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the passion play■m-Vn Origi^ll HeprtiuuctJon of If at| T the Academy of ,Mn»io. 1I^a*t ntKht there were presented at the Academy of. Music movlng^picturta of the Passion Play, as given ^by thepeasants of Horltz, Bohemia which has been called the Austrian Ober-Ammer-gau. The pictures were secured by Dr. W. W. Freeman,. who visited the village, gained the confidence and intimacy of the villagers, and wa/able to obtain a complete insight iototbeir daily lives, besides being privileged to takepictures of them at their dahy toil ana in their performance of what, beyond being a plav. is to them the height or duty. The pictures last night were accompanied In their presentation by a descriptive lecture by Mr. Ernest Lacy. One of the most attractive of Mr. John L. Stoddard’s lectures wai that on the, Passion Play” at Ober-Ammergau. It was illustrated j by magnificent photographs, and yet, it must ,be said, that j outside of going to the Bavarian or the Bohemian mountains to witness the wfork of these peasants, is to see the play by means ©Unloving tableaux. The | cinemotagraphe has become familiar to I the American public, and as the pictures'were shown by it and through the I Ivumiere »rocess, it caif7 be readily understood that they were as.effective as could have been a series of tableaux vivants. A painting or a photograph can only partly convey the thought ofmovement and action, while, by the other means, the spectator is able to judge of the dramatic character of the work of these mountain peasants, andthe imagination is only slightly calledupon to picture the scenes in their complete reality.Mr. Lacy*«. lecture was well studied and effectively delivered. He portrayed in a sympathetic and graphic manner the home life of the villagers of Horitz; their simplicity, their independence and their deep religious feeling, and showred how the spiritual and the artistic werej happily blended in thilr nature. Ho I traced the origin and growth of Miracle, Mystery and Passh$£|Plays, briefly sketched the chief personages in the P»ay at Horitz and accompanied the presentation of the illustrations by a running commentary couched in graceful language, and telling fittingly the story which was being pictured. It may, in fact, be said, that had the lecture l*been the only attraction of the evening J it would have been enjoyed by thoughtful people, and it certainly helped to a more thorough understanding of the movements In the various tableaux.} As for the tableaux, they first showed the Horitz peasants at their daily avocations and engaged In their rustic frolics. Then theret was a picture of thePassion-Spiel House, and also photographs of the personages respectively portraying the Christus and Mary. Next came the various tableaux of the play itself, beginning with the picturing of well-known events recorded in the Old Testament, each of which is supposed to have foreshadowed or been emble-Imatic of the Life that went out onLCalvary. The pictures, however, which began with the annunciation and ended with the resurrection from the tomb of Joseph were wh*t attracted the strongest attention, and while at first the spectators applauded them,it seemed gradually to dawn upon them that they were witnessing something sacred, they caught the spirit of the actors, and the silence which followed was significant of their feelings,Some of the pictures were full of life and color; it was ^interesting to note the dramatic movements of the personages. and the eye seemed to be looking upon real flesh and blood men and women who were taking part in the working out of a tragedy. The poses which they assumed seemed to fad naturally, and there was no hint of long study and practice, while the groupings. In their picturesqueness, and their attention to wThat painters would call “values,” showed the possession of strong artisticI Hi view of the vilj Qualities. There wfere occasional touches of human nature running through the ! various scenes that invested them with , def«L naturalness. The sorrowful and lonely and yet majestic figure of the I I Christus filled the eye; there were calm- ii ness and dignity in every movement ! apd compassion in eVery look. The disci- !! pies were also pictured strongly andfhurILj?iIferent,atelt;i: ,n it wasthis \ariety, even in, the crowd that♦ h* t Ch,rIst *nto Jerusalem or,tK2t^2?A*wS?AC,ainoIed for his death.Ix1 comijqfc from a moun- jtain harnlet. The peasant actors, too : appeared to take on new dignity innneiLpart£* and whether as a sSldier. a?nr tK« «2?t!2i0r °r a K,n®’ each one !ror the time being moved as such. The Presentation of the pictures wa* also accompanied Uv unseen organ music,fte^ctlve- but unfortunately possessed of too much monotony. a™ f01*ever» which is easy of remedv.The lecture and tableaux will be irivlt;:n jwifi h!1miHdUrlng* the week there•Fridas?and SaeteUrdas'm0rr0W- Thursd!»'
Newspaper Details
Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Tue, Nov 23, 1897
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Rotten T.
USA 02 Aug 2020
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