
ugicus drama. This Impression was strength
ened at the first performance yesterday at'sl
noon st His MaiesCv's Theatre. where the audi
ence was requested TO refrain from applause
during the play and especially at the close ihe
request was unnecessary. as the majority OF 'l'e
spectators were profoundly moved by the anect-
ing story OF the dying child's dream and wanted
20 creep out Of the theatre silently and thihA
shout IL quietly Reflection must nave CON
WINGED them that they had not attenoeo d re-
liCic.s service nor witnessed modern morality
play like Mr. Jerome's "Hannele." like peter
Pan" IS a realistic study OF what goes on in a
chflds mind What is refracted through 1t Is
not the topsy-tuTvydom Of fairyland WITH req
Indians pirates, mermaids, crocooiles anu
wolves but medley Of earth and heaven. ahKe
pathetic and fantastic. "Hannele' is not HAo
Peter Pan" a play for children OF al ages
Real children will be saddened and perplexed by
Il II is sentimental. but very beautlful Drama
for older people who like the text. He TOOK
child and set him in the midst Of them
As "Hannele" has been produced IN America
g fs only necessary for me TO give q brief out
line of Il and to describe Miss Marie Lohrs
lovely irnpersonation Of the devout. tortured ana
natural child. Into the pauper refuge OF
mountain village where four quarrelsome hsss
and irnbecies are huddled around stove the
echoolnaster and a forester carry Hannele'
whom they have rescued from pond Parish
officers physician and Sister Of Mercy ap-
pear, but 1t Is &c the schoolmaster, who has
taught her what religion she has. that she con-
eees her riteolIs tale that her stepfather, q
etonemason has driven her to suicide What
follows is the fever dream OF the dying chllo-
The stepfather comes at first to frighten ano
bully her; the nurse is transformed into her
oead mother. who soothes her; three angels sing
for her; the silent Angel Of Death appears with
g sword; the humpbacked village tailor brings IN
q shining robe and pair Of Cinderella slippers;
g crystal coffin is carried into the chamber by
four youths in shining rairnent; the stonemason
returns In a parcxysn OF wrath and drunken
ness and Is expelled by the Stranger, who is the
schoolmaster transfgured as the Divine Master;
the cowsIip IN ner hand turns Into hre, ano at
benign command she rises from the coffin ana
kneels before the heavenly visitor while the
snEels are singing. 1t is the childs dream o.
death. Judgment and heaven The stage is dark
ened fox moment. and Hannele is again in her
cot in the pauper refuge. and the doctor ana
nurse are closing her eyes and saying that she
IS dead
Miss Marie L6hr, as Hannele, does not look as
young as she does as Margaret in Faust" In
stead Of an ignorant child OF fourteen she seems
Ike q refined young lady CT eighteen With this
defect IN illusion criticism is exhausted. She
makes the unhappy girl with her misery, pathos
petty vanities. credulity and crude religious
fencies intensely real Her earth is a torture
house with only two redeeTning features: the
memory Of her mother and the teaching Of the
kind schoolrnaster. Her heaven IS refuge where
the have-nots get what they have always lacked
Her rapture over the angels so easily recognized
from the prints IN her catachism is not more
natural than her dread Of the vile stepfather, or
her vanity over her shining burial clothes ana
her splendid funeral, with villagers specta-
tors. How joyousIy she arrays herself for the
crystal coffin as for a BALI The queer little
tailor might be Prince Charming, sweetly does
she smile over the compliment Of the smallest
foot N the village" She herself might be the
Sleeping Beauty, as she lies in her coffin, and
where could she find more pleasurable excite
Tnent than at her own funeral! Yet when the
familiar schoolTnaster IS translated Into the
Divine Stranger, how devoutiy she kneels, and
with what childlike faith does she listen TO his
gracious wordsl Miss L6hr is Ike Of Botti-
4 cells waxen MadonnRs at the end Of the play.
end throughout she is unaffected, simple and
chIldlikeA Mr.. Henry Ainley as the SchoOlmas-
ter-Stranger IS as digniied and reverent as Mr..
Forbes-Robertson is in the modern morality.
Sir Frederick Bridge is not comedian but
be is q genial master Of reveIs on an academic
occasion. The three -hundredth anniversary eel
.bration Of MTtou's birth would have been dull
indeed If he had not appeared IN his doctors
robes at the theatre in Burlington Gardens and
entertained distinguished audience with Quips
End cranks after a badly delivered university
lecture by the Master Of Peterhouse. He had
been devoting time and research 10 the study OF
the music Of "Cornus" at the first presentation Of
the 1rasque at Ludlow Castle; and he had sue
seeded in making q fairly complete collection OF
the antique scores for the purpose Of illustrating
them with the help Of a small orchestra and
choir boys This had been e labor of love. and
ne did not take g serious view of It With
genial pleasantly and many comic turn he put
the audience IN possession Of a large store Of
The music Of Niltons time was Ike. Few Of
bis auditors were aware that the poets father
eas musician and composer; and probably ell
heard for the first time the nladrigal from The
Irtunlphs Of Oriana,' in which skill as a contra
purtist vas shown. As the Westminster boys
sang s. there was indeed pleasant melody, and
II was a time,y contribution to the evenings
entertainments. for without doubt the poet him
elf had heard his father either sing or play It
many times
From the elder Milton Sir Frederick Bridge
passed 10 the Lawes brothers, Of whom he gave
q most humorous account before vindlcatng
their musical populations by a production Of
their works Henry Lawes the pupil OF
plain John Cooper. who returned TO his own
country as Signor Giovanni Coperario after
prolonged stay in Italy. It TO him that
IAwes owed his tendency 70 write dramatic