formances at Epiphany and Easter. One of the pranks of Tyll Eulenspiegel turns on such a dramatic representation. Tyll served the parish priest as sacristan, and was entrusted at Easter with the duty of providing the three Marys. He chose three of the stupidest louts in the village, and drilled them in their parts. The priest had a wall-eyed housekeeper who was to enact the part of the angel at the tomb, sitting with her blind eye turned from the congregation; and the priest with a banner was to personate Christ. On Easter Day the three bumpkins dressed in female clothes drew up to the sepulchre and stooped before it. Then the white-robed angel blandly asked 'Whom seek ye?' Thereupon the three Marys, with one voice, answered, as instructed by Tyll, We seek the parson's wall-eyed wench.' The angel lost composure, sprang off the tomb, and clawed at the eyes of the Marys. Their wives, from the congregation, flew to the rescue. The parson, emerging from his hidingplace, laid about him with the banner, and, in the general scrimmage, Tyll made off. In the St. Bartholomew's-Stift at Frankfurt-on-Main is preserved the stage director's book for the performance of a Passion Play, which continued to be enacted annually on the Römerplatz till 1506. In that year there were two hundred and sixty-seven performers, among whom were some of the clergy, and the church choir sang antiphons in Latin between the scenes. The Bible text was followed most closely. The cock crowed for Peter's conversion, the stage shook for the earthquake at the Crucifixion, and the hanging of Judas was so real that the actor taking the part on more than one occasion was resuscitated with difficulty. In 1437, at Metz, the priest who acted the part of Christ was so severely dealt with in the Crucifixion scene that he died of the consequences. The performance took place in the open air, under the sun; the pavement was parterre, the windows of the houses formed the boxes, and the roofs constituted the gallery. In the great Mysteries the stage was at three elevations, and before it was a shallow but broad podium for the chorus. The lowest stage represented the nether world. In the midst was a door-the mouth of hell, and steps led from it on each side to the second stage, which figured earth. The highest stage was reserved for the Deity and the saints; it was heaven. Each stage was divided into three compartments by pillars. There was no curtain, no change of scenery, but the back of each platform was suitably painted, or hung with drapery. The Mount of Olives, the pinnacle of the Temple, &c., were made of wine-barrels piled on one another, disguised by painted canvas, whence the stage directions Here Satan ascends the barrel,' or 'Judas springs off the barrel.' With this description of the structure of the mediaval stage, the reader will be able to follow the movement of a play composed in 1480 by a priest, Theodore Schernbeck, and published by Tilesius at Eisleben in 1565. It is entitled 'Frau Jutta' and turns on the story of Pope Joan. It opens with a dance of demons on the lowest platform, singing in chorus Lucifer on throne of night, Rimo, Rimo, Rimo! Once an angel clad in light, Now a devil foul to sight. Lilith, Satan's grandmother, with a howl, leaps from the jaws of hell (in the centre) into the circle of caperers, and expresses her delight at their mad hullabaloo. All the while, on the highest stage, in a blaze of sunlight, silent, still as statues, sit Christ, his mother, and the saints, whilst angels kneel, with smoking censers, in adoration. Lucifer sends an angel on earth to inspire the maid Jutta with ambition. to climb to the highest pinnacle of honour in the world, hitherto supposed to be accessible only to a man. The devil mounts to the middle stage, where the maid Jutta is seen ministering to her master and lover, a clerk. The evil spirit breathes the ambitious thought into her ear, and she discusses it with the clerk. They resolve to go to Paris together, where she, in male attire, may study with him in the university. Whilst they are on their journey the chorus on the podium sing. The stage direction is broad enough, 'Unter des singet man etwas.' When the studies at Paris are accomplished, Jutta receives the Doctor's bonnet, and goes to Rome with her clerk, where they enter the household of Pope Basil, are next appointed cardinals, and finally Jutta is elected Pope. All this is passed over rapidly, and preludes the main action of the piece, which now begins, and shows the advantages of the structure of the Mediæval stage for dramatic effect. Jutta is enthroned Pope, and sits surrounded by cardinals, holding conclave, when a senator enters and represents that his son is possessed with a devil, which he prays the new Pope to expel. Now, for the first time, fear falls on the soul of the ambitious woman. The possessed boy is brought in, writhing on his couch, and she recognises in the spirit that afflicts him the demon who had inspired her with her sacrilegious purpose. She invites the cardinals to drive out the devil: they attempt it, but in vain. Then, hesitatingly, tremblingly, the Pope raises her voice in exorcism. The black spirit appears-hidden before behind the bed, and flies towards hell, shrieking Hear! hear this marvel all That the disclosure of such a scandal in the Church, wrought by a profligate woman, would produce a lively effect on a believing audience, entered into the calculations of the poet; and the threefold division of his stage assisted in making it effective. The lowest platform is crowded with scoffing, exulting demons, jabbering and pointing at the Pope, who sits on the middle stage, in full pontificals, blanched with fear, covering her eyes with shame, whilst the cardinals shrink back with dismay, or lean forward in question. Above, the Saviour discloses his pierced side, the saints express dismay. Mary kneels before her Son, and at her prayer he sends the Angel Gabriel to announce to Jutta the approach of death. Thereupon the female Pope, filled with contrition, falls prostrate. She lifts her hands to heaven, and as she sees death-a skeleton-descend the stair of cloud, with poised javelin to smite her, she breaks into the musical cry-1 Mary, Mary, mother dear, In my shame, my hour of fear, Plead for me to thy dear Son ! The stage direction orders a rushing together of the cardinals and of the populace around the dying Pope. A new-born child is lifted above their heads and shown to the audience. At the same moment the soul of Jutta is seen carried off by devils to the nether world. A new situation now begins. Blood rains out of heaven, and the earth quakes. The cardinals assume that heaven is outraged at the disgrace brought on the Holy See by Jutta, and resolve on a pilgrimage to invoke the intercession of Our Lady and 1 The musical notation is printed with the text. St. Nicolas. They form into procession, with tapers and banners, and move along the middle stage chanting a litany. Below, the demons are tormenting the soul of Jutta, who pleads on in piteous hymn to Mary. Above, in heaven, the Blessed Virgin and St. Nicolas are entreating the Saviour, but-Christus schweiget stille.' Then Mary recites all her cares and sorrows, from the hour of the Nativity in the stable till the dead head rested on the mother's lap beneath the Cross: the Saviour's brow relaxes, he raises his mother, and sends Michael to release the soul of Jutta. The closing spectacle must have been one of extraordinary animation and dignity, the like of which cannot be equalled with all our modern appliances, in the opera. The devils recoil before Michael in his flashing silver armour, muttering a rolling bass of execrations. Simultaneously rise the wail of the litany as the procession winds, the song of thanksgiving from the lips of the redeemed soul, and a thunder of Alleluias from the host in heaven. What a subject for Wagner! In the Mystery Plays representing the Gospel story, each scene was 'interlarded' with a tableau, or scene in dumb show taken from the Old Testament, typical of the scene from the New Testament. In the baroque period this tradition of the religious drama survived under a form adapted to the taste of the period. In 1743 was enacted before Maria Theresa and Francis the First a play on the Conversion of Constantine, which opened with the stage representing a rock rising out of the sea, to which Andromeda was chained, and a monster at her feet was rising to devour her. Above sat enthroned Jupiter and the gods and goddesses of the heathen pantheon. Perseus rescues Andromeda. It is easy to trace the allegory. |