International studio (32.1907)

Modern Stage Mounting in Germany

designed by Professor
Olbrich for the “ Flora”
Horticultural Society at
Cologne, for erection in
their grounds near the
banks of the Rhine. The
idea of this “Rose Court”
is a happy one, and is
of especial significance in
relation to the revival of
the ancient “Coiner Blu-
menspiele ” — the floral
festival of days gone by,
in which the burgesses and
their wives took part. The
hall, of which two views
are given, is well adapted
to the holding of arts and
crafts exhibitions, and is,
in fact, being used for that
purpose this season. W. S.

“THE CORNER house” (DAS ECKHAUS), DARMSTADT: GARDEN GATE

JOSEF OLBRICH, ARCHITECT

Modern stage mounting

IN GERMANY.—II. ORLIK’S
“ A WINTER’S TALE,” AT
BERLIN. BY PROF. HANS W.
SINGER.

To bestow a proper amount of care upon the

“THE CORNER HOUSE,” DARMSTADT: KITCHEN

JOSEF OLBRICH, ARCHITECT

mounting of one of the standard plays or operas is
still an occurrence of such comparative rarity that
whenever it does happen an undue amount of
attention is raised thereby. Conservative people
have not failed to hunt down this weak point, and
have decried the innovators who “bury the poetical
values of a drama beneath an opulent display of
scenery and costume,” as they put it; or,
in other words, “ who make a mere spec-
tacle out of the best that our great
musicians and dramatic authors have
given us.” Such a reproof would not
apply to the manager who brings out
“ Oberon ” in a new garb, for “ Oberon ”
is certainly a popular and good but not
one of our best operas. The book is
wretched enough, such numbers of the
score as have stood the test of time do
not suffer in the least by being set off
upon a background of beautiful stage
mounting.

The reproof would likewise not apply
to the manager of the Deutsches Theater
at Berlin for having revived “A Winter’s
Tale.” Despite its many individually
beautiful passages, “A Winter’s Tale” is
one among the least harmonious of
Shakspere’s plays. From the very first
scene the tragic vein strikes so high a
pitch that anything like development is
out of the question. Leontes’ unaccount-
ably fierce j ealousy and its dire effects upon

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