New-York tribune., 1910-04-12
THE DRAMA
Beethoven" a New Play, at
The New Theatre.

ply Of Beethoven He was surrounded
by large company OF players none or
whom. aside from Mr. Robertson, appeared
Tor one moment above the levei OF the
mediocre. From the standpoint OF acting
The play must be Judged from hr Robert
sons performance alone II one Is 10 de-
rive any satisfaction from Its presentation
In spite Of the inaccuracies and inconsist-
encies OF the play as TO dates characters
and events. Mr.. Robertson, by reason or
his remarkable resemblance 20 Beethoven
ms eNcelling art. his pure diction ana his
dominant personality. succeeded in unfold
ing 10 the evident interest Of the audience
the essential points in the character and
lie Of the great composer TTe was mate
rally assisted by a hidden orchestra Of
sixty pieces that portrayed the great
thoughts of the composer in a manner in
hnitely more effective than would have
been possible by means OF mere words
The play was slow in getting under way
and II was tedious in ending. It's main in
terest lay in the second act. when events
moved with swifter speed
The element Of humor in Beethoven's 8
character apparently escaped the French
author. Only on one occasion did the
audience laugh. and that was when Bet
tina came on the scene 10 tell 20 Beethoven
the story OF her betrothal 10 another
which Giulietta hzd told Of herself in sim
liar vein earlier in the act. The story Of
Beethoven's growing deafness was dra-
matically told. although one wished that
less q this tragic element OF his life had
been made use of in the play
The production might have been entitled
Scenes from the Life Of Beethoven. Accom-
panied by Selections from His own Music" "
The entertainment is not a play. nor an
opera, nor cantata. an oratorio or a con-
cert. Il is not tragedy. comedy or melo-
drama say that il is a series OF tabeaux
vivans. interspersed with dialogue and en-
hvened by an orchestra Of sixty pieces and
YOU come as near as possible 10 a descrip-
ton Of the undertaking. What poor rules
We have for guidance in the construction Of
plays NJ Rene Fauchois has set aside as
alien 70 HIS purpose. and Henry Grafton
Chapman. the translator Of The New Thea
tre version. has not departed from the line
set down for him.
Beethoven was first produced al the
Odeon in Paris by NJ. Antoine. in March
1893. L seems to have succeeded very
Well as IL was revived there during the
year. Last November Sir Herbert Tree pro
cUced Il in London. the translatssn for that
occasion being made by Louis " Parker
It's run az His Ma5esty's was short Thz
New Theatre follows the precedents estab-
ished in Paris anI London in the manner
or presentation. with few unimportant
changes.
The scene is Vienna. The first act passes
in the Public Gardens OF that capital on a
day in 1915 Beethoven is shown at the
height OF his fame, fattered by princes,
and n turn. hattering the women, al
though We see him now undergoing a dis
Illusion with regard 10 one Of his loves.
GGilietta GUicciardi. who leaves him in or
Ger 20 marry the Count Won Ganenberg
Even now the composer has warnings Of
deafness which. OF course. give him grave
concern. The second act is laid in Bee
thoven's lodgings in Vienna. three years
later. Here the incident OF his loan 10 the
Countess Won Gallenberg. and mis- meeting
with her are dealt with. But the interest
centres upon the complete deafness which
seizes him and shuts him out from the
world Of music while he is conducting a
rehearsal with the Archduke Rudolph's
String Quartet. The third act occurs in
rooms in the Old House Of the
Spanish Blackfriars in 1877. And here the
his Nine Symphonies. represented by as
many beautiful women.
II might be thought that with all this.
and the time. and the Ders0nages OF the
time a playwright could have built a story
strong in interest and in the development
or character But no such attempt has been
made. The word play must perforce be
used But Beethoven" is one OF the plays
that are not plays And there is but one
part IN IT, Beethoven himself. All the other
iramaus persona are shadows. or the out
lines Of shadows. The Beethoven OF the
play is the Beethoven Sir George Smart
described after visiting the composer. AZ
Baden. in September. 1926:
Pee has four large sized rooms opening into
each other. furnished Ia genius. n one is the
grand planof9rte. much out of tune. given him
1- Broadwood. lie gave me- the time. by play
nE the sub fect on the pianoforte of many
OF his symphonies. including the
choral. which. according TO his account, took
Irr--q quarters OF an hour only - performa1ce.
IE- is very Gesirous 20 come TO England After
--.ft-4-,- 80 dinner with his funny old cook
and telling his nephew 90 see 20 the wine.
all ave took a walk Beethoven was generally
u advance. Euumiug some passage. He usually
sketches his subjects IN the open air; and u
r-ae On one uf these occasions. SchUppanzigh
told me that DE caught his deafness. he was
writing In a garden. and was 50 absorbed that
Ia was NOT sensible TO inc pouring rain I'll his
music paper wet that ne could
onErr write. PROM that day his deafness com
mauced. which neithter time nor art has cured
on our return We had dinner az
o'clock T overheard Beethoven say We VIII
Ivy how much the Engiishman can drink"
az Esf tb. worst OF the trial. T gave him nv
diamond Din as a remembrance of the high
z-atihcation I received bv the honor of his
Invitation.
He makes love 70 the ladies', throws tongs
a- Betty. the housekeeper-whose part. al
though a minor one. is delightfullv por-
-raved by Mrs. Sol Smiths crotchetty.
tender. norose. and gay. irritable. absent
minded. careless -contemptuous. always in
re-esting. but never Iovabe That the
Beethoven Of the play Is something like
The. Beethoven Of life NAV be granted. All
he aeccentrfcities Of genius" and esp.-
-farlv those commonly ascribed 20 musical
genius. are displayed. but too little is re-
led of the better side. the higher part.
~ The man VINO made the music which has
touched the hearts Of generations.
Peet ethoven's music accompanies the text
IN several instances or rather accompanies
the moving pictures OF the stage The
71av Is preceded bv the "Coriolanus" over
-,5-e- during the arst intermission the first
movement u the Fifth Symphony In g
Minor. during The second intsrmission the
sveg~at-o from the Seventh Symphony.
Daring the first act the song. An die Ferne
-.elfeb-e-. movements from the Moonlight
sonata and the adagio from the Sonata
patne,ioue." are performed. In the second
srt selections from the Ninth symphony are
given. and in the last act the allegrettO
fror1 '..Egmont." and selections from all the
-vwDhOTles.
CAST OF BEETHOVEN