New-York tribune., 1918-01-20

scene were painted--one to show it in
a framing Of spring foliage, with the
shadows falling as they would fall at
midday, and another as it presented
itself in the golden tinge Of autumn,
within the long shadows of the west
crinG sun. There were some utterly
gratuitous follies, of course-for it is
the nature of the stage mechanic to
commit folGcs whenever he can. The
Cave of Venus contained what the late
lamcnted Willy Won Sachs at the time
called a Hochherrschaf fthches Bett--
q couch w;th gorgeous, if fantastic,
drapcries, to which Venus pointed when
she exclaimed, "Geliebter Komm, Sieh'
dort die GrotteW and singular forma-
ton in the foreground which had puz-
zled the curious minds Of many specta-
tors refused to bulge when the trans
formation to the second scene took
place, and then disclosed itself as a
portion of the rocky walk up to the
Wartburg. This was absurd enough;
but what shall we make Of the crucihx
in the hunting scene of est Elizabeth"
which is lighted up with golden glow
and casts no shadow even in daytime,
because the light shines from within?
We say nothing of the music of the
hunting scene, for the situation and
picture recall the parallel in "Tann-
hauser," and the memory of Wagner's
hunting horns makes US speechless
with indignation. Here was an oppor-
tunity for Mr.. Bodanzky's blue pencil,
which was worked with such strenuous
energy in the last scene. Pencil.
quotha? Carving knives and axes,
rather.
And the miraculous transmutation OF
bread and wine into roses. Here we
were justified to expect climacteric
spectacle. How simple the problem!
The Landgrave tears open his pious
wife's bundled-up apron and out pours
mass of roses-red roses, recognize
able as such even in the galleries.
Then on with your spotlight if you
wish. But no. The apron falls down,
out roll some nondescript things which
look dirty yellow, while as many more
keep clinging to the ladys garment
and make her look-we scarcely dare
say it--like a person upon whom vivi-
section has been practised, or-dread-
ful lmaglnlng!-l the young gentle
man who posed in the middle of the
~ rpl 10 Of ko L.
almanacs we used to look at with Won
dering awe in our childhood. Then.
from abose, there descend one string
after another Of what to most of the
spectators look like autumn leaves, but
which others who have sat near the
stage tell us are garlands of roses.
They come from nowhere and remain
suspended. If in the exuberant fancy
OF the contriver of this scene they are
supposed to fall from Heaven, the law
of gravitation is also suspended in their
behalf.
Death Among the Redwoods
but this is not the last of the things
which would have been too wonderful
tor Agur, as they are too wonderful for
US. One CT them, which we have al.
ready passed by, is change in the
l'rst scene which must bewilder the
weIl-meaning people who study their
llbrettos before going to the opera. In
the oratorio Elizabeth and Hermann
are children who are seen by the eve
OF the imagination and heard on]v in
TWO childish utterances of a few words
each. In the opera they are youth and
maiden who are tremendously or cere
monially betrothed or married Ono one
can tell whlch), while supposedly
childish playmates are inviting them