The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-12
BEETHOVEN PUT IN A DRAMA
Don AID ROBERTSON AS THE
COMPOSER.
A pa, by Rene FROrhsas PrOdueea a the
Ns~ Theatre-The Tragedy a6 nee-
tno,sab Lonely LIre and % Hh Crew
ne Deafne>s Are Clearly set Fsrth.

Ne~ Theatre-rhe TRAGEDY 90 nee.
tno,eab LeneIy LIre ana % Hh Grew.
iuE Deafne>s Are Clearly Set Fsrth.
TA- temptation 20 dramatiSe the bfe
! sr so~,e - the experiences Of Beethoven
Aas nAset playWrights before IL fell in
re 18th Il Rene Fauchois. whose Bee
\ nov was produced az the New Thea tire
49, sht some will recall with mingled
en- ms a drama in. which the role OF
ne s--at composer was assumed by
pa' BisphAm with results disconcert-
~ the friends Of the famous musician
i I'D not wholly satisfying to those Of the
svirs singer. The heroine Of this play
re AIelaide uf Beeihoven's wonderful
cong vas impersonated In a statues1ua
II. ard rhllhng manner 10y julie Opp. But
M rlay like ether fugitive things
Ass r. -se,i INTO the eternal beyond ard We
s.s yrrhably not he troubled by IL aRain
Rcat"rs ot Beethoveu's life 81 his aries
a - ,tteTs. find them full oI the rccorca
e a tIrhulent and even tragic emotional
,Hreriruce His sorrows were intensely
tea. his suferings terribly poignant.
Ihc-e records tempt the dramatist TO
sndeNvor to mould them To theat rical
sss- But the lion in the path il Beethoven
kmself Tremendous ~ his personality
vas y Was not Of the stun of which tag,
seroes are made. This 10 most power
fully illustrated when his love u made the
subject matter % play
Beethoven was not captivating 20 the
eve his physical appearance cannot
emulate romantic ina ginAtion. He was
q tragedy in himself. but no one can he
expected to weep sympathetic tears when
watching an unkempt and disordersd
mar personally unattractive. laborins
q the throes Of q hopeless passion. The
trarnatist who can 80 fashion the real
facts q Beethoven's life 49, to make Of
them play gratefI to the general public
mus, surmount tremendous dificilties
With an art little short Of superhuman.
" FauchoiS has had the good judg-
nent 20 put the burten Of his drama on
Beethoven's lonely career and the dark
fate Of hls growing deafness. BY this
process he hss avoided the temptation
20 wander away into a thousand petty
details IL must be conceded that there
. Just a touch 81 humor in the masters
Successive disappointm'nts in love as
they follow one another in successive
sets Even the audience was hard put
% u TO keep from smiling WREN BsnRn
BrsHsdro announced that she too was
about to be married. GiUiicnd Gsiccidrdi
had already told him in the frat act.
But tire chief dramatic motive was the
masters growing deifre>s and conse-
guently increasing irritabilIty. The
ihlrd act showed him alienated from
BIS relatives and friends and approach
ma his end In poverty. The conclusion
a. the second act was extremely touching
ans genuinely dramatic in its graphic
portrayal Of Beethovcns deafness When
the Schuppanzigh quartet hcgan TO
play the new ly written quartet IA : major
nom opus So
The dialogue a. presented m English
vas often asilted and old fashioned. but
c.!,e AZ often II was perfectly suited 10 the
character ~ the scene and had a certain
appropriatsness to the personality 81 the
sv'hor's Beethoven. Doubtless VI. Fau-
ehois took not q few hints from Bee
tho ven . own writings and some Il The ut-
'ersncas had az least a esenhlance Co the
rastsr's style. The play a. play wac
Iusatisfying. for u lacked that me vital
cement % the ccnsicv or overmAsts ring
passion % s~o natures. This element MAS
fatally one sided IN the history 81 B~a-
ihoven. To he true the dramatis. was
compelled in this IN be undramatic. BGt N
as delinsation of the artistic tragedy
u Resthovsn's life h show II fine skill.
ponIli Roberts N, who enacted Bee
thDven.is evidently an actor who learned
~ art In the old 'hool lie displayed
srDe Of lie "rtues and n"' a few of it,
voeA The latter were Chlc"y CpnSpIC-
'tIs IN his treatment ~ tine dialogue aud
TIE former in his eTe~tiv. competition
d me character and his ability To make
20 points IN the dramatic climaN@s tie
49, warmly applsud's1 and On the whole
VEL deserved approval. for hrs Bee'hoteH
t0'I0hed the sympath 70 the audie1ce
a ne numerous company enEagst ia
lssist'nG Mr. Robertson there were none
urp could lay claim Co distinguished
s-r.Hvement last night Rehcoca Warren
wls accsptl bio a. BSiiiRd BvCH'cEo and
Mrs sol Smith did All that c. uld he done
u'h me small role 81 NaTHg. the servant
r. Bes'Hotcn An orchestra under Elliot
Nohenck supplied the mu-ic Between
80 cots movements from the symphonies
49," iay~d In the course 81 the play
Sf-n Besihotea WAS seen in the thrOes
r. imposition the orchestra played be-
Ind the scenes the theme supposed 20
p" te~eloiing IN the masters mind THIS
o. .." was very effective