The New York herald., 1922-09-17
Spectacle the World Thea
ter Performed in Church
Is Notable Success.
GAYETY PERvADES OPERA
Mozart Performances Draw
Crowds-Orchestra and
Chamber Concerts.

Special Correspondence to THE New YORK
HERALD.
SALzBuRG, Austria, Sept. 2.-What-
ever the near future may have in store
for Austria one thing is certain: that
it's musical and dramatic presentations
have not suffered under it's other diff
culties and that they are likely TO
maintain their high level even under
the very worst conditions. The thou
sands of foreign visitors who have
come to witness the "Salzburger Fest
spiele" are unanimous in their praise
of the various performances. Every
thing contributes to the brilliant sue
cess, which far exceeds the keenest
expectations.
The dear old city is not the least
responsible for it. The famous Ger
man scientist Alexander Won Hum
boldt called it the most beautiful spot
of the earth next Naples. And in
deed, If one approaches the Austrian
Alps from Munich over the Bavarian
plain one is struck by the lovely pic
ture of the ancient fortress Hohensalz-
burg and the quaint old town at her
feet, with her twenty eight churches
and nearly as many monasteries. and
the picturesque Untersberg as a back
ground. Alpine grandeur and soft
green hills combined with the fertile,
well cultivated plain, stretching out to
the north far into Germany, make this
Austrian frontier place to be one of
the most attractive in Europe. 1t has
always been a tourist center with COM
Portable hotels and good railway con-
nections. but it has hardly ever seen
such a select crowd of art pilgrims
from all over .sfs world as this year.
"EverymanD II Played.
The Salzburg festival players are
comparatively young institution and
cannot boast of the proud past Of
Bayreuth or Oberammergau. Only in
1920 a first attempt was made to ar
range musical and stage performances
of more than local interest during the
travelling season and to make a new
artistic world center OF the small town
of about 10000 inhabitants The
medieval mystery play of Every
man" adapted for modern use by the
Austrian writer Hugo Won Hofmanns-
thai and produced by set of the very
best actors under the management Of
Max Reinhardt. opened the new VEN
ture. 1t was repeated last year and
drew much attention. After this prom
Using beginning the "Festspielhausge-
meinde," with branches in many foreign
capitals and also in New York, went
one step further and extended the range
OF her activities. Hugo Won Hof-
mannsthal wrote a new dramatic work.
called the "Salzburg Great World Thea
ter" an adaptation from Calderons s
''El gran teatro del mundo" with
local Salzburgian tinge and of a rather
outspoken Roman Catholic character.
and series of performances Of Mo-
zart's operas in the municipal theater
and of orchestra and chamber con-
certs. as well as lectures on various
art topics. was prepared for the same
occasion. Before the commencement Of
the festival plays several days were
devoted to recitals of modern chamber
music of all countries counting in the
musical world. The whole show lasts
from the beginning OF August to the
29th and provides more than enough
entertainment even for the most en-
during of enthusiasts. OF course the
majority of the visitors choose only a
selection of what seems to them the
most attractive portion of the plentiful
program. But none OF them leave Salz-
burg. without having seen the World
Theater" in the Collegiate church, fine
baroque building of Fischer Won Err
ZACH. dating from 1907, which has been
placed at the disposal of the Festspiel-
hausgemeinde by the Archbishop of
Salzburg on the merit of the high re-
ligious and moral qualities of the play.
Mystic Spectacle in Church.
Every night at precisely o'clock
the bells of the church towers ring out
the beginning OF this mystic spectacle.
Upon entering the wide hall of the
church, which is crowned by n high
cupola. one sees in the dim light simple
wooden stage placed before the altar.
covered all over with the bright red
cloth. which the Catholic Church uses
as drapery for her triumphal feasts. A
wooden partition. following in its lines
the typically baroque curves OF the In
terror of the church. hides the sight OF
the altar at the back. and the stage in
front is divided into three ascending
platforms. which lead UP to niche in
the >epter Of the partition in the back
ground. When all are seated the organ
begins TO play, and after some minutes
strange figures In costly clerical and
medieval garb emerge from behind the
scene and ascend slowly and I'm digni-
fed way TO the uppermost level Of the
stage. They are dwellers of the heaven,
prophets, saints and sibyls. who are
called before the throne of God together
with The World and her followers ::
Death, Curiosity and Satan (Wider-
sacher). The Master (God) appears in
the central niche of the background in
the shape Of young man with fair
beard and garbed like high priest Of
the Old Testament. Whereas the illu-
mination OF the remainder OF the stage is
soft and subdued. The Master Is sur
rounded by dazzling light. Angels act as
mediators between him and The World.
Then The Master proclaims his will to
arrange a spectacle with human beings
as actors and commands The World to
prepare the stage for H. Death is TO
be stage master. and each actor will
have TO act the part handed over 20 him
by the angel II is to be "a play and a
s.mile' and its name Is TO be: do the
right thing God above you'll" The
Master disappears In his palace with his
followers, and now enter disembodied
souls. vague figures without any out
ward distinction In gray cowls. The
angel distributes the roles among them
In the presence of The World. One be-
comes King, the second Wisdom, the
third Peasant. the fourth Beauty and
the NTH the Rich Nan They arc ali
satisfied with their lot only when the
role OF the Bcg0dr Is given to the last
soul be rovolts against It. lie looks